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