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Our bikes: 1993 Moto Guzzi Daytona 1000

The Dr John tribute

Hopping aboard the big Guzzi is always an entertaining experience

January 2026, by Guy 'Guido' Allen

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And the video

This is one of those machines I long wanted to add to the shed, but good ones don't pop up on the market all that often. Of course, then there were two on offer. One belonged to young Gary, an AllMoto reader up in NSW, and another dead stock version popped up via Brad's Vintage Cycles. I opted for the latter – which worked out for the best as Gary ended up keeping his. A wise decision.

So what's a Daytona? It was Guzzi's sports weapon from the early- to mid-1990s inspired by the efforts of USA dentist, rider and team manager Dr John Wittner. That's him at left, above, with rider Doug Brauneck. The latter won the 1987 Battle of the Twins event at Daytona, in 1987, mounted on a two-valve machine.

Wittner went on to develop a four-valver, but struggled to meet the same levels of success. Nevertheless, Moto Guzzi was impressed enough to build a road version, with Wittner's input.

The result is what you see here, which cost Au$23,000 (US$16,000, GB£11,600, €13,400) back in 1993 – a hell of a lot money and at least 50 per cent more than an equivalent Japanese sports bike.

I got to ride one for a week or more back when they were new and loved the experience. It was typical Guzzi in that you got a torque reaction when you blipped the throttle, but most other things were very different from its immediate Le Mans predecessor.

The motor thrives on revs and doesn't tolerate being lugged. Meanwhile the five-speed transmission is pretty accurate and there is little or no rise and fall from the shaft drive when you're on an off the power.

That air-cooled fuel-injected engine is an odd duck. It's a high-cam rather than overhead-cam design, with belts turning the camshafts, which in turn operate mini pushrods.

Suspension is by Marzocchi up front and WP Racing on the rear, while Brembo supplied the brakes. Guzzi resisted any temptation to link the brakes, and there is no ABS. The front four-spotters have good feeel and power, while the rear does the job.

As a package, the chassis works pretty well. There is no adjustment on the front, however the stock set-up keeps the whole assemblage tidy and predictable, even over the odd mid-corner surprise.

It might sound weird, but this feels like a very mechanical bike to ride. There is a fair bit of noise and drama going on and you're left in no doubt this is very different to the slick operation you might expect from a liquid-cooled Japanese machine of the same era.

Overall it feels quite long and suits taller folk surprisingly well, despite the high footpegs and low handlebars. I certainly would not pack it for a long trip, or even commute on the thing as neither environment is its happy place.

Really, what you're looking for is a nice set of sweepers out in the middle of nowhere so you can cut it loose and enjoy.

One strange aspect is the very forward placement of the sidestand. At 187cm tall (6'2"), I can just reach it from the saddle, if I stretch. Much shorter and you're going to be getting off the bike to use the stand.

I'm always wary of using the term 'character' when it comes to vehicles, as it can also denote a litany of failings. If any bike earns the term, it is this. It takes a while to settle in to riding it and fully understanding what the hell it's telling you. Once you get comfortable with it, the thing is a joy to ride. That will do, won't it?

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