Not much Motorcycle manufacturers have been around for hundreds of years. Especially if you ignore brand revival, or acquisitions from foreign companies.
Last year, Moto Guzzi celebrates a century of continuous motorcycle production. It was a surprising incident, but at least one custom workshop decided to mark the occasion — Gas & Oil Bespoke Motorcycles of the Czech Republic.
The Prague workshop is more than 500 miles northeast of the Moto Guzzi factory in Mandello del Lario, but this SP1000-based machine is at its core Italian. Called ‘All Blue’, it draws attention to the 90-degree V-twin engine for which the firm is famous.
Store founder Matěj Sysel said: “All Blue was our idea of what the ‘100th Anniversary Moto Guzzi’ would look like. “We received a commission from a customer who is a huge fan of Moto Guzzi.”
Gas & Oil began the proceedings by scrapping the 948cc engine. It’s an old, air-cooled mill with just two valves per cylinder – but it delivers a decent 62 lb-ft of torque just past 5,000 rpm and when it’s idle , it will work smoothly and powerfully.
After refurbishing and assembling the engine, Matěj and his team repainted the cases and fitted a beautiful pair of new Dell’Orto PHF carburetors with boost pumps.
The engine is now pressed into a restored and refinished frame from California — a machine renowned for its good handling, despite its touring background.
The rear of the frame has been neatly truncated to fit a vintage cafe ‘hump’, but Gas & Oil has retained and restored the original California fork.
The hump behind the full-grain leather seats is a classic Yamaha detail, but not easily recognizable. It’s part of the SR fuel tank, with a circular brake light at the rear.
The new YSS shocks keep handling tight and are surrounded by loudspeaker-style silencers from Czech manufacturer Sharon. They are plugged into custom stainless steel exhaust pipes, which run beneath the Tarozzi feet.
The 18-inch alloy wheels have been treated to the same finish as the engine and wrapped in Bridgestone Battlax BT46 rubber — a modern production tire with a classic tread pattern.
Brembo brakes are completely revamped, with new rotors included. “On top of that, we used a Cerakote coating for the caliper,” says Matěj. “It is very resistant to high temperatures and even the chemical effects of brake fluid.”
The slightly heavy setup of the original SP1000 has been lightened with some inspired build. The fuel tank is low and square, starting to function as a Yamaha RD unit; It is now dominated by a fast-acting racing fuel on top.
The glossy blue paintwork — an accent to the sporty Italian hues — extends to the custom bars, fitted with classic toggle switches in a 3D-printed case.
Right in front is a compact analog MST Speedster gauge from Motogadget. The German tuner also provides a turn signal light at the end of the mo bar.
‘All Blue’ is of great interest to us because it encapsulates everything great about classic Guzzis — with the striking V-twin at the center. Custom contexts can adopt complex technology at a daily rate… but works like this prove there’s still room for old-school fun.
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