First Ride: Moto Guzzi 2023 V100 Mandello S Roadster

Moto Guzzi's V100 Mandello S tastefully connects to the brand's rich history while incorporating today's latest and greatest to produce a tech-rich, sporting motorcycle.

The all-new 2023 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello S is something of a double entendre, acting as a wink and nudge to Moto Guzzi's 100 years in operation, as well as the brand's all-important ancestral homelands.

The Italian motorcycle maker churns out unique machines from its facility in Mandello del Lario, located on the lapping shores of Lake Como, Italy.

Celebrating a centennial of doing business is no small feat for any marque, as only a precious few can make that claim in earnest. In 2021, Moto Guzzi joined that exclusive club, allowing one of Italy's most historic brands to add another colorful feather to its flourishing cap. What better way to ring in 100 revolutions around the sun than with a wholly modern motorcycle?

There's far more to the 2023 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello S than meets the eye. We did a first ride from the famed factory to do a proper review of the brand-new Goose.

2023 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello S Specs 

Start peeling the layers back on V100 Mandello S and you'll discover that Moto Guzzi is moseying into the 21st century with a confident saunter, pulling every bit of excellent technology off the shelves along the way. The spec sheet promises a litany of firsts for the traditionally traditional brand, including superbike-level electronic rider aids, state-of-the-art engine tech, and adaptive aerodynamic winglets.

Suppose that's too rich for your blood. In that case, a base model V100 Mandello ($15,490) trades spiffy semi-active suspension for conventional suspenders made by KYB and loses the bi-directional quickshifter. Those are the only differences—though the Öhlins kit is worth the price of admission.

Designers left plenty of Easter eggs for its faithful Guzzisti in the all-new V100 Mandello lineup, with the side panel slits tipping a hand to the 1976 Le Mans 850 and the angular upper fairing nodding toward the boxy 1981 Le Mans 850. More contemporary influences point to its former fashionable roadster, the Griso, put to pasture a few years ago. All those elements are readily apparent, accompanied by design cues that can only be described as neoteric.

Yet, that's part of the V100 Mandello's charm, tugging at heartstrings and masterfully connecting them to futuristic threads, creating a timeless aesthetic that can't quite be placed. Despite the V100 Mandello embarking on a compelling detour from what we expect from the firm over the past 100 years or so, the brand's distinctiveness has been preserved, which is part of the Moto Guzzi magic.

Even its category defies being pinned down, with the Italian manufacturer shying away from labeling its multitalented mule as a cut-and-dry sport-touring or standard motorcycle. It's running with the epically broad term of "roadster."

Between luxurious luster and ageless styling cues, it can hobnob with any classic or current supercar hailing from The Motor Valley. It wouldn't feel underdressed parked outside lavish eateries in nearby Lecco either.

New Engine, Classic Charm 

Capturing that undeniable charisma begins with the brand's first-ever water-cooled engine, known as the "compact block," thanks to its shorter proportions that reduce the wheelbase length, improving the handling of this shaft-driven steed.

The 1,042 DOHC 90-degree transverse V-twin is the undeniable centerpiece, proudly peacocking its protruding jugs on either side of the steed. Wielding a satiating 115 horsepower and 77 foot pounds of torque, the V100 always satisfies but never overwhelms. It's darn near perfect in any street setting, where low and midrange grunt shines with pride.

That's a good thing, as it means riders can settle into a groove, twist the lovely ride-by-wire throttle and let the torque do the work without reaching for the shift lever too often. On that note, the bi-directional quickshifter does prefer a firmer touch when you're revving outside its midrange sweet spot; otherwise, you might feel a bit of a thunk.

Lightweight internal components add a level of smoothness that Guzzis of the past can't match, and there's still enough rumble and tumble to let you know what you've got has life in it. But the cleverest bit of engine tech is a counter-rotating crankshaft that minimizes the inherent rocking motion found in all transverse-mounted engines, when getting on or off the throttle. Hop on any BMW twin-cylinder Boxer-powered bike or any Guzzi, give the throttle a whack in neutral, and you'll feel a yank to the side—it's still there on the V100, but dramatically reduced.

Smart engineering tricks don't end there, and keen-eyed Guzzi fans will notice the cylinder jugs are now flipped 90 degrees, allowing the exhaust to exit the side instead of the front, which is a fortuitous bucking of tradition. Not only does that allow a freer-flowing engine and, thus, net more power than where we're used to seeing a Goose produce, but it's discretely relocated the throttle bodies underneath the fuel tank and between the engine's V. That means more room for your knees.

Tech Meets Taste

Snaking our way through quiet Italian villages allowed us to explore the full-color TFT dash with its four riding modes (Street, Sport, Rain, and Tour) and enjoy this roadster's comfortable digs. It's then that I realized photos don't do the V100 Mandello justice—in that it's deceptively svelte in person. This Italian stallion is relatively narrow between the knees and has a neutral riding position that seems to fit young or old, tall or small, excellently. There's no excessive reach to the ground to consider or cramped cockpits to bemoan; it's primed to rack up miles.

The electronic niceties cascade down the line to adjustable cornering ABS and lean-angle-detecting traction control, both of which are new ventures for the heritage brand. Cruiser control and cornering headlights are also welcome additions.

Accompanying all that is an electronically adjustable windscreen that provides enough wind protection to give its touring potential legitimate credence, as if the color-matched accessory luggage ($849) didn't already speak to that. Of course, we must talk about the adaptive aerodynamic winglets. No, they don't deploy to help braking like what you'd see on a Ferrari LaFerrari. They're said to improve rider comfort and reduce wind pressure by 22 percent. It's tangible, even if the effect is somewhat limited and skirts on novelty.

Sporty and Smooth

A theme of refinement reigns over the V100 Mandello S, but where that comes into proper focus is with the decidedly sporty chassis. It shouldn't be a surprise since fellow Piaggio Group brand, Aprilia, known for its RSV4 1100 Factory superbikes and Aprilia RS-GP MotoGP race bikes, lent a hand to more than a few developmental departments.

The new Goose dips its proverbial wings into corners with enthusiasm that one might not anticipate from a 514-pound motorcycle—a trait that certainly came in handy while navigating the countless slow-speed switchbacks as I ascended into the hinterlands. That terrain is quickly dispatched, but this bird yearns for fast, sweeping curves where it can demonstrate unflappable stability.

There is a buzzword that this machine evokes, and that is versatility. That, too, applies to its semi-active Ӧhlins Smart EC 2.0 suspension that's become all the rage for motorcycles at the ritzier end of the spectrum—although, in the automotive world, adaptive damping is nearly commonplace. The golden suspenders automatically adjust damping rates to optimize ride quality, no matter what you're doing. With a few taps of the switchgear, one can make the ride as taut or tame as they wish, which covers all corners of a Sunday ride.

Contemporary Heritage

Pulling back through the iconic barn-red doors at the Mandello del Lario factory, the comparatively conservative Brembo stopper never skipped a beat and had an excellent feel at the levers. Then, it was time to ruminate.

There are few better environments to wax poetic about a motorcycle than Moto Guzzi's over-century-old facility. Many of the original buildings still stand, renovated, upgraded, and brought into the modern age with the patina to back it up. Moto Guzzi's V100 Mandello S speaks to that pedigree, tastefully connecting to the brand's rich history via the inimitable 90-degree transverse V-twin while looking forward and incorporating today's latest and greatest to produce a tech-rich, sporting motorcycle that signals a new direction—one that I hope lasts another 100 years.

[From $17,490; motoguzzi.com]