Let’s be honest—when you think “Moto Guzzi,” innovation probably isn’t the first word that comes to mind. More likely, you’re picturing a laid-back V7 parked outside a café, or a rugged V85TT clattering down a gravel road. Moto Guzzi has built a solid reputation around retro charm, air-cooled vibes, and just enough modern tech to get by. And that’s part of its appeal.
But every now and then, the Italian marque surprises us, and the V100 Mandello was exactly that.
The V100 Mandello isn’t just a modern Guzzi. It’s the most high-tech and performance-focused machine the brand has ever built. Liquid-cooled V-twin? First time. Six-axis IMU? Check. Cornering ABS, semi-active Öhlins suspension, radar-based safety aids, adaptive cruise control—yep, all there. Oh, and the V100 is the world’s first production motorcycle with active aero, featuring wind deflectors that deploy at speed to improve stability and comfort. It’s like Moto Guzzi took a long look at the BMW R 1250 R and said, “Yeah, we can do that—just with more Italian flair.”
I’ve ridden the V100 Mandello before, and it genuinely feels like a different species compared to your typical Guzzi. The engine is smoother, the electronics are sharp, and the overall ride feels more polished—more Euro-roadster than nostalgic throwback.
But Moto Guzzi didn’t stop there. The Italian marque even made a special edition V100 just to pay tribute to the technology that helped propel it (literally and figuratively) to where it is today. I am, of course, talking about the Wind Tunnel edition.
Released to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Moto Guzzi’s legendary wind tunnel in Mandello del Lario, this is the most exclusive version of the V100. Visually, it’s a stunner: a vivid red livery offset by a black front fender and tail, with elegant champagne stripes on the tank and gold accents on the heads. It’s a striking mix of heritage and high-tech, and it comes fully loaded with all the goodies from the top-spec V100 S.
But this isn’t just a paint job with a story. The Wind Tunnel model pays homage to one of Moto Guzzi’s greatest engineering milestones—their full-scale, operational wind tunnel, built back in 1954. At the time, it was the only one of its kind dedicated to motorcycles. It measured drag using real riders, real bikes, and real airflow—long before CFD and wind tunnels became standard in the industry. And yes, it’s still operational today, and occasionally used to test both bikes and even Olympic bobsleigh gear.
The V100 Mandello Wind Tunnel isn’t just the most modern Guzzi—they’ve made plenty of those claims over the decades. It’s a flag planted firmly in the ground, a sign that Moto Guzzi is embracing its engineering roots just as much as its design legacy. And it proves that even a brand best known for throwback twins and timeless aesthetics can, when it wants to, turn on the wind machine and blow everyone else away.
Source: Moto Guzzi
