This is the story of Giulio Cesare Carcano, an engineer who joined Moto Guzzi as an apprentice in 1936 at only 26 years of age. He was noticed from the beginning for the competitiveness of his first models: Condor, Dondolino and Gambalunga.
From the outset, it was clear that Carcano’s design and development skills were exceptional and extremely thorough. After having created incredible bikes, such as the 350 single-cylinder and the legendary eight-cylinder, he set out to invent the engine that would put an end to Moto Guzzi’s financial crisis: it was 1965, Carlo Guzzi had been away for a year, cars were being launched onto the mass market and sales were feeling the effects. We needed a big idea. Then, along came the concept of an engine with a crankshaft parallel to the direction of travel, pushrod operated valves, controlled by a camshaft mounted to the base of the cylinders: the 90° transverse V2. The interplay between the valves and rocker arms created the classic clacking sound that every true Moto Guzzi fan knows well: the unmistakable thrum of the V-twin. In addition, its architecture, which was mounted across the vehicle’s frame, was not only able to best meet technical cooling and handling needs, but also resulted in this bike becoming the icon of Moto Guzzi.
It was first fitted to the 703cc V7 and then to the V7 Special and the V7 Sport. All the successive high-powered Moto Guzzi engines originate from this very engine. Carcano’s design allowed Moto Guzzi to hold its own against the most prestigious and innovative motorcycle marques. It also created a true icon for the manufacturer, which today continues to use and update the concept of the transverse V-twin as the basis for its new models.
In 1966, after having rewritten Moto Guzzi’s history, Carcano the engineer retired from the world of motorbikes to dedicate himself to racing sailboats.
