MOTO-GUZZI CENTAURO (1996 - 2000) Review

Centaur; half man, half horse - interesting concept, although some might say the Guzzi V10 Centauro was half motorbike, half Shirehorse... In practice, the Centauro handled poorly, rode a bit harshly and the odddly shaped saddle left the rider feeling perched on an upturned canoe. It just looked downright weird.

The mid 90s Guzzi chassis is one clever assembly of steel extrusions, designed to cope with the brutally solid V-twin motor. That the chassis copes as well as does is amazing, but push the Centauro on a country road and you'll soon find it starts wandering about at the front, with the rear bouncing merrily to its own tempo. Best ride slowly instead.

The Guzzi 1100 lump was evolving into something useful by the mid 90s, but the gearbox was still a clunky affair and the Weber-Marelli injection was in its early stages of development on the Centauro. It has enough oomph for the job but the motor's instant lunge can upset the Centauro in low speed corners.

The build quality is generally excellent on the Guzzi but the bikes suffer from a succession of electrical and other minor gremlins which tend to make the ownership experience slightly more character-building than it should be. The later 1999 onwards Centauros - including the Sport/GT variants - are better made than the earlier ones.

At ten grand brand new the Centauro was far too expensive for most riders back in the 90s. If you wanted a Streetfighter type bike you could get plenty of bikes cheaper - and they were generally faster too. As a used bike it can make a potential bargain, but you have to love its peculiar looks and riding position to choose it over a decent V11 Sport. Find a Moto Guzzi Centauro for sale.

WP suspension is more than good enough, Brembo brakes, 3 spoke alloy wheels and a handsome pair of white faced clocks on dash all help add real class to the Centauro. Stainless steel exhaust too. You cannot compare the Centauro to a Bandit...but then again, the Guzzi twice the price of a 1200 Bandit back