WIDE REWIND
BY 02/16
“Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans: a glorious breed” was the title of a lengthy and detailed article on Motociclismo.it a couple of years ago. The summary reads: “It was a motorbike out of the ordinary, well ahead of its Italian and international contemporaries, fast and sporty, but also reliable and a great traveller. Produced in three series from 1976 to 1984, it moved up to 1,000cc and later to 1,100cc.” The Moto Guzzi Le Mans was presented at the Milan Motor Show in 1975 and won an immediate following. Developed in a design centre, the new sports bike from the Eagle brand featured linked braking and was based on the official motorcycles (such as the V7 Sport) that in the 1970s competed in the “Bol d’Or”, the historic speed and endurance race on French circuits, including Le Mans. It was an inspired move: and the Le Mans became part of the best sport tradition of the Mandello del Lario brand, which this year celebrates its 95th anniversary.
The Le Mans has fascinated Guzzi bikers all over the world for 40 years, and boasts a variety of custom models.
“The Le Mans is fondly remembered by many bikers. Even today when you look at a Le Mans, it's impossible to resist its appeal, the result of a successful mixture of power, exclusivity, compactness and essential beauty,” writes Motociclismo.it ( www.motociclismo.it).
It's true: the web is packed with videos starring carefully restored Le Mans bikes, from Italy and America to Germany and Japan. Here are some examples.
A vintage adv: Moto Guzzi Le Mans II, second series, 1000cc, the CX100 version for the USA.
