Moto Guzzi Eldorado

MOTO GUZZI ELDORADO: OPERATION FLASHBACK

“If Roman gods had ridden motorcycles, the Moto Guzzi Eldorado would have been chosen by Bacchus.” This was how Cycle World magazine concluded their test of the luxurious Italian bike, the latest evolution of the 90° V-twin with cardan final drive introduced in the States in the late sixties by the importer Berliner Group. The metaphor effectively highlighted the intoxication experienced on a modern, powerful, luxurious and fast bike, painstakingly studied down to the smallest details and extremely satisfying to ride. Forty years later the experience is repeated in the shape and substance of the new Eldorado.

Staying on the theme of mythology, the new Eldorado leads us to Janus, the two-headed divinity who is the keeper of all passages and transitions. By looking at it one can see clearly how this Moto Guzzi has preserved the personality of its ancestor, drawing it from the past to the future along the path of technological evolution and stylistic continuity. The flashback effect comes out in the details: the spoke wheels, the fuel tank with chrome sides, the oversize saddle, the rear mudguard with the gem-shaped taillight, the bullhorn handlebar, the passenger grab handle.

With a lower setup thanks to the new sixteen inch spoke wheels that mount whitewall tires (130/90 on the front and 180/65 on the rear), attention is drawn to the new wraparound mudguards. The front has a particularly “clean” design which enhances the powerful front end, whereas the rear, on the other hand, is the element that draws the most attention on this ultra elegant Moto Guzzi. Its smooth and generous shape integrates with the new full cover shock absorbers, the gem-shaped rear light cluster and the classic rounded turn indicators.

At the front the Eldorado, like the Touring and Custom models, is also distinguishable by its original complex surface headlight with polyelliptical light equipped with LED daylight running light (DRL). Speaking of digital technologies, the instrumentation is particularly satisfying, contained in a 150 mm diameter circular panel with the analog rev counter scale finding its place along the external circumference and a multifunction full-matrix suspended display at the centre, all packaged neatly, like a luxury watch, in a bright chrome housing.

You never get on the Eldorado, but rather you settle comfortably into the saddle. Positioned just 724 mm from the ground, the new saddle, together with the generous floorboards an the comfortable bullhorn handlebar grip, is an invitation to take a seat, press the start button and let the asphalt roll under your feet for at least 300 kilometres, which is the minimum range guaranteed by the sculpturesque 21 liter (5.5 gallon) fuel tank.
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If the road is a never-ending Interstate Highway you can activate cruise control by pressing the button on the right-hand electric block and sail along as you listen to the throbbing 90° V-twin filtered by the big block’s elastic-kinematic mounting system, knowing that if you need or desire it, the cardan final drive will be ready to unleash up to 120 Nm onto the tarmac at 2,750 rpm. Technically unchanged, the twin cylinder confirms its monumental architecture enhanced by the polished valve covers with Moto Guzzi silk-screened on them and the tight and smoothed cooling fins. The engine is an absolute benchmark in its category for engine capacity-performance-consumption ratio thanks to excellent thermodynamic performance combined with advanced ride-by-wire multi-map electronic management. This technology allows the rider to choose one of three engine management maps: Turismo, Veloce or Pioggia. And that’s not all: the dynamic performance of the vehicle is also kept under control by its latest generation traction control system (MGCT) which can be adjusted on three actuation levels in order to increase active safety without impacting performance and riding pleasure.