Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The Moto Guzzi Le Mans is a sports motorcycle produced since 1976 by Moto Guzzi. Its name derives from the 24 Hours endurance motorcycle race of Le Mans, France. The original 850 Le Mans was a café racer with clip-on handlebars and a "bikini" fairing, but later models were developed as sport touring bikes with a three-quarter fairing. A great sales success, the Le Mans competed against the other Italians Ducati and Laverda. The Le Mans was developed in several subsequent models, until 1993. The second Le Mans was similar to the first, but the small 'bikini' fairing became a large half-fairing with built-in indicators. The fairing was tested in the Moto Guzzi wind tunnel (which had been used to test the fairings of racing motorbikes from the 1950s) and was made up of 4 elements: the 2 half-fairings around the engine, a fairing fixed to the fork and a windshield. In the center it had a rectangular headlight. The new sports tourer "dress" compromised the top speed of the bike and for this reason the main jet of the carburettor was increased and the inside of the cylinders was coated with the patented "Nigusil" nickel-silicon process (nickel-Guzzi-silicon) to increase resistance to wear. Even in this configuration the motorbike was however slower than the previous one and consumption was slightly higher.The front brake calipers, previously mounted on the front of the forks, were mounted on the rear and the Brembo system with connected brakes already used on the prototype was adopted. Further changes included a revised instrument panel with 4 instruments and 8 warning lights derived from the 1000cc SP, new electric controls on the handlebars, including the control for the four emergency indicators, with different colored buttons.
The Moto Guzzi Le Mans is a sports motorcycle produced since 1976 by Moto Guzzi. Its name derives from the 24 Hours endurance motorcycle race of Le Mans, France. The original 850 Le Mans was a café racer with clip-on handlebars and a "bikini" fairing, but later models were developed as sport touring bikes with a three-quarter fairing. A great sales success, the Le Mans competed against the other Italians Ducati and Laverda. The Le Mans was developed in several subsequent models, until 1993. The second Le Mans was similar to the first, but the small 'bikini' fairing became a large half-fairing with built-in indicators. The fairing was tested in the Moto Guzzi wind tunnel (which had been used to test the fairings of racing motorbikes from the 1950s) and was made up of 4 elements: the 2 half-fairings around the engine, a fairing fixed to the fork and a windshield. In the center it had a rectangular headlight. The new sports tourer "dress" compromised the top speed of the bike and for this reason the main jet of the carburettor was increased and the inside of the cylinders was coated with the patented "Nigusil" nickel-silicon process (nickel-Guzzi-silicon) to increase resistance to wear. Even in this configuration the motorbike was however slower than the previous one and consumption was slightly higher.The front brake calipers, previously mounted on the front of the forks, were mounted on the rear and the Brembo system with connected brakes already used on the prototype was adopted. Further changes included a revised instrument panel with 4 instruments and 8 warning lights derived from the 1000cc SP, new electric controls on the handlebars, including the control for the four emergency indicators, with different colored buttons.
