Product
MOTO GUZZI ELDORADO
THE MYTH IS BACK
The fleet of large Moto Guzzis expands with the new Eldorado, the modern and luxurious heir to the unforgettable "850" that made its fortune in the States more than 40 years ago. Eldorado 1400, with a strong and unique tradition, is the latest and best example of the heritage range available from the Moto Guzzi brand which now expands with a great new vintage classic. Eldorado is a luxurious motorcycle on the cutting-edge of technology which, powered by the largest V Twin ever manufactured in Europe, is a perfect interpretation of the most genuine Guzzi spirit. The new Eldorado is a true flagship in the bike world, embodying a splendid tradition in an increasingly solid present. And it does so looking decidedly to the future: chromium inserts and finely crafted details combine with LED lights and come together in classic lines that bring Moto Guzzi into a new dimension where refinement speaks Italian.
Moto Guzzi Eldorado and Ewan McGregor
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Forty-eight years of history This is the calling card of the by now legendary Moto Guzzi 90° V Twin designed by engineer Giulio Cesare Carcano. From its first appearance on the V7, this legendary powerplant has been modified into countless versions and on a vast range of motorcycles. It was in the third evolution of the 90° V Twin that Moto Guzzi breathed life into the Eldorado. The year was 1972. Less than two years earlier, on the wave of a surprising supply of 750cc V7 bikes to the LAPD (the Los Angeles Police Department), the first Guzzi California was born and, on the same base, the luxurious Ambassador. In the constant displacement increase, Carcano's twin cylinder had already been taken from 700 to 757 cc and, with a third increase in size, the 850 cc version was born.
Moto Guzzi California 850, United States, 1972
With this engine the Eldorado was made as a replacement for the Ambassador with an even more complete, refined and luxurious model, but also one that would be able to provide a powerful and satisfying ride.
The goal was clearly achieved: “if Roman gods had ridden motorcycles, the Moto Guzzi Eldorado would have been chosen by Bacchus.” In the late '60s this was how the American Cycle World magazine concluded their test of the luxurious Italian bike, the latest evolution of the 90° V-twin with cardan final drive just introduced in the States. The metaphor effectively highlighted the intoxication experienced on a modern, powerful, luxurious and fast bike, painstakingly studied down to the smallest details and extremely satisfying to ride.
Moto Guzzi Eldorado 2015
More than forty years later this extraordinary experience is repeated in the shape and substance of the new Eldorado. By looking at the Eldorado 1400 one can see clearly how this Moto Guzzi has preserved the personality of its ancestor, drawing it from the past to the future along the path of technological evolution and stylistic continuity.
It's a bike that, even when it is parked, evokes the travelling spirit, the hundreds of kilometres travelled with that perfect feeling between rider and mount, as the fundamental component of the Moto Guzzi soul. A bike with a powerful identity with a fiercely proud Italian heritage which comes onto the scene as a global traveller, at home in any latitude, able to bring to mind spaces which, from coast to coast, cross over faraway continents.
This is how designer Miguel Galluzzi, who is in charge of the Piaggio Group PADC (Piaggio Advanced Design Center) at Pasadena, introduces it: “At 94 years of glorious Moto Guzzi history, a new wind of passion has pushed us to explore new horizons for this prestigious brand, not to mention the most important milestones. Great respect for tradition combined with a search for the best possible technology and the purest Italian design leads us today in the creation of the best Moto Guzzi bikes ever built. Searching for new horizons should be understood not only in terms of technique, but also as new riding experiences. All of this is blended in the soul of the new Moto Guzzi Eldorado: a bike designed to evoke riding excitement, the joy of ownership and admiration down to the smallest details like no other bike can do.”
The flashback effect comes out in the details: the spoked wheels, the oversized saddle, the rear mudguard with the gem-shaped taillight and the bullhorn handlebar. Even the fuel tank is full of appeal: the two-tone paint is accentuated by a teardrop motif characterised by a mirror-finish chrome treatment. A twin white coachline (Eldorado is available in Nero Classico and Rosso Pregiato) protected by another layer of clearcoat adds an even more prestigious touch to the tank and emphasises its lines. The front and rear mudguards and side panels are also highlighted by a dual white coachline under another protective layer of clearcoat, which ends in a point evocative of the tip of apaintbrush. The Moto Guzzi Eldorado logo takes its stylistic inspiration from the unforgettable Eldorado 850 badge. Also, the passenger saddle is mounted on a chromed luggage rack with built-in grab-handle: when needed, the passenger saddle can be easily removed to make plenty of room for luggage.
Eldorado's spoked wheels, both sixteen inches, mount classic whitewall tyres (130/90 on the front and 180/65 on the rear), which draw attention to the new wraparound mudguards. The wheel rims themselves are in unpainted polished aluminium, with an inner rim width of 3.5" (front) and 5.5" (rear): true works of art that manage to combine the most classic style with the modern technology of tubeless tyres. The front end has a particularly “clean” design which enhances the powerful front end, whereas the rear, on the other hand, is the most distinctive stylistic element on this ultra elegant Moto Guzzi. Its smooth and decisive shape integrates with the new full cover shock absorbers, the gem-shaped rear light cluster and the classic rounded turn indicators.
The Eldorado is easily distinguishable by its original complex surface headlight with polyelliptical light equipped with LED daylight running light (DRL). Speaking of digital technologies, the instrumentation is particularly satisfying, contained in a 150 mm diameter circular panel with the analogue rev counter scale finding its place along the external circumference and a multifunction full-matrix suspended display at the centre, all packaged neatly, like a luxury watch, in a bright chromium housing. You don't climb onto the Eldorado - you settle comfortably into the saddle. Situated at just 740 mm from the ground, the new seat, generous floorboards and comfortable chromium plated cowhorn tapered handlebars simply cry out for you to sit down, press the start button and let the tarmac roll past under your wheels.
If the road ahead is an endless Interstate Highway you can activate cruise control by pressing the button on the right-hand electric block and sail along as you listen to the throbbing 90° V-twin filtered by the big block's elastic-kinematic mounting system, knowing that if you need or desire it, the cardan final drive will be ready to unleash up to 120 Nm onto the tarmac at 2,750 rpm. Technically unchanged, the twin cylinder confirms its monumental architecture enhanced by the valve covers painted black with Moto Guzzi laser printed on them and the tight and smoothed cooling fins crafted with a facing technique, the same popular and precious method used to make the passenger footrest brackets.
The engine is an absolute benchmark in its category for engine capacity-performance-consumption ratio thanks to excellent thermodynamic performance combined with advanced Ride-by-wire multimap electronic management. This technology allows the rider to choose one of three engine management maps: Turismo, Veloce and Pioggia. And that's not all: the dynamic performance of the vehicle is also kept under control by its latest generation traction control (MGCT) which can be adjusted on three actuation levels in order to increase active safety without impacting performance and riding pleasure. The Eldorado's chassis was developed with the goal of increasing precision and ease of riding: the stiffness of the frame, the choice of tyres, the trail and the suspension calibration are all perfectly harmonised to increase the Eldorado's ride to levels which are unheard of on bikes with similar characteristics.