2021 · Retro Classic · Buyer's Guide
A Centennial Worth The Wait
Moto Guzzi built this one to mark a hundred years, and the whole bike reads that way. The 853 cc transverse 90° V-twin, air- and oil-cooled and shared with the V85 TT, makes 65 hp and 54 lb-ft, with the peak twist arriving low enough that you rarely chase revs. Shaft drive keeps the mechanical honesty intact. Around it sits a genuinely purist bobber shape: fat 16-inch rubber front and rear, a low 30.9 in seat, green front guard, gold eagle detailing, brown leather saddle. ABS, traction control and cruise control are standard, and none of it shouts.
How it rides matches how it looks. At 463 lb wet it feels lighter than the long, low stance suggests, turning in without drama and settling into a calm, planted line once the road opens up. This is a bike for riders who measure a day by the route rather than the clock, and who want the machine underneath them to have a pulse and a history. The honest caveat: the front fork has no adjustment at all, only the rear shocks take preload, and 4.0 gal is a modest tank for long American mileage. Buy it for what it is, not for what it could be pushed into.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 65 hp (48 kW) @ 6,800 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 54 lb-ft (73 Nm) @ 5,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 853 cc |
| Engine | 90° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air/oil-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Shaft |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 130/90-16 |
| Rear tire | 150/80-16 |
| Seat height | 30.9 in (785 mm) |
| Wet weight | 463 lb (210 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.0 gal (15 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Lighting
Safety
The first thing you notice is the sideways lurch when you blip it at a standstill, that longitudinal crank rocking the whole bike in your hands. It never stops being funny. Once you're rolling, the vibration settles into a steady low-frequency thrum through the pegs and the seat, present but never numbing, and the exhaust note stays deep and unhurried rather than loud. Ergonomics are pure bobber: feet slightly forward, a relaxed reach to the bars, and that low saddle putting both boots flat on the tarmac at every light. The brown leather seat is firm, not plush. At real road pace the fat 16-inch tires give the steering a slow, deliberate weight you learn to enjoy. Details hold up when you look twice, then a third time, which is the point of the paint on this one.
Final drive failure from factory shimming
Improper adjustment/shimming at the factory can cause final drive failure after accumulation of damage.
Steering head bearings rust prematurely
Inadequate factory grease allows water ingress, leading to early rust and notching; replacement not covered under warranty.
Ignition switch malfunction
The ignition switch can fail to activate the starter; cleaning contacts with DeoxIT often resolves the issue.
Where this Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber Centenario 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
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the V9 Bobber Centenario is actually built for.
If your idea of a good weekend is small towns and a road like the Kancamagus at an unhurried pace, this fits. Just plan fuel stops around 4.0 gal, not around ambition.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
It has the identity and the sound to stand on its own at Sturgis or Daytona, and nobody will mistake it for anything else. It's a leaner, more purist statement than the usual rally hardware.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
Fine on Hill Country sweepers if you ride them for the scenery and the barbecue stop. If you want to attack the Twisted Sisters, this isn't the tool.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2016–2020
Pure Style, Italian Soul
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
