Dr. John Wittner made a name for himself in the late 80’s thanks to his ability to modify the hell out of MG’s – his bikes won consecutive US Endurance Championships, among other racers. Due to his success, the Guzzi factory asked him to come to Italy and help develop a superbike unlike anything the Italian firm had produced before. The Moto Guzzi Daytona 1000 was born, and it was the most powerful Guzzi ever built at the time. This example stands out from its peers thanks to the rare full fairings.
The 992cc V-Twin produced 95 horsepower, good for a top speed of 145 miles per hour. Unusually for a sportbike, the Daytona retained the traditional MG shaft drive, though they utilized a system similar to BMW’s Duolever to counteract shaft-jacking. Realistically, it was a bike that didn’t feel as nimble as the Japanese competition, but die hard Guzzi fans and riders looking for something a little bit different found it be charming, and relatively easy to ride thanks to the torque. For plenty more information on this bike (and an appeal on why this will be a future classic, if it’s not already), check out this article on Motorcycle Classics.
This example is #26 and is being offered by the third owner. It’s been recently serviced (though it’s still rocking the original tires) and has LaFranconi pipes (originals included) plus the incredibly rare fairings. The seller claims only two sets were ever made, but good luck proving that. Everything is claimed to work, so find this Daytona for sale in Arlington Heights, Illinois with bidding up to $10,300 and the reserve not yet met