Has anyone lusted over bikes like these desperately, without actually being able to get their grubby paws on one??
Well - fret no more!!
[quote author=KMSA]
Associated Motor Holdings subsidiary KMSA is now the proud distributor of the iconic Moto Guzzi brand of motorcycles in South Africa. Prior to 2006 various distributors sold the charismatic Italian motorcycles in small numbers, and the robust V-twins from the ‘70s and ‘80s still on the road are much sought after by enthusiasts. Countless numbers of these still have fond memories of the Guzzi Le Mans 850 that gave other Italian, German and Japanese sports bikes a run for their money in terms of handling and straight line performance, as well as reliability, thirty years ago.
“We had lengthy discussions with the factory prior to taking on the distribution and marketing of Moto Guzzi’s products alongside our Aprilia range in South Africa,” says Andre van Rooyen, KMSA’s Brand Manager for Aprilia and now Moto Guzzi. “As both Aprilia and Moto Guzzi are exclusive Italian brands owned by Piaggio it made sense for us to expand our product range accordingly. We’ve had queries from existing Guzzi owners asking about motorcycles and spares ever since the previous distributors stopped selling the bikes here in 2006, so we’ll now be able to assist them. East Coast Motorcycles in Durban, Fourways Motorcycles in Gauteng and Aprilia South in Cape Town will initially be the designated Moto Guzzi outlets carrying stock of the motorcycles and spares, but additional dealerships will be appointed in due course.”
Moto Guzzi is a highly respected motorcycle brand, and Guzzi owners are without a doubt amongst the most enthusiastic motorcyclists on the planet. “We’re very pleased with this opportunity to help this much-loved and historic marque regain its true status in South Africa,” says van Rooyen. “The Stelvio NTX 1200 and the stunning 750cc V7 Café Racer are expected to arrive in South Africa in time for display at the 2012 AMID show on 25 – 26 August,” he adds. “The factory is also commencing production of a brand new 1400cc Moto Guzzi California cruiser that will soon be available in Custom and Touring guise, both with ABS.”
Founded by Carlo Guzzi in 1921, the Italian motorcycle company proved enormously successful and won 45 World Championship Grand Prix races and seven World Championship titles in the 250, 350 and 500cc classes between 1949 and 1956. In 1955 Moto Guzzi produced the world’s first (and only) V8 Grand Prix motorcycle, the Otto Cilindri. With an overall weight of just 148 kg the 500cc racer reached a top speed of 280 km/h - after the factory pulled out of racing in 1957 it would be twenty more years before a racing 500cc motorcycle attained that speed again. The Italian company, that invented the motorcycle centre stand, is also credited with being the first motorcycle manufacturer to have its own dedicated wind tunnel.
Their first prototype motorcycle, built in 1920 before the company was officially formed, was way ahead of its time in that it was a unit-construction design incorporating a single cylinder engine and gearbox in a single housing, with an over-square bore/stroke ratio and an overhead camshaft opening four valves. In the 1970s the factory also led the pack in offering the option of an automatic transmission on some models.
Moto Guzzi has always marched to its own drum, which has made the marque very appealing to many motorcyclists. Honda must have studied the time-proven Guzzi format with interest – in the 1970s and ‘80s the Japanese manufacturer offered CX500 and CX650 models that emulated Moto Guzzi’s by then trademark transverse V-twin and shaft drive architecture.
Since discontinuing racing Moto Guzzi has concentrated on building mainly touring and sports machines, all using their signature across-the-frame V-Twin engines with shaft drive to the rear wheel. Owned today by the industrial giant Piaggio, who also own Vespa, Aprilia, Derbi and Gilera, the factory produces under a thousand bikes a month, and these are snapped up by the growing body of Guzzi fans around the world. Late last year the Piaggio Group announced that Moto Guzzi sales in 2011 had increased by 31% over the previous year, and they would invest almost 50 million Euros (R 500 million) in the company over the next five years. The money will be spent on updating and expanding the Mandello del Lario factory and developing new models that are true to the Moto Guzzi tradition.
PRESS RELEASE BY MOTO GUZZI SOUTH AFRICA. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL ANDRE ON 011 - 4651540.
[/quote]
Well - fret no more!!
[quote author=KMSA]
Associated Motor Holdings subsidiary KMSA is now the proud distributor of the iconic Moto Guzzi brand of motorcycles in South Africa. Prior to 2006 various distributors sold the charismatic Italian motorcycles in small numbers, and the robust V-twins from the ‘70s and ‘80s still on the road are much sought after by enthusiasts. Countless numbers of these still have fond memories of the Guzzi Le Mans 850 that gave other Italian, German and Japanese sports bikes a run for their money in terms of handling and straight line performance, as well as reliability, thirty years ago.
“We had lengthy discussions with the factory prior to taking on the distribution and marketing of Moto Guzzi’s products alongside our Aprilia range in South Africa,” says Andre van Rooyen, KMSA’s Brand Manager for Aprilia and now Moto Guzzi. “As both Aprilia and Moto Guzzi are exclusive Italian brands owned by Piaggio it made sense for us to expand our product range accordingly. We’ve had queries from existing Guzzi owners asking about motorcycles and spares ever since the previous distributors stopped selling the bikes here in 2006, so we’ll now be able to assist them. East Coast Motorcycles in Durban, Fourways Motorcycles in Gauteng and Aprilia South in Cape Town will initially be the designated Moto Guzzi outlets carrying stock of the motorcycles and spares, but additional dealerships will be appointed in due course.”
Moto Guzzi is a highly respected motorcycle brand, and Guzzi owners are without a doubt amongst the most enthusiastic motorcyclists on the planet. “We’re very pleased with this opportunity to help this much-loved and historic marque regain its true status in South Africa,” says van Rooyen. “The Stelvio NTX 1200 and the stunning 750cc V7 Café Racer are expected to arrive in South Africa in time for display at the 2012 AMID show on 25 – 26 August,” he adds. “The factory is also commencing production of a brand new 1400cc Moto Guzzi California cruiser that will soon be available in Custom and Touring guise, both with ABS.”
Founded by Carlo Guzzi in 1921, the Italian motorcycle company proved enormously successful and won 45 World Championship Grand Prix races and seven World Championship titles in the 250, 350 and 500cc classes between 1949 and 1956. In 1955 Moto Guzzi produced the world’s first (and only) V8 Grand Prix motorcycle, the Otto Cilindri. With an overall weight of just 148 kg the 500cc racer reached a top speed of 280 km/h - after the factory pulled out of racing in 1957 it would be twenty more years before a racing 500cc motorcycle attained that speed again. The Italian company, that invented the motorcycle centre stand, is also credited with being the first motorcycle manufacturer to have its own dedicated wind tunnel.
Their first prototype motorcycle, built in 1920 before the company was officially formed, was way ahead of its time in that it was a unit-construction design incorporating a single cylinder engine and gearbox in a single housing, with an over-square bore/stroke ratio and an overhead camshaft opening four valves. In the 1970s the factory also led the pack in offering the option of an automatic transmission on some models.
Moto Guzzi has always marched to its own drum, which has made the marque very appealing to many motorcyclists. Honda must have studied the time-proven Guzzi format with interest – in the 1970s and ‘80s the Japanese manufacturer offered CX500 and CX650 models that emulated Moto Guzzi’s by then trademark transverse V-twin and shaft drive architecture.
Since discontinuing racing Moto Guzzi has concentrated on building mainly touring and sports machines, all using their signature across-the-frame V-Twin engines with shaft drive to the rear wheel. Owned today by the industrial giant Piaggio, who also own Vespa, Aprilia, Derbi and Gilera, the factory produces under a thousand bikes a month, and these are snapped up by the growing body of Guzzi fans around the world. Late last year the Piaggio Group announced that Moto Guzzi sales in 2011 had increased by 31% over the previous year, and they would invest almost 50 million Euros (R 500 million) in the company over the next five years. The money will be spent on updating and expanding the Mandello del Lario factory and developing new models that are true to the Moto Guzzi tradition.
PRESS RELEASE BY MOTO GUZZI SOUTH AFRICA. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL ANDRE ON 011 - 4651540.
[/quote]
