First-ever liquid-cooled Moto Guzzi
100 years of air-cooled, then water-cooled
Moto Guzzi was founded 1921. From 1921 to 2022, every single Moto Guzzi production motorcycle was air-cooled. The V100 Mandello broke that — the first liquid-cooled Guzzi in the brand's 100+ year history. Necessary for Euro 5/5+ compliance and emissions standards going forward.
Rotated cylinder heads — clever packaging
More legroom from old engine layout
Traditional Guzzi transverse V-twin: cylinder heads point sideways. The V100 rotates the heads 90° so they point upward. Result: throttle bodies are above the cylinders rather than between them. Rider's knees no longer rest on throttle bodies. Engine block is 4 inches shorter overall. Same iconic 'transverse V' character but better packaging.
First production bike with adaptive aero
Winglets that open + close
The V100 Mandello has small winglets on each side of the tank that open + close automatically based on ride mode + speed. In Touring mode at 70mph+: winglets deploy to deflect airflow upward over the rider. In Sport mode: winglets retract for cleaner aerodynamics. Real-world effect is small ('a nice gimmick' per MCN) but no other production bike has it.
Centenary celebration model
Marked Moto Guzzi's 100th birthday
Moto Guzzi turned 100 in 2021 (founded March 15, 1921). The V100 Mandello was conceived as the centenary halo model — 'Mandello' refers to Mandello del Lario, the village on Lake Como where Moto Guzzi has been built for the entire century. Production was delayed by COVID; final launch was 2022.
Norge GT 8V to V100 Mandello — 5-year sport-tourer gap
2017 → 2022
Moto Guzzi's previous big sport-tourer was the Norge 1200 GT 8V — production stopped 2017 due to Euro 4 emissions. For 5 years Moto Guzzi had no sport-tourer. The V100 filled that gap in 2022 — but with an entirely different engine, chassis, and electronics.
£13,500 vs £12,499 Kawasaki Ninja 1100 SX
Premium positioning
V100 Mandello: £13,500. Kawasaki Ninja 1100 SX: £12,499. £1,000 premium for the Italian heritage, brand cachet, transverse V-twin character, adaptive aero. The Guzzi is also less powerful (115bhp vs 134bhp). Buyer chooses based on character + style preference, not raw spec.
