Moto Guzzi Audace

Moto Guzzi is the second premium brand to be launched in India after Aprilia by the Piaggio group. It is also one of the eldest Italian motorcycle brands that you can buy straight away from a dealership. We’re talking about the Moto Guzzi Audace, which can be yours at an on-road price of Rs. 22.3 Lakh (New Delhi).The Audace is the linear version of California. Like other Moto Guzzi’s, it gets the signature longitudinally-mounted V-twin engine.

The engine on the Audace now comes with the cylinders heads popping out and that is also the reason behind it having so much muscle. The result is a 1380 cc V-Twin engine producing 96 bhp of power at 6500 rpm and 121 Nm of torque at 3000 rpm. Just starting this engine can put a smile on any rider’s face. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a shaft drive instead of a chain drive. The horsepower might not be a lot but is plenty more than a Harley Fat-Boy.

A mileage of 15 kmpl with a fuel tank capacity of 20.5 L is a good combination for such a cruiser. The features include things like LED taillamps, cruise control, digital display, riding modes (Rain, Turismo and Veloce), ABS and 3 modes of traction control. The list continues with dual 320 mm disc brakes at the front with Brembo brake callipers and a 282 mm disc at the rear.

It’s said that if you'd twist the throttle, the Guzzi’s motor wows. Work your way to the 6th gear and you’ll find yourself at 180 kmph without any hassle. The Audace handles the job of cruising just perfectly and keeping that aside, it also is really good at pulling up at the top really smoothly. The engine is very responsive and so much fun, and the gearbox works so crisply. These are the small things that make motorcycling all the more enjoyable.