Moto Guzzi MGX-21 Flying Fortress: First Ride

There are some people who take their time, plan things out, get their rest, and just cruise. Then there are those of us who will always want to push it. To go out late, wake up early and test the absolute limits of whatever you put us on. The crazy ones. Miguel Galluzzi, head of design for Piaggio and Moto Guzzi, is one of the crazy ones. When his Mother was pregnant, the only way his racer Father could afford the hospital bill was with a first place finish. On the first day of testing he was one of three of us to discover the true top-speed. He was born into speed, and it was from his mind that the new Moto Guzzi MGX-21 Flying Fortress was born. Galluzzi’s Papa had no other option than to finish on top of the podium and he did just that. As a result, Miguel knew only two speeds, stopped and all-out.

Sitting on the MGX-21, the stance is a little more upright and higher than on H-D or Victory dressers, a little closer to the stance on a Chieftain, but a bit more aggressive. The ergonomics were surprising and impressive. Low handlebars and ¾ mids put the rider in a comfortable, but a performance-ready position. Picking the bike up off the kickstand is difficult. While the bike does have a curb-weight of only 752lbs, it carries that weight higher up, and takes some getting used to. The first 10 minutes of riding, it felt completely foreign to me. Sort of squirrely and unwieldy, but after a little bit of time, I was flipping U-turns in a single lane and whipping around with incredibly nimble maneuverability.

A full-dresser touring bike is a grand venture for Moto Guzzi. The historic Italian manufacturer had a lot of new ground to cover when it came to the Flying Fortress. An audio system with Bluetooth integration, controls at the handlebars, hard bags, are all brand new, and not completely seamless. The saddlebags use a four-latch system that requires the key every time you open them, and the shape inside the bag does not lend itself to easy storage. The 50-watt speaker system is great at low speeds, but drops out completely over 50mph. Navigation of the audio system is controlled by a joystick that is almost impossible to use correctly (trying to cycle from AM/FM/ Bluetooth will have you adjusting volume). But these are small things, easily fixed things on an otherwise amazing motorcycle.

A full-on bagger with that can lean deeper into a turn, rev higher, weighs less, and has better brakes than any dresser on the market. It’s the fastest bagger I’ve ever ridden, not because it has the most powerful engine, but because it’s incredibly well balanced.

An aesthetically stunning combination of matte paint, carbon fiber and bright red accents; the MGX-21 is absolutely striking. The bike was launched at Sturgis and there was no chance of stopping anywhere without having a conversation about this new beauty. “Damn, it’s sure different!” or “Damn, that thing is good looking!” Whatever they would say, it usually started with “Damn.” I found myself memorizing the spec sheet, just from repeating the facts so often. “95 horsepower, 89 ft/lbs and weighs 750lbs at the curb!” Carbon fiber covers on a 21” front wheel, a completely unique fairing shape, wicked LED daytime riding lights, there aren’t very many aspects of this bike that don’t demand attention.

After the first day of riding in a group, we got what I will now refer to as “Sturgis Syndrome,” as the result of sitting in a line of bikes going under 30mph for long periods of time. The following morning, a couple of the other more speed-hungry journalists and I took off to break some rules and really push these new machines. I have never had more fun riding in a group than we did that morning. Trailing each other by 5-10 feet, hanging off the bike as we whip through turns at incredible speeds. Hitting Spearfish Canyon at about 90mph, early in the morning, with the precision of a group of fighter jets. We pulled up to the restaurant at the end of the road with maniacal smiles and all said the same thing: “THIS THING RIPS!”

Galluzzi said that he wanted to build the fastest bagger on the market, but most importantly, he wanted to build memories. After our days in the hills, talking with strangers about this beautiful new mystery to them, jamming harder and faster through canyons than I ever thought possible on a bagger, I say he knocked it out of the park.