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Long Live the Long Leg
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Moto Guzzi Gambalunga
Chris Nugent
Spring 2004
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An exquisitely restored example of one of the last factory-sponsored Moto Guzzi 500cc single GP racers, the Gambalunga (Italian for long leg), has been brought back to life and lives in the collection of Guy Webster of Ojai, Calif. Last (continued from pg. 17) ridden by Guido Leoni in 1952, the Gambalunga featured an impressive array of innovative technology for the time: a below-the-engine, horizontally mounted rear shock, inverted forks, and leading link front brakes. But 1952 brought an end to the dominance of Moto Guzzi in the premier 500cc class; it also foreshadowed the company’s complete withdrawal from racing in 1957.
(Click image to enlarge)
The arrival of other factories’ higher-revving, more powerful twins and multicylinder bikes, Moto Guzzi’s less-than-spectacular results with its own bikes, a dissatisfaction with racing as a marketing tool, and the alarming mortality rate of racers all influenced Moto Guzzi’s decision to leave the paddock.
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