The C4V was not only the first real racing bike built by Moto Guzzi. It was also the end of the party for the English motorcycles, dominating the race fields in the 500 class until then. He won from the first race, at the Circuito del Lario, and then became European Champion in Monza in September 1924. A new triumph.

From the first building built, which also included the home of Carlo Guzzi, the Moto Guzzi factory rapidly grows year after year to cope with the great success achieved all over the world by the motorcycle with the eagle. At its zenith, it reaches the considerable size of 30,000 square meters.

2 in 1922. 4 in 1923. 21 in 1924. 32 in 1925. 42 in 1926. 62 in 1927. An impressive progression, prelude to the domination of the competition fields that lasted until 1957, with a total of 3,329 victories. Nobody like her.

Moto Guzzis quality also becomes apparent in the mileage competition organized in Milan by Motociclismo magazine: a fierce and ambitious Valentino Gatti leads with the incredible result of 74.955 kilometers for one liter, leading the Moto Guzzi to victory far ahead of the competition. Particularly effective advertising for the general public.

1922. Primo Moretti is first in name and in fact: the first Moto Guzzi dealership is born in Macerata. The first of a large capillary network throughout the Italian territory (there will be more than 200 by the mid-1950s which will expand into all the main foreign markets (more than 50). It will even be possible to buy a Moto Guzzi in Ethiopia, Argentina, Ceylon, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Belgian Congo. A surprising success.

1922. Moto Guzzi is two years young, and while the Normale is already an excellent bike, it needs to be made known. What better way than by entering races, everywhere. In addition, there is no better way than racing to test new solutions. Francesco Rampini, Carlo Marazzani, Valentino Gatti and Mario Cavedini are the members of the first Moto Guzzi Racing Team, which at the Circuito del Lario would obtain a brilliant team victory crowned by Valentino Gatti’s second place overall. It’s starting to get serious.

1921: the first two Normale produced hardly leave the new Moto Guzzi factory, when they are already competing in the exhausting Milan-Naples. Mario Cavedini and Aldo Finzi will take them to the finish line not without having had some inconvenience. But in Mandello was already very clear on the fundamental role of competitions and the decision to immediately bring his first production bike to the races is already rewarded in the second race: Gino Finzi takes first place at the finish line in the Targa Florio. It is a triumph of audacity, technique, reliability, courage. The first one of a very long series.

4 valves topped by an overhead camshaft, dual ignition, oversquare bore / stroke ratio. These are technical solutions that we are quite familiar with today, and they are the same ones that Carlo Guzzi adopted 100 years ago for the first Moto Guzzi prototype: the GP 500. It was born in Giorgio Ripamonti’s workshop in Mandello, thanks to the time spent and the headaches caused during the repair of the problematic motorcycles of that era, to the experience in aeronautics and to the financing of Giorgio Parodi’s father. It would ultimately not be mass-produced, but remains today a clear statement of intent.