Well, another Italian motorcycle is a huge success for its manufacturer.  So it must be a Ducati then?  No, not Ducati.  Oh, OK, it’s an Aprilia.  No, it’s not an Aprilia.  So it must be an MV Agusta?  Nope, wrong again.  So what manufacturer is it then?  Surprisingly, it’s a Moto Guzzi (Guzzi) and even Guzzi is surprised.

The new Guzzi success comes from its newly released V85 TT adventure bike.  The adventure bike segment is hot right now so its not unreasonable to expect that Guzzi could have met with some success.  But the way things are going, Guzzi may just be in for a resurrection of sorts.

Demand for its new adventure bike is brisk.  So brisk that the little Guzzi factory located on the shore of Lake Como is working overtime.  Its workforce has nearly doubled, all in an attempt to keep up with V85 TT demand.

The base V85 TT only comes in one color; Grigio Atacama (Grey)

Workers from “La Citta Del La Moto Guzzi” – the city of Moto Guzzi take pride in Guzzi’s newest machine.  They are excited about the V85 TT and its ability to compete with the likes of BMW, KTM, Triumph and, Ducati.

Just six months since its introduction, the V85 TT has far exceeded Guzzi’s sales expectations.  Surprisingly, 70% of trade-ins towards purchases of the V85 TT are from non-Guzzi brands.

The V85 TT Adventure comes in two color combinations, White with yellow (shown here) and white with red.

That means Guzzi is taking market share and in a flat motorcycle market, taking more market share means growth and profit.  Guzzi Production Manager Nello Marriotti recently told a group of Guzzi factory visitors: “We must make owners of other brands know, what is Moto Guzzi”.  With the current sales pace of its V85 TT, Moto Guzzi is doing just that.

With the base model V85 TT priced at $11,990 and the “premium” V85 TT Adventure model just $12,990, Guzzi has slotted itself nicely into the “mid-size” adventure market.

So there’s a newcomer to the adventure bike market.  Moto Guzzi doesn’t immediately come to mind when thinking about adventure bikes, but with a little time, perhaps that will change.

Vezi sursa