VOL. 50 ISSUE 22 JUNE 4, 2013
ever produced by a European
manufacturer, as Guzzi's publicity claims – that honor goes to
Triumph's 1700cc Thunderbird
parallel twin.
But as the biggest-ever motor produced by Moto Guzzi, it's
the fruit of four-and-a-half years
of development, including more
than 60,000 miles of test mileage. That's resulted in a stylish,
sophisticated blend of old and
new, combining cleverly updated
traditional looks, coupled with
a modern re-interpretation of
Guzzi's trademark classic engi-
neering platform. And it now gets
a ride-by-wire throttle, offering a
choice of three different modes,
plus three-level traction control,
cruise control and ABS - all as
standard.
However, while on the California 1400 Custom, Guzzi has
junked the cheap and fiddly antitheft device that's found on the
Touring, this means it's also devoid of any kind of stock keyless
security system that we now take
for granted on all American cruisers, plus an increasing number of
Triumph and BMW models.
P103
Throw your leg over the Custom's 29.1-inch high seat fitted to
the test bike (.7 of an inch lower
than the Touring's more sumptuous saddle - there's an even lower
option as well), and you'll find this
is also a little narrower behind the
tank, making you feel more seated within the Guzzi cruiser than
on the Touring model. The coollooking seat with the Guzzi eagle
emblem embossed on the rear
has minimal pillion space with
just a strap to hold on to. But the
Custom's riding position is really
comfortable, especially with the
Riding the
California
Custom in the
hills above
Monaco wasn't
a bad day's
work.
