WORDS : Peter Elliot PHOTOS : Geoff Osborne

he name Moto Guzzi is one which instantly excites motorcycle afficionados around the world . It has retro heft , cult classic-status , and retains its ‘ cool ’ with character and ability . Former Guzzi owners always smile and tell you they owned one when they see you pull up . It ’ s a conversational opener that can have you whiling away an hour or more on the side of the road as you swap yarns . Somehow this is part of its charm , and few motorcycle marques elicit such warmth of response . I ’ ve heard it said on a number of occasions that ‘ a Guzzi won ’ t kill you ’ and although that ’ s a prove-ably false assumption , after riding one for a week or more I totally understand what they meant by the statement . It is willing , tractable and behaves without doing anything astounding . For the new Carbon model of this third Generation V7 750 cc , the designers have stuck to their roots , and the stylish allblack with red accents has a sinister but cool look ; belied by charming handling , a modest but slightly improved horsepower output , ( from 48 to 52hp ) and willing inputs from the ABS and Traction Control . This is a bike that a newish rider can get on and play with , very quickly indeed . And it won ’ t do anything strange – hence the ‘ non lethal ’ comment . That said , I did find a couple of quirks on the new demonstrator that kept me wary for the first couple of hundred kilometers . The standard equipped Pirelli Sport Demon tyres were at best ‘ unfriendly ’ in the wet conditions found on a 150km social ride with seven others . ‘ Squirming ’ is the best word to describe their behaviour - it almost felt like they were pumping out detergent for the first few minutes , such was their lack of grip . I was most cautious in the tight , and sat near the back of the procession until the Pirellis started to offer some normal bite in the afternoon . A minor bugbear also reared its head , in that the mode switch , delivering electronic information and operating the traction control , was unresponsive or operated intermittently , so I was unable to turn the TC off , or adjust it . The 750 power plant is still a wonderfully linear responder however , but in the Carbon model there is no Tachometer , and one merely gets a red warning light flickering to tell you to change gear . I found this annoying at first , but a few moments of riding by ear allowed the bike itself to tell me when to change , in the old school manner .

48 KIWI RIDER