Greatest Ever Motorcycle: #9 - Moto Guzzi V8 (1955)

[sergioatmunroe]

I loved watching that program!

[JACKtheRIPP3R189]

God bless the Italians, absolutely barking mad.

[blezzdinterceptor]

Bravíssima MotoGuzzi! ! ! !

[montelatici]

I own a Guzzi with 2 cylinders.

[boulderdsvo]

I wonder if Jay Leno pronounces "pizza" wrong, too?

[eckyspondoolie]

I never knew.

[Boabiegringo]

Mental!

[FullBloodedHmoob]

v-8 with 2 inch wide tires = death

[Aubury]

For a company the size of Guzzi this complex master peace is a wonder, its weight and frontal area are a lesson in motorcycle racing design, And it beaten electron faring and wind tunnel development is a remarkable testament to the company

[desmodronic916]

Imagine you have to clean eight carburetors

[superik92]

@desmodronic916 imagine you have to tune it :O and the ignition :| haha no elektronic ignition back in those days

[desmodronic916]

They did`t mention Ducati Apollo :(

[KramerEngine]

A great video, and it shows that with more development this motorcycle could have won the world championship.

[KramerEngine]

The Motoguzzi V8 500 is a ill handleing motorcycle because the crank assembly is rotating clockwise and the clutch and rear sprocket is rotating counter clockwise. this results in gyroscopic procession in the wrong direction. When the crank shaft reaches enough RPM and the motorcycle is flicked over to the left, procession tries to turn the motorcycle to the right, causing ill handleing.

[schlusselmensch]

@KramerEngine If you're going to put forward your theory of gyroscopic PRECESSION affecting the V8's handling, perhaps learning to spell the terms you're bandying about might be beneficial. By the way, there are not that many motorcycles in which the crankshaft and clutch do not rotate opposite one another. Sheesh.

[eplune]

edwinplune@live.nl

[choopdewoot]

i think if guzzi had resurected this engine and remade it in the style of their current engines as well as making it reliable you would have a great seller. imagine if the cafe classic had a v8 engine. lol it might actually be able to get up to 100mph

[psteverific]

@choopdewoot My V7 classic will do 100mph on the flat... granted not much more, but it'll do it

[Yamieguy64]

190 MPH? BS!

It was good for 175 + however...very fast for the time, and as stated it was many years until that top speed was surpassed on roadrace courses. Mutch of that had to do with rule changes and the elimination of the fully enclosed "dustbin" fairings however.

[Laxpowertoo]

How does Jay Leno fit that chin through a door?

[canals22]

the Discovery channel is full of shit...

[talissin]

@canals22 Maybe, but the Guzzi 8 cilindri it's true.

[canals22]

@talissin true, I'm a Guzzi fan... I just don't agree with the list...

In my view, there is no "greatest bike ever"

[JhonyGP]

@canals22 yeah I completely agree... "the greatest bike ever" should be the one you love to ride... and the one you own because of that...

[11907614]

was 2 or 4 strokes?

[moisiemo]

4 stroke

[gastonave]

4 stroke

[jtomos]

4T, DOHC, 90 deg V8

[MrFibes]

Moto Gutzi ?

[iiver871]

my friend you have to also factor in the legacies left behind by each machine and though all of them are extraordinary in their own right the cub legacy is just gigantic

[pencon61]

No but for some bizarre reason these Tards think the cub is the greatest bikes of all time . I was being sarcastic. The only thing the cub could do is make it all the way to Aspen with Jim Carey and Jeff Daniels on it .

[pencon61]

If they would have had the honda cub in that race , it would have kicked Guzzi ass

[pudd750]

the cub do 190 MPH?

[loo85]

The modern Moto Guzzi bikes are still as impressive as its older time...though the engine placement look a bit odd not like other Italian bike...

[Nimbly]

It reminds me of old BMWs with the cylinder heads sticking out the sides. They look German to me...

[149200632]

great video

[sardosfish]

a replica of this bike is commissioned by a rich italian man and built by a small factory(vevini tullio) in 2 pieces whit same materiarls and tecnology.another dimostration of italian engines school

[Daniello333332]

zajebiste

[sophiegromit]

Legendary bike!!! Luv Guzzis!!!

[tobydoby]

I saw it race in the IoM in 1957, the last year of the dustbin fairings. I think it was ridden by Dickie Dale and finished on seven cylinders.

The 350 single cylinder Moto Guzzis were just as impressive, for different reasons and much more successful.

[DogWab]

Guzzi abandoned V8 cause, at the end of 1957, the Italian motorcycle constructors mutually agree to abandon competitions (the costs were becaming to high, since the preference of the public was switching from bikes to small cars like the Fiat 500). Only MV Agusta remained (it wasn't a real constructor, but a private divertissement of Count Augusta, owner of the elicopters factory) and, with a semplified version of the 4 cylinders Benelli engine, dominated the races for 20 years more.

[jamesandrew2000]

It didnt win everything. great bike,but very complicated and difficult to keep in tune. Rule changes limiting fairings, number of cylinders and gear ratios sealed the deal.

[Priza25]

wasn't it highly unreliable too as the engine components were so small they had regular break downs?

[lambdavi]

Considering the size of some components would have fitted inside a wristwatch, it's not so surprising some parts did break down.

BUT

motor racing has always been the frontier zone for the motor industry, without that V8 Guzzi would we have 16000rpm Ninjas and the like?

[swankydee]

Besides my comment was meant as a compliment to Italian bikes. They are beautiful.

[hottr6]

I thought the reason Guzzi abandoned the V8 was because the GP ruling organization banned it. Why? Because it won everything, and Norton complained.

[Lashins]

Guzzi abandoned the V8 because they agreed with Gilera and Mondial to withdraw from factory supported racing form 1958 on.

[Magirusn]

This is the #1

[S748e]

Italian engineering excellence at it's most audacious! in a word - superb!

[peppo1984]

only italian engineers are able to build engine like this....not to forget the ducati desmodromic distribution..ferraries and lancia model like stratos 037 delta s4 delta evoluzione...

[swankydee]

americans could make an engine like this but we are too busy trying to figure out how to make interiors crappier and suvs bigger

[lambdavi]

Ya ya they could they could so why didn't they ?

[swankydee]

Lightning fast comeback there davi. Besides I told you already we like making cars that suck, and going bankrupt.

[NorthenLight1]

V8 is something magical.None ever will produce such a sophisticated engine.I had a chance to get on the seat on it once. And he set up was familiar with my sport 1100. :thumbsup: all way through.Lovable.

[2ndclass]

im sorry but if you look at the british and american race bikes that were arount at that time like, all the brits were using twins and singles and then guzzi come out with THAT....i mean like 190mph for 50 years ago...fuck man

[vincentyeager]

Dont forget guzzi kicked the 350 class' ass with 250 cc singles.

[carpio2007]

simply beautiful.

Semplicemente bellissima moto.....italiana

[XiaolinPoopMaster]

That's nothing.... You should see the new Chrysler Concept Bike! That's right, Bike!!!! It has a V-10 engine, 1,000 HP, and 0-60 in 2 seconds!!! HOLY CRAP!!! (They actually built it too... I saw it on discovery)

[Jyllenberg]

If u mean Dodge Tomahawk, it has 4 wheels so it´s hardly a motorcycle. And there isn´t crazy enough rider to push that beast over cruising speed. It´s uncontrollable. Guzzi is solid bike!

[pernicketty]

Totally agree with you. Dodge Tomahawk is a useless joke. The Guzzi had a great engine with real potential but in those days brakes and handling technology couldn't deal with it.

[pernicketty]

Yes, and it's totally unrideable - and they say the Guzzi V8 was crazy.

[SupraCelica98]

thats bitchin!

[jeffandmatthardyrule]

45 kilograms? wow......

[Eldo850]

Nice!