Moto Guzzi Sport  1100i

Big, simple, handsome and strong, the 1100 Sport was a mid-'90s sports bike of the old school. The latest in a long line of Moto Guzzi V-twins to be fitted with the Italian firm's traditional pushrod-operated transverse V-twin engine, the Sport was introduced in 1994 as a cheaper version of the eight-valve Daytona 1000. The new bike dispensed with the Daytona's costly fuel-injection system in favour of a simple pair of 40mm DeH'Orto carburettors, as used by Guzzi for decades. If the result was inevitably a little crude by contemporary standards, the Sport still made for a rapid and charismatic roadburner.

Its engine was essentially that of the faithful two-valves-per-cylinder Le Mans sportster, with bore and stroke increased to give a capacity of 1064cc. The Sport's larger pistons also gave a reshaped combustion chamber. Other changes including revised camshaft design and a lighter crankshaft combined to produce Guzzi's most powerful two-

valve motor yet, its claimed peak output of 90bhp being 5bhp lower than the Daytona's figure.

This new engine sat in a steel spine frame closely related to that of the Daytona, and used a similar suspension combination of 41mm Marzocchi forks and remote-reservoir rear shock from Dutch specialists White Power. Wheel sizes remained 17 inch front and 18 rear, the Sport's only cycle-part change being that its four-piston Brembo front brake calipers gripped larger, 320mm discs. The Sport's subtle restyle incorporated a new seat unit that made room for an occasional pillion while maintaining a lean and purposeful look.

The bike felt every bit a Moto Guzzi as its V-twin motor churned into life with a characteristic lurch from its longitudinal crankshaft. The aggressive riding position pulled the pilot forward to the low handlebars, with seat and footrests set high, and was ill suited to town use - as was die Sport's rather clunky transmission and hesitant power

delivery below 3000rpm. Once spinning properly, though, the big V-twin thudded along with even more of the characteristic torque and charm that have traditionally made Guzzis so enjoyable.

The V-twin unit's strong midrange performance encouraged short-shifting through the slow but fairly precise gearbox, and meant there was little need to take the tacho needle to the 8000rpm redline. The typical low-pitched V-twin vibration never became unpleasant, and the Sport felt unstressed as it cruised at lOOmph with just 5000rpm showing on its tachometer. Revved harder, the Sport's lightened engine internals helped it accelerate with very respectable enthusiasm towards a top speed of 140mph.

Handling was typical of a Guzzi, combining slow but neutral steering, firm suspension and excellent high-speed stability. The Sport was not best suited to slow, twisty roads, feeling rather long and unwieldy. But once into a turn the bike felt reassuringly precise, and it thundered through faster curves with ease. On smooth surfaces, in particular, its stability, ground-clearance and the grip of its Michelin Hi-Sport radial tyres made the Sport a genuinely quick superbike. Braking power was good, too, thanks to the uprated Brembo set-up, although this was not fitted with Guzzi's traditional linked system.

The 1100 Sport lacked the power and handling finesse of more sophisticated sports bike opposition, and it couldn't match the impact of earlier Guzzi chargers such as the legendary Le Mans Mk.1 of 1975. But the Sport was stylish, competitively priced and succeeded in delivering stirring performance in a typically relaxed manner. Most of all, it proved there was still plenty of life in Guzzi's familiar transverse V-twin format.