2017 Moto Guzzi Eldorado
The most luxurious California based Moto Guzzi updated for 2017
The modern heir to the unforgettable 850 that made its fortune in the states more than 40 years ago boasts new technical content and outfitting. Eldorado, with a strong and unique tradition, is the best example of the heritage range available from the Moto Guzzi brand.
The Eldorado is a luxury motorcycle boasting cutting-edge technology and powered by the largest V-twin ever manufactured in Europe, offering genuine Guzzi spirit.
The Eldorado is a flagship, embodying tradition in an increasingly solid present. And it does so looking decidedly to the future with chromium inserts and finely crafted details, combined with LED lights and classic lines.
It was in the third evolution of the 90° V-twin that Moto Guzzi breathed life into the Eldorado. The year was 1972. Less than two years earlier, on the wave of a surprising supply of 750cc V7 bikes to the LAPD (the Los Angeles Police Department), the first Guzzi California was born and, on the same base, the luxurious Ambassador.
In the constant displacement increase, Carcano’s twin cylinder had already been taken from 700 to 757cc and, with a third increase in size, the 850 cc version was born. With this engine, the Eldorado was made as a replacement for the Ambassador with an even more refined and luxurious model.
More than forty years later, this is repeated in the shape and substance of the Eldorado. It is a bike that, even when it is parked, evokes a powerful identity with a fiercely proud Italian heritage.
Miguel Galluzzi – Piaggio Group PADC
“At 95 years of glorious Moto Guzzi history, a new wind of passion has pushed us to explore new horizons for this prestigious brand, not to mention the most important milestones. Great respect for tradition combined with a search for the best possible technology and the purest Italian design leads us today in the creation of the best Moto Guzzi bikes ever built. Searching for new horizons should be understood not only in terms of technique, but also as new riding experiences. All of this is blended in the soul of the new Moto Guzzi Eldorado – a bike designed to evoke riding excitement, the joy of ownership and admiration down to the smallest details like no other bike can do.”
This effect comes out in the details: the spoked wheels, the oversized saddle, the rear mudguard with the gem-shaped taillight and the bullhorn handlebar.
Even the fuel tank, with two-tone paint accentuated by a teardrop motif characterised by a mirror-finish chrome treatment. A twin white coachline (Eldorado is available in Nero Classico and Rosso Pregiato) is protected by another layer of clearcoat and adds a prestigious touch to the tank and emphasises its lines.
The front and rear mudguards and side panels are highlighted by a dual white coachline under another protective layer of clearcoat, which ends in a point evocative of the tip of a paintbrush.
The Moto Guzzi Eldorado logo takes its inspiration from the Eldorado 850 badge. The passenger saddle is also mounted on a chromed luggage rack with built-in grab-handle, so when needed, the passenger saddle can be easily removed to make plenty of room for luggage.
Eldorado’s spoked wheels, both sixteen inches, mount classic whitewall tyres (130/90 on the front and 180/65 on the rear), which draw attention to the new wraparound mudguards.
The wheel rims are in unpainted polished aluminium, with an inner rim width of 3.5in (front) and 5.5in (rear) with the modern technology of tubeless tyres.
The front end has a particularly clean design, whereas the rear, on the other hand, is the most distinctive element on this ultra elegant Moto Guzzi. It integrates with the new full cover shock absorbers, the gem-shaped rear light cluster and the classic rounded turn indicators.
The Eldorado is easily distinguishable by its original complex surface headlight with polyelliptical light equipped with LED daylight running light (DRL).
The instrumentation is contained in a 150mm diameter circular panel with the analogue rev counter scale finding its place along the external circumference and a multifunction full-matrix suspended display at the centre, all in a bright chromium housing.
Also new is the introduction of the handlebar electric controls, which are more functional and feature an aluminium finish.
The left side hosts the controls for the new Moto Guzzi cruise control. The system allows the selected speed to be maintained without acting on the throttle and the cruising speed to be increased or decreased by pressing the cursor button on the left side electrical control.
The speed can be temporarily increased with a twist of the throttle. After the throttle is released, the cruising speed will be resumed.
The system disengages automatically, not only when the rider brakes or presses the selector button, but also when the throttle grip is twisted in reverse. Once deactivated, the last cruising speed set can be resumed with the “resume” feature.
You don’t climb onto the Eldorado either, you settle comfortably into the saddle. Situated at just 740mm from the ground, the new seat, generous floorboards and comfortable chromium plated cowhorn tapered handlebars offer inviting ergonomics.
If the road ahead is an endless Highway you can activate cruise control, with the cardan final drive ready to unleash up to 121 Nm onto the tarmac at 3,000 rpm.
Having been designed from the beginning to comply with the increasingly strict pollution regulations, it was not difficult to obtain Euro 4 approval. The current limit has been more than achieved thanks to the use of the secondary air system at the exhaust and the specific catalytic converter.
The engine is a benchmark for the engine capacity-performance-consumption ratio thanks to excellent thermodynamic performance combined with new and advanced full Ride-by-wire multimap electronic management.
The system guarantees fine tuned and accurate throttle control, allowing the engine to return a top shelf, smooth response, without being twitchy in opening and closing.
This allows the rider to choose one of three engine management maps: Turismo, Veloce and Pioggia.
That’s not all, the dynamic performance of the vehicle is also kept under control by its latest generation traction control (MGCT) which can be adjusted on three actuation levels in order to increase active safety without impacting performance and riding pleasure.
The Eldorado’s chassis was developed with the goal of increasing precision and ease of riding, the stiffness of the frame, the choice of tyres, the trail and the suspension calibration are all perfectly harmonised to increase the Eldorado’s ride to levels which are unheard of on bikes with similar characteristics.
The MG-MP (Moto Guzzi Multimedia Platform), is also available as optional equipment, and is a multimedia system which allows you to connect the bike to your smartphone and consequently to the web.
A huge range of Moto Guzzi accessories are also available and all of the accessories for Guzzi bikes are created with the same characteristics in order to provide owners of Eagle Brand motorcycles the opportunity to make their bikes unique and personal without altering the DNA, but rather enhancing it in the trend of an inimitable tradition.
For Eldorado offers a range of more than 50 items, made up of carefully crafted details.
2016 Moto Guzzi California Eldorado
- Engine – 90° V-twin engine, 4-stroke, 4 valves, double ignition, air and oil with an independent cooling pump Oil radiator with thermostat controlled fan, 1380cc, 104 x 81.2mm bore x stroke, 10.5:1 compression,
- Maximum power – 71kW(96HP) @ 6500rpm
- Maximum torque – 121Nm @ 3000rpm
- Exhaust system – stainless steel, 2-in-2 type, 3-way catalytic converter with double oxygen sensor
- Gearbox – 6-speed
- Final drive – Double cardan joint and fixed bevel gear seat, drive ratio 10/36 = 1: 3.6)
- Clutch – Single-disc with integrated anti-vibration buffer
- Frame – Steel tubing, closed double cradle with elastic-kinematic engine mounting system to isolate vibrations.
- Front suspension – 45mm Standard fork, with radial calliper mounting bracket and telescopes on the stanchions, 120mm travel
- Rear suspension – Swingarm with two shock absorbers, with adjustable spring preload, 120mm travel
- Front brake – dual 320 mm stainless steel floating discs, Brembo radial callipers with 4 horizontally opposed pistons
- Rear brake – 282 mm stainless steel fixed disc, Brembo floating calliper with 2 parallel pistons
- Wheels – Aluminium alloy, 3.50in x 16in, 5.50in x 16in, 130/90 B16, 180/65 B16
- Length – 2460mm
- Width – 940mm
- Height – 1155mm
- Saddle height – 740mm (720mm opt.)
- Minimum ground clearance – 165mm
- Wheelbase – 1719mm
- Trail – 144 mm
- Headstock angle – 33°
- Steering angle – 37°
- Kerb weight – 330 Kg
- Fuel tank capacity – 20.5L
