Everything old is new again, and just like the mid-’80s when adventure touring motorcycles were all the rage, the same can be said for the current new bike market. In fact, those Dakar-inspired machines of four decades ago were so popular that many manufacturers are bringing back some old favourites. But if you’re a Moto Guzzi fan and want that retro adventure vibe, with some true off-road chops, then sadly the factory doesn’t have anything for you. But fear not, because Filippo Barbacane is the grandmaster of all things Moto Guzzi and he’s taken an NTX 750, stuffed it with a modern powerplant and built up a simply beautiful bike called the Gran Sasso 750, it is Officine Rossopuro at their brilliant best.
It’s not widely known or recognised, but Moto Guzzi has a strong off-road tradition: the first successes came at the 1939 International Six Days in Austria where Moto Guzzi participated with the GT 20, winning four gold medals. A modified V50 was a finisher in the very first ever Paris-Dakar, and the V65 TT was transformed by a number of teams into a successful enduro racer. Sadly for the Mandello-based manufacturer, the NTX range never really saw much success, even if the racing-inspired bodywork gave the impression that it was a factory-built racer. The first models came with 350cc and 650cc engines, and let’s just say, horsepower was a serious problem.
The 750cc version would come later in the model run, but by then the Guzzi had received far too much bad press to ever recover. If only Filippo was available to offer his services because this is by far the best NTX we’ve ever seen. Like all of his builds, they are designed and engineered to be ridden hard, and as the Gran Sasso name suggests, this is a bike ready to head into the mountains and to do plenty of messing around off-road. So, like any brilliant artist, Filippo first set about preparing the perfect canvas and that meant stripping the bike back to a bare chassis, rectifying any bad welds and blemishes and then hitting it with a nice coat of red paint.
But some things are better left in the past, and for this build the old engine would not return to its home, with the powerplant from a 21st-century Moto Guzzi Breva, taking its place in the frame. Just like the old lump, the engine is a 750cc V-Twin, but decades of R&D ensure it is of a far superior design and doesn’t have all of those extra miles on the clock. Despite it being an upgrade, it doesn’t produce any more power, so to give this bike a boost, Filippo has built a stunning full stainless exhaust system, with a free-flowing end can. You also get the benefit of improved fuelling from the modern injection and a new filter adds an extra pony too.
Having placed the new donk in the frame, the bike had to be turned into a roller to get it off the bench, and with his off-road intentions clear, the Officine Rossopuro boss began with a fresh set of wheels. The blacked-out hubs are laced to new aluminium rims with stainless steel spokes for the perfect stance and the TKC80 tyres ensure that no surface should be a problem for this machine. The rear shocks were actually 5-way adjustable from the factory, impressive stuff for the time, but they couldn’t compete with a brand new set of Bitubo remote res units. The front end is then completely rebuilt, with a set of gaiters to protect the new stanchions.
Now for some fabrication work, and every single machine that rolls out of the Officine Rossopuro workshop has a unique, custom, fuel tank. As always this beauty is brilliantly stitched together, with its lightweight aluminium construction helping to shed quite a few pounds. It has just the right look for an enduro-style machine and pouring the go-gas into the race-style filler reveals a large capacity too. To match the look, a set of alloy side covers is beaten and bashed until the right shape is formed and neatly they fill the gap that was once hidden under some truly horrific plastics.
Ditching all of that factory bodywork, which Le Moto stated made it “among the ugliest modern motorcycles produced”, Filippo had to come up with his own ideas for fenders and fairings. To achieve this, he’s selected a range of parts from the era, with the monster high-rise front fender the perfect dirt catcher, and the rear tail section with its integrated fender really capturing the ’80s vibe. And nothing gets the nostalgia of that period flowing like a squared-off headlight and matching bikini fairing. The seat is hand shaped to get the rider sitting pretty and then the red and white colour scheme is beautifully laid down, with some custom graphics to match.
As Filippo always does, he’s stripped out all of the old wiring and built a modern loom from scratch for less weight and excellent reliability. That ethos extends to the braking too, with the old components placed gently in the bin and newer Brembo items dropped in their place. Then there are the practical changes for the style of riding this bike will do, luggage racks for your sleeping bags and overnight gear, and a neat bash plate to avoid any nasty rock damage. Knee guards and bark basters keep the rider safe too, and whether you call it an off-road adventure tourer or a big retro enduro machine, we think it’s bang on! It’s also for sale, so if you love what you see, give the world’s best Guzzi builders a call.
