If there is a brand and model of motorcycle that has been produced in the last fifty years, then there is a good chance one has been customised and featured on these pages. Like any creative endeavour, there will be observers who love the art, those who enjoy it, and of course the loudest group who simply cannot stand the end result. However, when it comes to modified Moto Guzzis, we have barely received a bad review; it seems the people who choose to build them are at the top of their game. And that is the only way to describe the genius behind Italy’s Officine Rossopuro, Mr Filippo Barbacane. He simply has the Midas touch when it comes to working with the Lake Como company’s offerings, and this Moto Guzzi SP1000, which he calls Panta Rei S, is truly a gift from the gods.
In his workshop, which sits just a few streets back from the beautiful Adriatic Sea, one of the keys to Filippo’s success is his incredible ability to work with aluminium. He has built dozens and dozens of custom Guzzis, and despite this, the bodywork on every single one of them is unique. He always finds a way to come up with a new idea, to discover new shapes that create incredible fuel tanks, and common to them all is their beautiful curves. Thus, the name of this bike, Panta Rei, which means “everything flows” in Ancient Greek, is perhaps also the most apt motto for everything the brilliant builder does.
However, there is absolutely nothing perfect, let alone flowing, about the stock Moto Guzzi SP1000. The bones of the bike were always great: that famous frame, under-stressed engine, and super stable handling, but the styling was everything that was wrong with the era. Square, chunky lines, with huge pieces of heavy fibreglass; it’s not a look that has aged well. So, when Filippo is on the hunt for a donor, the physical condition is the last of his concerns. The foundation is all about that full loop duplex cradle frame and ensuring the steel is straight and the welds are in excellent condition.
Once that is confirmed, the customisation can begin. For this build, it was simply a matter of significantly shortening the subframe and welding on the mounts for the bodywork to follow. Back on one of his workbenches, the task of turning the chassis into a roller first requires that the factory hubs, including the final drive rear, are built into wheels using a set of stainless spokes and the always stunning Borrani rims. Having the rear drive off the bike, also gives Filippo a chance to rebuild it, meaning the owner will have a lifetime of trouble-free motoring.
Staying at the rear of the bike, the factory offered a big rear disc, a rare inclusion at the time, but there was no way those stock parts were staying. Instead, it’s all modern on this Moto Guzzi, with Filippo adapting a full suite of braking solutions from fellow Italian brand Discacciati. After affixing the rear drilled disc to the wheel, Filippo machined a stunning caliper hanger to under-mount the big piston unit. At the front end, there are twin enormous semi-floating discs and another pair of beautifully machined caliper mounts to hold the stoppers in place. A set of quality Avon rubber, custom rearsets with a modified brake master, and new handlebar controls complete the package.
One thing every Officine bike does is handle like it’s on rails, and a set of beautifully machined triple clamps holds replica Ceriani forks, which have been built with the latest materials to ensure they are superior to even the quality originals. At the rear end, there is a simple solution: give the calculations to BiTubo and have them send out some of their high-end, fully adjustable rear shocks. Now the all-aluminium bodywork can be brought to life, and while it’s usually the tank that steals the show, the half fairing on this machine is truly stunning. It’s hard to imagine you can take a simple sheet of aluminium and hand-shape something so perfect, but he does!
From the recess around the headlight, to the curves that allow the exhaust headers to breathe and the inset for the clear screen, every last line is millimetre perfect. And of course, the tank is no different; its short overall height and the low mounting of the fairing help give the bike that long and low look. The heavily sculpted knee dents bring a level of drama to it all, which is matched in every single way by the tailpiece and its whale shark-like design that allows the taillight to sit within. The hand-rolled front fender sits on custom mounts, and the half-cut side covers offer another unique example of the master’s skill, all finished in bold red with simple white graphics and a black leather seat.
The look speaks for itself, and the pictures do the talking, but when you twist the throttle, all that torque is a result of Filippo’s engine-building skills. The 1000cc engine is ultra mild from the factory with just 70bhp, but that’s long gone, as the Italian rebuilds the engine and gearbox to far better than factory specs. To help in his pursuit of horsepower, a fully electronic ignition is deployed to match with the custom wiring loom, and he collaborates with exhaust giant MASS, who turn his designs into stunning one-off creations. For all intents and purposes, it is a brand new motorcycle; just with flawless classic custom looks and the performance to ensure it is yet another Moto Guzzi that is sure to impress the peanut gallery.
