MOTO GUZZI California 1100 EV Special Sport (2001-2002) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 2001, the Italian motorcycle maker released the Moto Guzzi California 1100 EV Special Sport, a classic-looking cruiser machine part of the California series that comprised numerous versions with different engine displacements and similar appearances.

It was a special sports version of the base California model that debuted in 1971 as a replacement model for the Moto Guzzi 850 GT and continued production until 2021. The bike featured a standard seating position, footboards, heel-and-toe shifter, and linked Brembo brakes (discontinued for the 1400 models).

Like its siblings, it came with standard fittings, such as wire-spoke wheels, a dual exhaust system with a silencer on each side, a two-piece dual seat, a teardrop-styled fuel tank, and a round headlight upfront with instruments mounted on top.

It packed the same suspension system as its siblings, including a 45 mm Marzocchi telescopic fork on the front, offering 130 mm of travel, and twin shocks on the rear with 89 mm wheel travel, providing optimum suspension performance and handling.

The braking system was also retained from previous models, including a 282 mm disc with a dual-piston caliper on the pulling wheel on the rear and two 320 mm discs with four-piston calipers on the guidance wheel up front.

As for the power figures, the bike delivered 74 hp at 6,400 rpm and 94 Nm (69 lb-ft) torque at 5,000 rpm, coming from a 1,064cc four-stroke air-cooled V-twin engine fed by an Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) system.