Moto Guzzi has rather few liaisons with the adventure segment, and their sole bike, the Stelvio NTX1200 has so far failed to impress too many riders, at least not enough of them to make serious threats to other makers who are faring better. Stelvio is all in all, a neat bike which offers decent range and plenty of comfort and long-range amenities. However this is also its downside, as the bike is large and heavy and even though it comes with strong wheels which can take a beating, taking it on anything else than mild off-road is a hard task… for a strong rider.
Photo: Oberdan Bezzi
Oberdan Bezzi has imagined a different breed of off-road machines Guzzi could actually consider building. The X-Rally 1200 is based on the same v-twin power plant as the Stelvio, but loaded in a much more robust frame. Everything which was non-essential was discarded, and the bike even became less comfortable, with a redesigned seat and revised riding position.
Apparently the ground clearance also improved, while the bash plate remained a standard piece of equipment. The street tires have been replaced by dual-sport knobbies. Riding with a passenger seems to have been left out of the project right from the start, as the dual Akrapovic exhausts are leaving no room for passenger pegs.
The suspensions’ travel was also increased and the overall attire of the bike was completely changed. The engine’s architecture might be a bit of a problem because it comes with a rather high center of gravity, but this is a thing riders could learn how to compensate.
It would be glorious seeing Mandello del Lario entering the rally-raid-ish segment with a bike inspired by Oberdan Bezzi’s work. Of course, seasoned off-roaders will confirm that an 1200cc bike is simply too big and too heavy for anything really serious, but if you’re not a hardcore enduro fan, the X-Rally 1200 might do.
Sense in simplicity
Apparently the ground clearance also improved, while the bash plate remained a standard piece of equipment. The street tires have been replaced by dual-sport knobbies. Riding with a passenger seems to have been left out of the project right from the start, as the dual Akrapovic exhausts are leaving no room for passenger pegs.
The suspensions’ travel was also increased and the overall attire of the bike was completely changed. The engine’s architecture might be a bit of a problem because it comes with a rather high center of gravity, but this is a thing riders could learn how to compensate.
It would be glorious seeing Mandello del Lario entering the rally-raid-ish segment with a bike inspired by Oberdan Bezzi’s work. Of course, seasoned off-roaders will confirm that an 1200cc bike is simply too big and too heavy for anything really serious, but if you’re not a hardcore enduro fan, the X-Rally 1200 might do.
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