It’s often been said that to fall in love with a Moto Guzzi, you have to look away from the spec sheet and get on one and ride. The Italian firm has never built bikes to win horsepower contests, they build motorcycles to win over your heart. And 30 years ago two men with a love for the brand created a boutique Italian outfit that produces limited number machines that are both utterly gorgeous and packed with performance. Giuseppe Ghezzi and Bruno “Brian” Saturno are those two passionate craftsmen and Ghezzi-Brian is their brand – it’s not unlike an Italian Buell – only as they say “sexier, more exotic, and manufactured in minute numbers.” They can also back up their boast having won racing series and major events around the world, and it’s with that experience that they created their latest beautiful beast, the Ghezzi-Brian V-Twin Supersport.
Success for the duo came fast and in some of the fiercest competitions on the planet, they founded Ghezzi-Brian in 1995 and the following year their race special won the Italian BOT Supertwins championship. They went on to take various new models from the Guzzi factory and produce road going limited run specials that were always in high demand, beauty and race-proven performance is an easy thing to sell. It made sense then that Moto Guzzi would get in contact and together they worked on a number of major projects, most notably the MGS/01 race-bred weapon, that was spearheaded by the pair on behalf of the factory.
But what has always given Ghezzi-Brian the most joy, is helping the Guzzi loving public to transform their machines into something above and beyond anything a major manufacturer could offer. They’d always offered tuning products and even complete replacement frames, as used by our friend Filippo of Officine Rossopuro fame on some of his incredible custom creations. Then in 2007 GB turned to creating complete conversion kits, where you simply retain your Moto Guzzi drivetrain and they supply you everything else to create “specials of great charm and design accuracy and at the same time ease of assembly.”
And if you’ve ever wanted a Guzzi sportbike without the MGS/01 price tag, then the V-Twin Supersport is for you. So, what donor bike will you need to start with? Here the genius of GB really shines through, as the kit is a complete bolt-on, without any cutting for the Moto Guzzi V11, 1100 Sport, Daytona and Centauro. Other models can also be used, but some modifications will be required to make it all work. This makes the kit not only perfect for current owners of those models but if you’ve found a Guzzi with good running gear but smashed-up bodywork at a great price, now you can do more than just return the bike to stock.
Two of the most important parts included in the kit are the replacement front and rear frames, which have been expertly fabricated in-house, as with every other part for a perfect fit and improved chassis characteristics. These then allow for the semi-faired panels to bolt on with ease and the overall styling is both aggressive and inspired by the company’s history. “The bodywork follows a sinuous trend in the proportions and recalls in a modern key stylistic themes dear to the house, which are found in the Supertwin 1100, MGS/01 and Sport Monza, the latter a style icon and, still today, an inspiring muse and point of reference for Ghezzi-Brian design.”
You can have your panels painted any colour you like, although it’s hard to argue with the factory racing red with black trim that this demo version displays. The double-stacked headlight looks brilliant, and the one piece tank cover and tail gets some luxury with a stunning new seat. The fuel tank itself is made from aluminium and features a quick fill race style cap and all the lines and fittings to allow you to bolt it straight onto the factory fuel connections. So good is the design and execution, GB are confident any rider could assemble the package without the help of an expert. A damn fine feat for something that looks this good.
When it comes to the engine, however, you’re given a full catalogue of choices and it’s here you might just blow the budget, as the offerings are sure to tempt. You can go for a simple twin filter replacement, with a sports exhaust and a remap of the ECU. Or if you want to go crazy, then there are forged piston packages, alloy rods, custom ground camshafts, self-learning ECUs, ported and flowed cylinder heads, and just about any configuration of titanium and carbon fibre exhaust systems you could possibly dream up. But even the basic package is packed full of more goodies, and the integrated front indicators and winglet style rear units, give the bike’s function a touch of the MotoGP paddock.
To help reduce weight, there is a generous use of carbon fibre in areas of both form and function, and the instrumentation has been drastically simplified down to a single Koso gauge, with sportbike-like functionality. The suspension and braking package is another area you can go crazy, the demo model uses Brembo calipers and wave pattern discs, with inverted forks and a tuned rear shock. But if you want to go all the way to a full WSBK style aluminium swingarm, the part is in the catalogue.
The Ghezzi-Brian V-Twin Supersport then is quite simply as much about balancing your desires with your budget. But even in base trim, it’s a true modern sportbike, that looks the business, handles like it’s on rails and retains a glorious Guzzi beating heart.
