Motorcycle specifications Moto-Guzzi1400 California Custom 2013 Sur un air de Red Hot

the California of the revival was immediately seductive, its ostentatious presence and large, prominent engine giving it a charisma previously unknown at Moto-Guzzi. Completely new, equipped with technology well beyond the aspirations of a conventional cruiser, the Calif also aims to appeal to a wider range of riders than ever before. In 1400, the machine is available in 2 versions: the Touring, faithful to the Calif spirit with its large windshield and suitcases; and this Custom version, more hectic, more shadowy, more"Robert De Niro"... In short, a muscular, growly custom that knows how to dress with class.

superb, the 1400 California Touring looks like an 18th-century ship ready to sail the Atlantic. The Custom is more of a patrol boat, where rebels and brigands look to machines with character. Stripped of all its sibling's Grand Touring equipment, this tall, lanky machine remains California, but with its own identity.
Gone are the large windscreen, the elegant panniers, the two-tone color and piping, the passenger roll bar, the additional headlights, the protective bars and some twenty kilos. The 1400 Custom also boasts highway-length exhaust pipes, bevelled at the end. The rims are black, with the Moto Guzzi name branded on the rim. Between the generous 20.5-liter fuel tank and the distinguished rear lights, the seat is less comfort-oriented and less spacious. The passenger loses out, with almost half the seat compared to the Touring version. The rider is perched 740 mm off the ground, as on the Touring, but his riding position changes with the introduction of drag-bar handlebars and a reduced seat thickness. The large running boards, the generous twin-cylinder and all the essentials of the California are still on display.

custom as it may be, this machine retains all the strength and technique of this latest episode in the Guzzi legend. Its composure, displacement and technology make it a worthy competitor to the Triumph 1600 Thunderbird, Harley Breakout or Softail Slim. A chassis as long as this, consisting of a double-cradle steel frame, a solid 46 mm fork with radialradial brake triers, a duo of separate-cylinder shock absorbers and a new cardan shaft transmission, different from the CARC widely used in the transalpine range. The brakes... oh yes, the brakes. Purists will swallow hard to learn that coupled braking has disappeared. Modernity forgets the charms of yesteryear to assert its technology. This allows the Calif Custom to be equipped with 4-piston calipers worthy of a sports bike, backed up by ABS.

generous in its volume, the Guzzi is equally generous with its new engine. A big 1380 cc twin, sculpted in every detail, huge enough to burst the tank. Nothing less than the biggest engine ever produced by the Mandello-based brand. Plump and designed to deliver torque by the ladleful, the engine produces 96 hp and, above all, a healthy 12.3 mkg at 2750 rpm. Guzzi has not stopped there to enhance the character of its mill. Electronic assistance has been added at a level that is astonishing for this type of machine. In addition to cruise control and 3-level traction control, there are 3 engine management modes: touring, fast and rain. From now on, you can choose how nervous you want to be on a custom machine, depending on the environment and/or your mood.

all you see is the road and a huge 150 mm-diameter speedometer. Within this circle of metal, a somewhat surprisingly sophisticated instrumentation system comes to life. In fact, it's the very image of this California: a machine with an assertive stature, a luxurious yet defiant identity, confident enough to take on the behemoths of its class. Whether it's a gadget or a master of character, the choice of cartography can prove an interesting crutch. Traction control on a bike of this power seems less judicious to us.
More typical and meaner than the Touring, the 1400 California Custom offers less comfort, less weight and fewer euros, but just as much elegance. It's ready to take on the American machines, and respond with some serious cross-country kicks.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos