The model name - "Café Sport" - with its 1960's connotations of Café Racers might put you off. Do not be deterred, marketing people live in a world of their own. Moto Guzzi think of it in "streetbike" terms, but in reality its characteristics are more akin to good, all-round, road-going trailies.
This is one of the most impressive machines of its type we have ridden for a while. It is comfortable to ride, handles extremely well and, in performance terms when we tested it in the Welsh mountains, proved capable of giving sports bikes a run for their money. Forget about posing around the Cafés, this is a real rider's machine.
Looks are a matter of taste but the Ohlins gold finished front forks, bronze fuel tank and chequered black carbon fibre body parts manage to convey this is meant to be a real man's machine.
The layout is essentially typical Moto Gussi, a powerful, torquey V-twin engine, six-speed gearbox and shaft drive. The handlebars are set high, making for a relaxed and pleasant ride in town and on the open road. The mirrors are well placed and efficient. The minuscule fairing gives more wind blast protection than one would expect up to around 90 mph. Gear changes are smooth and quiet, and the ratios exactly right.
Riding around the Snowdonia area in mid-week, with little traffic and, by Irish standards, superb roads, gave us a first-rate opportunity to use this bike as intended. The Brembo Oro brakes work well on the rare occasions, thanks to the engine-braking effect of shaft drive, when you actually need them. The steering, an Ohlins damper is standard, was utterly vice-free and precise.
Inevitably, a large capacity twin cylinder engine will produce more vibration than the more, car-type, four-cylinder machines but, this was in no way unpleasant, indeed it all goes to give the machine a "real motorcycle" feel. Changing gear was a delight, this six-speed box, unlike some Moto Guzzis, was precise and silent.
In town slow speed riding was thoroughly assured. Out on the open road the roadholding never gave us a moment's qualm, despite the machine being hard-pressed. The acceleration from the gutsy 90º V-twin can only be described as awesome.
For those who like to make an impression, optional extra Titanium silencers and a replacement ignition black box give this machine a distinctive, purposeful sound and produce even more torque.
This is not intended to be a dual purpose, on-road, off-road machine. In terms of its on-road capabilities, whilst not as refined as BMW's recently introduced R 1200 GS, perhaps not as cutting edge as Ducati's MultiStrada, not as vesatile as Suzuki's V-Strom DL 1000 and Honda's Varadero, this is one thoroughly enjoyable, comfortable and well-behaved road-going mount.
Irish-type potholes and bumps are hard to find on the Welsh roads, but eventually we found a poor section which demonstrated that the fully-adjustable suspension was well up to coping with the worst you are ever likely to experience in Ireland. Indeed such is the range of possible adjustments you could happily spend several days experimenting.
The Café Sport does not claim to be a hyper-sports machine; if all you want is 180 mph, go elsewhere - expect a top speed of around 120 mph. For "real world" riding on twisty main or secondary roads this machine will stay with riders of much faster machines.
Throttle response is quick, the power and torque instantly available. In all, this is the best ride, in our experience, that Moto Guzzi have produced for many a year. Expect around 40 mpg when ridden hard.
This is a machine that would happily spend the working week commuting in heavy traffic and which, come the weekend, provides all the "blowing away the cobwebs" you could wish for. And it is rather different, very "Italian", and certainly stands out from the common herd.
It always surprises us that none of the Irish dealers seem interested in offering Moto Guzzis, even though there is no difficulty finding their parent company Aprilia's offerings in this country. For those looking for a seriously good, distinctive all-round machine the modest extra effort needed to acquire one would seem worthwhile.
Tech Spec
Moto Guzzi V 11 Café Sport
ENGINE: 90º V-twin, 4-stroke, 4-valve, 1,064cc. 9.8:1 compression. 67kW @ 8,200rpm. Torque: 94Nm @ 5,400rpm. Fuel injection, digital ignition.
FRAME: Monobeam. Suspension - front: Ohlins 43mm USD forks, 120mm travel. Rear: Cantilever swinging arm, Ohlins adjustable monoshock 128mm travel. Brakes: Brembo Oro, front: Twin 320mm disks, 4-piston callipers. Rear: Single 282mm disk, 2 piston callipers. Wheels: front 3.50 x 17", rear 5.50 x 17"
DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase 1,490mm. Seat height: 800mm. Dry weight: 226 kg. Fuel 20.7 litres.
PRICE: £ 8,165 - about €12,250 (Allow 1,414 VRT on importation)