It's been called "Italy's Harley-Davidson," and history backs up that statement. Conceived in World War I by two pilots and a mechanic serving in Italy's Corpo Aeronautica Militare, Moto Guzzi was founded in 1921 and has a rich tradition in making motorcycles. In fact, it's not hard to imagine the firm's trademark laydown single as taking its jutting cylinder from a radial aircraft engine. Equally iconic is the design's large external flywheel, often called a "bacon slicer" or "boot polisher." What at first looks quaintly arcane is actually a clever engineering solution: Already a lengthy layout thanks to the forward-facing cylinder, the engine would have been longer still if the flywheel were contained within the cases, forcing the clutch, kickstarter mechanism and gearbox shafts rearward to make room.

This Falcone, finished in Guzzi's signature red and chrome, uses vertical hydraulic dampers for the rear suspension rather than the more usual scissors-style friction dampers.