2017 MOTO GUZZI MGX-21 FLYING FORTRESS
FIRST RIDE
P106
gnarly wiggles and mini tank
slappers, reminding you not just
of the overall girth but what this
bike was originally intended for.
At normal cruising speeds (75
mph and below), the MGX felt
great. It was planted and lazy,
just happy to bumble along and
look cool, transverse red cov-
ers blowing in the breeze and
carbon-fiber covered front wheel
rolling like Batman's had a day
off. It's even pretty maneuver-
able in tight spots around town—
despite its size, feet up U-turns
aren't too much of a has-
sle on the MGX as the
weight is carried low in
the chassis, which, in
turn, helps that 60-80
mph stability.
For a bike that's designed to
take large amounts of luggage,
I wasn't totally enamored with
the volume of the panniers. As
awesome as they look, they are
pretty shallow—I had to twist and
contort my half-filled backpack
just to fit in the left pannier. So
if you're planning on doing a
big trip with an MGX, you'd get
worse advice than to purchase
the leather top case as an ac-
cessory (although then you can't
take a passenger).
And that's exactly what this
bike is designed for—big
mile trips. The ergonom-
ics and seat offer some
of the most comfortable
riding I've had in a long
time. Normally, my ass
goes to sleep if I sit on pretty
much any bike with a standard
seat for more than an hour at
a time, but the MGX's pew is
beautifully sculpted and gener-
ously wide, and gives it real big
trip chops in the process.
As does the cruise control. It's
a bit finicky to use and doesn't
come with set/res written
anywhere on the switchblock,
meaning I got a touch lost on
how to use it from time to time,
but its appearance on the MGX
is a nice touch for those wanting
to chase the sunset.
While we are on the switches,
the kill switch is an absolute
pain in the ass. Mounted on the
right side, it's an in/out switch,
and I know how ridiculous this
An Italian in a sea
of Americans. The
Guzzi stood out
like a sore thumb
at Sturgis.
