Post Sale Update: This MGS-01 sold for $48,150 (including the 7% buyer’s fee) on Iconic Motorbike Auctions.
Moto Guzzi Sport, Number 1 – that’s what MGS-01 stood for. Doesn’t matter what you called it, it was an unexpected taste of what Guzzi would be capable of if they wanted to rub shoulders with Ducati or Aprilia in the exotic, red-blooded Italian sportbike game. The first examples of the bike were called the Corsa, a 1,200cc track-only superbike with a MSRP of about $25,000. It was supposed to be the predecessor for a more civilized street version called the Serie.
Even if the Corsa was track only, the bodywork was clearly ready for a headlight and the other components required to be street legal – Guzzi’s intent was to created a milder version with a 992cc engine. The street legal version Serie would have had a MSRP of approximately $17,000, but as you can tell from my word choice, it never came to be. Long story short, just 150 (that number is up for debate) Corsas were built, and they didn’t have much race success. Basic numbers were 122 horsepower, 83 pound-feet of torque, and 420 pound dry weight. For an excellent story on the Corsa, check out this article on OddBike.
I love this bike so much that I even took a few minutes out of my day to create a video about it for Iconic’s YouTube channel:
In fact, I even love this bike so much that I desperately want to put together a knock-off of sorts. My buddy Jay B. recently made me aware of a dealership in Italy called Guareschi Moto. Years ago, they built a race kit called the “Varano” to transform a road bike with the 1200cc big block Guzzi motor into a fun track machine. The kit includes a frame, subframe, fuel tank, pegs, bars, bodywork, and more – you basically just need to supply the drivetrain, suspension, wheels, brakes, dash, and exhaust. Here’s what they provide for the standard cost of 7,000 euros:
Obviously they’ll sell you upgraded parts like Ohlins forks and lightweight wheels if you want, but here’s an example of a Varano built out of a Griso:
I am now seriously on the hunt for a Griso (or any other 8v 1200cc Moto Guzzi, really) if you know of one. I’d clearly prefer to have a MGS-01 but they ain’t cheap (I suspect the featured one will sell in the high 40s plus our 7% buyer’s fee) and they’re not street legal. I want to build one of these Varano bikes out of an existing street legal bike and add mirrors/lights to make a fun streetbike that I can still spin some laps on every once in a while (like how I use my Tesi 3D). Have a Guzzi (ideally with cosmetic damage) that you’d sell to me for cheap to start this project? Let me know!
With that said, I guess I should get back to the actual point of this post: the MGS. This example is VIN: ZGULRRA004M10016, Engine #: KW040132, and it has just 65 miles. The seller bought it new, broke it in with a couple of sessions at Willow Springs…and then parked it. Impressively, it includes a NOS set of bodywork and a branded bag.
Find this Moto Guzzi MGS-01 Corsa for sale in Santa Monica, California with bidding up to $31,100 and the reserve not yet met here on Iconic Motorbike Auctions.
Disclosure: Bike-urious is a partner in Iconic Motorbike Auctions.