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Renovated Moto Guzzi Headquarters Draws Motorcycle Fans to Lake Como

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • Thousands of Moto Guzzi riders gathered at the manufacturer’s renovated headquarters on Italy’s Lake Como for an annual meeting and ride.
  • The five-year renovation added 5,500 square meters of factory and museum space at a cost of more than 50 million euros.
  • The expanded factory could eventually double maximum production to 30,000 motorcycles a year while preserving hand assembly as the brand’s core process.

Thousands of Moto Guzzi riders arrived at the company’s lakeside home on Saturday, turning the renovated headquarters on northern Italy’s Lake Como into a pilgrimage site for fans of the two-cylinder motorcycles.

I’ve owned a Moto Guzzi since my 20s. The first time I saw one in a magazine, I thought it looked very interesting. And then I went ahead and saved up some money and bought a used one, and fell in love.

· Timothy BennettA US-based Moto Guzzi owner describing how he became a fan of the brand.

Visitors began arriving Thursday for the unveiling of the expanded factory and a new museum. The headquarters gained 5,500 square meters of space, nearly 60,000 square feet, after five years of work costing more than 50 million euros. The site sits between a mountainside and the lake, in a setting also known for celebrity villas, weddings and appearances in the James Bond film Casino Royale.

Moto Guzzi is handmade, it is an artisanal product, it’s a piece of art. And we never substitute automation for this core part. Automation is for safety and for sustainability.

· Matteo BoddiThe Piaggio Group manufacturing chief explaining the balance between hand assembly and automation.

The factory has produced Moto Guzzi motorcycles by hand for 105 years. New observation points allow visitors to watch workers assemble the bikes. Matteo Boddi, head of manufacturing for the Piaggio Group, said the company views the motorcycles as artisanal products and will not replace that core process with automation. Automation instead handles safety, sustainability and the movement of parts and engines through the factory. Robots transport finished motorcycles for their final test.

We tried to make an accessible place both for passionate motorcyclists and people who are just curious about motorcycles being made in Italy, on Lake Como, and may never even have heard of Moto Guzzi before.

· Greg LynnThe US architect describing the intended audience for the renovated headquarters.

The expansion could raise maximum production to 30,000 motorcycles a year. US architect Greg Lynn said the renovated site was designed to welcome both dedicated motorcyclists and people who had never heard of Moto Guzzi. For long-time visitors such as Roland Rampnoux, who has attended since 1980 and belongs to a 150-member Paris club, the attraction remains the motorcycles and the community around them.

I like the mentality of the people who ride them.

· Roland RampnouxA long-time visitor describing the appeal of the Moto Guzzi community.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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