2014–2016 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
Italian Soul, Featherlight Cruiser
Moto Guzzi built the Nevada 750 Aquila Nera around the thing that makes a Guzzi a Guzzi: a 744 cc air-cooled 90° V-twin mounted transverse in a steel double cradle, cylinders out in the airstream, shaft drive doing the work at the back. It makes 49 hp at 6,800 rpm and 41 lb-ft at 3,600 rpm, and in a 406 lb (184 kg) cruiser with a 29.9 in (760 mm) seat, that is enough engine. This is a small-capacity cruiser that never feels like a scaled-down imitation. The architecture is the real thing in a smaller package, wrapped in a long, stripped chopper look.
On the road it asks nothing of you. The low seat and modest weight let you flat-foot a stoplight and paddle it around a gas station without a second thought, and the shaft drive plus 48 mpg keeps the ownership bill small year after year. It suits a rider who wants cruiser stance and mechanical feel without a 700 lb machine to wrestle. The caveat is plain: there is no ABS and no traction control, the fork and shock arrive set the way the factory decided them, and the bevel box breather needs cleaning and lubrication on schedule or it will eventually weep oil past the seals.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 49 hp (36 kW) @ 6,800 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 41 lb-ft (55 Nm) @ 3,600 rpm |
| Displacement | 744 cc |
| Engine | 90° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 5-speed |
| Final drive | Shaft |
| Front brake | 310 mm |
| Front tire | 110/90-18 |
| Rear tire | 130/90-16 |
| Wheelbase | 57.8 in (1467 mm) |
| Seat height | 29.9 in (760 mm) |
| Wet weight | 406 lb (184 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 3.7 gal (14 L) |
| Top speed | 110 mph (177 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 48 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
None of this is my own test ride. It's what has come back to me over years of listening to riders: paddock talk, owners comparing notes at club nights, and the messages people send me directly once they've lived with a bike. On the Nevada 750 Aquila Nera the picture is consistent: warm on how it rides and looks, and pointed about what it asks of you on longer days.
Riders consistently describe a cruiser that turns in willingly and carries more appetite through bends than they expected from the class. Comfort runs alongside, the seat and upright position earning credit on long days, especially for owners who fitted a screen themselves. The engine gets called relaxed rather than urgent: strong low down in town, unbothered at highway pace. Many mention the shaft drive for keeping things clean, and the blacked-out trim for not looking like everything else in the lot.
The recurring complaint is vibration at higher speeds, with no standard wind protection to soften it. Fuel stops come up too, riders reporting around 130 miles before the low-fuel light. Condition varies: neglected examples pick up corrosion and build-quality niggles quickly, while cared-for ones rack up miles.
Bevel box oil leak
The bevel box breather can rust and clog, causing internal pressure to push oil past the seals. Regular cleaning and lubrication of the breather prevents this.
Where this Moto Guzzi Nevada 750 Aquila Nera pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Nevada 750 Aquila Nera is actually built for.
It rides to Sturgis without drama and looks right parked in a row, but the voice is Italian, not American thunder. If your rally identity runs on brand and sound, this one will leave you cold.
Made for Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
This is the one that fits you. Small towns, two-lane roads, an unhurried pace, and a stripped classic look with real character behind it. Just plan your fuel stops around the 3.7 gal tank.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
Honest answer: no. No cruise control, no luggage system, a 3.7 gal tank, and 49 hp loaded two-up over a mountain pass is work. This is a day-ride bike, not a cross-country one.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Moto Guzzi Nevada 750 Aquila Nera. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
