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Moto Guzzi MGS01 Corsa
Ultra-rare track toy
May 2026
An ultra-rare Moto Guzzi MGS01 Corsa has popped on to the market in Australia – here is a brief profile of the model, supplied by Donington Auctions in Australia
Moto Guzzi’s establishment of a "Style Laboratory" at Mandello early in 2002, styling was now an important consideration and embodied in a new radical motorcycle, the Griso. A unique combination of high performance Superbike and naked street fighter, powering the Griso was the earlier four-valve per cylinder engine. Looking unlike any previous Moto Guzzi the Griso, was initially a concept model built to gauge public reaction but it would eventually go into production.
Sharing the Griso’s four-valve engine was another radical
concept bike, the MGS/01 (Moto Guzzi Sport #1). The
resurrected Daytona and Centauro four-valve engine was
mated to a six-speed gearbox for the first time and
installed in an up-to-date chassis, with stunning styling.
For those enthusiasts who bemoaned the departure of the
true sporting Moto Guzzi, the MGS/01 was the successor to
the V7 Sport, Le Mans, and Daytona. Moto Guzzi racing
specialists Ghezzi and Brian were engaged to create the
MGS/01 as a pure, no-frills, Superbike but had less than
nine months to complete the project.
Giuseppe Ghezzi took the Daytona four-valve twin, boosting the output to 102 horsepower at 8400rpm, and integrated the V11 six-speed gearbox in the timing case.
With a new box-section single spar ALS 450 steel backbone
frame, and a box-section aluminium swingarm with rising
rate suspension, the result was the shortest and lightest
large capacity Guzzi V-twin ever.
Alberto Cappella’s styling was also elemental and minimalist, accentuated by the single exhaust pipe exiting underneath the monoposto seat.
The MGS/01 was the most sporting interpretation of the
Moto Guzzi V-twin ever and the initial response was so
enthusiastic that it was decided to put the MGS/01 into
production as soon as possible.
After its successful introduction at the end of 2002, it was announced that for 2004 the MGS-01 would proceed in two phases: a limited series non-homologated racing MGS-01 Corsa in the first quarter of 2004, followed by an homologated production MGS-01 Serie in October.
Just 60 Corsas were envisaged for initial manufacture in early 2004, but this was an optimistic forecast. The MGS-01 Corsa was displayed at the Milan EICMA in September 2003 and was created by Giuseppe Ghezzi for racing classes that allowed air-cooled twins up to 1300cc.
Displacing 1225cc, the pistons were 100 mm three-ring 11:1 Cosworth, with ceramic-coated cylinders, and many of the plain bearings in the four-valve engine replaced by a roller type. The stroke was 80mm with 144mm Carillo con-rods. The Nimonic valves went up to 36mm inlet and 31mm exhaust, and with 50mm throttle bodies the power was increased to 122 horsepower at 8000rpm.
The Öhlins suspension, with a 43mm fork and rear Monoshock and radial Brembo front brake calipers with 320mm discs, came from the 2003 Aprilia RSV-R. The 17-inch wheels were extremely light forged five-spoke OZ. As a package, the MGS-01 Corsa promised to provide Moto Guzzi race glory that had been absent since Dr John Wittner’s Battle of the Twins racer.
Development continued of the MGS-01 Corsa during 2004. Race testing saw redesigned crankcases and chrome liners for the aluminium cylinders, and slightly higher compression three-ring Cosworth pistons (11.6:1). The power increased slightly to 128 horsepower at 8000rpm.
Chassis development included a longer (513mm) box-section
aluminium swingarm. This extended the wheelbase to 1450mm,
with near perfect weight 50-50 distribution, and the total
was 192kg.
In less than 24 months Moto Guzzi’s engineers had transformed the concept bike into reality and the final version of the MGS-01 Corsa was displayed at the Munich Intermot Show in September 2004. This was prior to the sale of Aprilia to Piaggio, and there was still a question mark over when production would commence.
The MGS-01 Corsa finally became available in limited
numbers during 2006 and was launched in a blaze of glory
at Daytona. As an exclusive model, the MGS-01 Corsa was
built to order only, supplied with a personalised booklet
recording the rider’s details, particular frame number,
bike cover and stand, and personalised delivery packaging.
On March 6 and 7, Gianfranco Guareschi won two Battle of the Twins races as part of the AHRMA/Modern Roadrace series. The MGS-01 also gained two second places in the Sound of Thunder category, a more competitive class as it was also open to Superbikes. With three wins and two second places, Guareschi also won the 2006 Italian Supertwins title on the MGS-01. Daniele Veghini on another MGS-01 finished third in the championship.
See the Donington Auctions sale link
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