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RideApart
RideApart
Sport
Enrico Punsalang

Moto Guzzi’s 105th Birthday Present Is Basically A Fancy Paint Job

Moto Guzzi turns 105 this year, which is an impressively long time for any motorcycle company to survive without being turned into a clothing brand, a licensing exercise, or a Wikipedia page about something that used to exist. Naturally, such a milestone deserves celebration. Moto Guzzi’s chosen method is pretty straightforward and very Italian: take a bunch of motorcycles it already makes, paint them grey, add some yellow bits, and call the whole thing the 105th Anniversary edition.

That sounds dismissive, but it’s also pretty much what’s happening. The 105th Anniversary treatment will be available on the Stelvio, Stelvio PFF Rider Assistance Solution, V100 Mandello, V85 Strada, and V7 Stone. Moto Guzzi hasn’t announced any engine changes, suspension upgrades, brake hardware, electronics packages, or performance tweaks tied specifically to these bikes. Mechanically, these appear to be the same motorcycles you could already buy.

What you’re paying attention to instead is the wardrobe. Each anniversary bike gets a glossy pearlescent grey finish paired with contrasting yellow graphics. The vertical 105th Anniversary graphic runs down both sides of the fuel tank, while a large “105” takes the place normally occupied by Moto Guzzi’s eagle badge. There’s matching artwork on the rear wheel, plus a special seat with a stylized eagle and yellow stitching.

There is at least a reason behind the color combination beyond someone discovering the paint booth had leftovers. The grey and yellow scheme is inspired by Moto Guzzi’s newly redeveloped home in Mandello del Lario, which opened alongside the anniversary announcement. Designed by architect Greg Lynn, the complex includes the factory, museum, event areas, and visitor spaces, essentially turning Moto Guzzi’s historic home into a much bigger brand destination.

That context makes the special edition slightly more meaningful than another anniversary sticker pack. Moto Guzzi isn’t just celebrating the year it was founded. It’s linking these bikes to the opening of the facility that’s supposed to carry the company into its next era, which is admittedly a much nicer story than “we found a cool grey.”

Still, collectors hoping for numbered plaques, exotic hardware, or a spicy engine tune should manage expectations. Moto Guzzi says the anniversary models will be available from October 2026 through the end of 2027, rather than being capped at a specific production number.

So yeah, the Moto Guzzi 105th Anniversary edition is mostly paint, graphics, stitching, and some architectural storytelling. But if you already wanted a Stelvio, V100 Mandello, V85 Strada, or V7 Stone, being able to buy one dressed like Moto Guzzi’s shiny new headquarters isn’t exactly the worst birthday souvenir.

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