Moto Guzzi: Hybrid powertrain combined with the classic V2 engine

We certainly weren’t expecting that: Moto Guzzi has patented a powertrain that combines its characteristic longitudinally mounted V2 engine with an electric motor. Such hybrids have long been common in the car market; in the motorbike market, however, only Kawasaki currently offers such a solution – the Ninja 7 Hybrid and the Z7 Hybrid, which are essentially the same motorbike in two design variants.

The basic idea behind a hybrid concept – an electric motor and a battery supporting the internal combustion engine – is also evident in the Guzzi patent. However, unlike Kawasaki – where the electric drive assists a relatively small 451 ccm engine – the Moto Guzzi patent drawings depict a high-capacity cruiser.

Elektromotor (41), eingebaut über dem konventionellen Sechsgang-Getriebe

Foto: Moto Guzzi

Moto Guzzi’s characteristic powertrain layout is retained: a longitudinally mounted V2 engine, the gearbox flanged to the engine, and final drive via a cardan shaft. Guzzi had already made some tweaks to this time-honoured powertrain concept with the launch of the latest model generation, which debuted at the end of 2022 with the V100 Mandello. The longitudinally mounted V2 has been retained, but the clutch is no longer fitted as a dry clutch between the engine and gearbox (as in most cars); instead, it is installed behind the gearbox as a multi-plate unit in the gearbox’s oil bath. This design allows the gearbox to be positioned beneath and closer to the engine, resulting in a shorter drivetrain.

In the patent drawing, an electric motor is installed above the gearbox, which can drive the gearbox’s input shaft via gears. This is a key difference from a conventional hybrid layout, where the electric motor is usually mounted on the output side of the gearbox to directly assist the internal combustion engine.

In the patent, Moto Guzzi explains its engineers’ reasoning. When downshifting, the electric motor can automatically adjust the speed of the (engine-side) input shaft, thereby making gear changes faster and smoother. However, this is merely a side effect. The main purpose of a hybrid drive system is twofold: to power the motorbike purely electrically when required, and to assist the internal combustion engine when full power is needed.

In the Guzzi patent, the clutch could completely disengage the internal combustion engine, allowing the motorbike to run on electric power alone. The gearbox is locked in a single gear (the patent suggests second or third gear) and cannot be changed. In electric mode, the rider can only control the electric power output and apply the brakes using the twist grip. The term ‘throttling’ is factually incorrect, as no fuel-air mixture is being regulated. Should there be zones in towns and cities in future where only electrically powered vehicles are permitted, such a Moto Guzzi would be able to travel through these zones.

If the hybrid Guzzi is being driven using the internal combustion engine and the rider demands full acceleration via the twist grip, the electronics can engage the electric motor, which delivers additional power to the clutch via the gearbox input shaft. It also stands to reason that the electric motor would be used as a generator whilst coasting and during braking to charge the battery.

The patent drawing shows a conventional starter motor acting on the flywheel via gears. This makes it possible to start the V2 whilst the motorbike is running on electric power, thereby enabling a seamless transition from electric to petrol power.

The patent drawing shows a cruiser that could be recognised as the Audace model. This model, powered by a 1380 ccm V2, was discontinued in 2020, along with other related models in the higher displacement class, none of which could meet the Euro 5 emissions standards.

One might now speculate that Moto Guzzi intends to build cruisers again, using the modern 1042 ccm V2 engine for this purpose. Its displacement and torque of 105 Nm at 6750 rpm would be rather modest in this segment; but in combination with an electric motor, the required substantial torque at low revs could be achieved. The additional weight from the electric drive is not a decisive factor in this market segment.

Since extensive control electronics are essential for the hybrid drive system anyway, it would also make sense to equip the conventional gearbox with an automated gear-shift system, in which servomotors take over the operation of the clutch and the gear changes. BMW, for example, already offers such an automatic system under the name Automated Shift Assistant (ASA).