RESPECT THE UNEXPECTED
This Moto Guzzi started out as a V7 Sport – but ended up as a no-compromise racer that did the business at Daytona
If you close your eyes and imagine a classic racing bike, what do you see? A Manx Norton, perhaps or maybe a Ducati V-twin or even a Yamaha TZ? But, unless you’re a dyed-inthe-wool Guzzista, you probably wouldn’t visualise anything like this machine. It certainly doesn’t conform to the general stereotype for Moto Guzzi’s shaft drive V-twins as laid-back mile-munchers. It’s a no-compromise race bike, built to win at the top level of classic sport – and it’s a thing of brutal beauty. We were suitably intrigued to take a look into the machine’s heritage and pedigree...
It was created for the 1997 season by Italian racer Luca Viola, who has competed in just about every class of racing since his first outing on the track aboard a Ducati F1 back in 1985. Now, he runs a specialist motorcycle and driver training outfit Run x Fun (www.runxfun-it) for road, track and off-road riders and also organises off-road tours and events. But back in 1996 he was approaching one of his biggest racing challenges as he prepared to head to Daytona to tackle the America Historic Racing Associations flagship event that formed part of Daytona Speed Week. And this special Moto Guzzi was the bike he built to take on the legendary Motor Speedway.
Up until then, Luca had raced Ducatis, but the idea of building a really potent Moto Guzzi really appealed and a 1972 V7 Sport provided the starting point. That’s all it was, though – a starting point. By the time the bike was ready to race, just about the only V7 Sport parts remaining were the frame and crankcases – and the frame has been cut and shut at the headstock to provide a 22° head angle and 88mm of trail for more responsive steering.
A massive amount of work went into the engine to make it competitive. Bruno Scola – who worked in Moto Guzzi’s experimental department and was heavily involved in the development of the Le Mans – was entrusted with the job. Naturally, the alternator rotor and electric start were ditched to save weight, but then the real work started. Inside the V7 crankcases, there’s a lightened and rebalanced Le Mans 850 crankshaft. Together with bored-out Le Mans barrels, that gave bore and stroke dimensions of 88 x 78mm and a capacity around the 950cc mark. The bore has subsequently been increased to 92mm, using two-ring Wiseco pistons, bringing the capacity up to around 1030cc.
The cylinder heads are 1000 Spada items, reworked with big 52mm intake and 47mm exhaust valves with stronger valve spring intended for a Porsche 924, and the rockers have been balanced and lightened. Originally, a (Bruno) Scola B10 racing camshaft was fitted, though a Megacycle cam
has since been installed. Likewise, the 40mm Dell’orto PHM carbs fitted for Daytona have since been replaced by 41mm Kehin CR instruments. Straight-cut gears and a lightened clutch from Dutch tuning ace Jan Kampen complete the engine specification. Overall, the tuning work was good for around 95bhp back in the day – and with the increased bore, it may even be a little higher now.
To harness the extra power – and to improve handling – the rolling chassis has also come in for a lot of attention. In addition to the modified steering head angle, a Le Mans swingarm has been fitted in place of the V7 unit. The Le Mans arm is the shortest used on any of the Guzzi twins and quickens the steering a little more. Rear suspension is provided by a pair of Koni shocks and the forks are top-spec 38mm magnesium alloy Ceriani GPS. Brakes are Brembo PO8 calipers on hand-crafted carriers gripping a pair of 300mm Brembo discs at the front, with a smaller 230mm single disc at the rear. The rear hub is a stock Guzzi item, painstakingly machined to save weight, while the front hub is an elektron alloy Honda factory item.
The rest of the bike reflects the same attention to detail. There’s the carefully-fabricated alloy oil catch tank for the crankcase breather and a catch tray under the sump. A modified Ducati SS fairing graces the front, while the exhaust has been custom made by Rome-based Galassetti to suit the characteristics of the Scola-prepared big-bore engine. A Dyna electronic ignition system means there’s no need for a heavy battery to provide the sparks for longer races. Everything about the bike has been carefully thought out.
Luca Viola ran the Guzzi racer in the Italian classic bike championships in the ’90s, before selling it on to fellow Italian classic racer Alessandro Giorgio, who eventually passed it on to Daniele Parravano before it turned up for sale in the UK in 2016. But it’s surely that trip to Daytona back in 1997 that remains the highlight of the bike’s racing career.
And what a trip it turned out to be. March 4 would turn out to be both a busy and productive day for Luca Viola and the big Guzzi V-twin. While I’m not certain of the precise eligibility rules in place for the various classes back then, Luca lined up for the Formula 750 race just before 2pm. When the chequered flag was waved, he’d finished in a creditable sixth place – and there was better to come. Just before 4pm, Luca brought his Guzzi back to the start line for the Formula Vintage race...
In a field of 60 bikes and riders, Luca battled his way through the pack to finish in second place, beaten only by the Yamaha OW31 750 of John Ellis. On the way to the second step of the podium, Luca and the Guzzi ripped through the timing lights at a whisker under 160mph. It was an incredible result for the ohv V-twin and the crowd loved it.
Now, 25 years later, the bike is ready and waiting for a new owner. It’s currently up for sale at Made in Italy Motorcycles in Stowmarket (madeinitalymotorcycles.com) for £17,000. There are a host of events around Europe – The Festival of 1000 Bikes at Mallory Park and the Bikers’ Classics at Spa, to name but two – where this Guzzi would be a whole heap of fun. If you’re the sort of person who likes something a little out of the ordinary and you’re into the track-based classic events scene, classic racing or even, perhaps, classic endurance racing, that new owner could be you...