The Moto Guzzi Nevada is a series of cruiser motorcycles made by Moto Guzzi under the names Nevada 350 and Nevada 750 from 1991 to 2016. It began as a custom version of the V35 and became one of the company’s longest-lived small models.
Moto Guzzi Nevada at a glance
| Maker | Moto Guzzi, Mandello del Lario |
|---|---|
| Production | 1991–2016 |
| Origin | Moto Guzzi V35 Florida |
| First version | Nevada 350, 1991 |
| Nevada 750 | from 1992, 744 cc engine |
| 350 discontinued | 1999 |
| 2002 restyling | new components shared with the Breva 750 |
| Engine from 2004 | 744 cc air-cooled V-twin, 48 hp at 6,800 rpm |
| Fuel system | electronic injection with regulated catalyst and lambda probe |
| Last versions | Nevada 750 Classic and Nevada 750 Aquila Nera |
| Anniversary model | Nevada 750 Anniversario, 2010–2013 |
History of the Moto Guzzi Nevada
The origin of the Nevada is the V35 Florida, a cheap motorcycle of 350 cc developed as a custom; the basic version had no extras, which could be added at extra cost. When the larger-engined Florida was dropped, the 350 was still selling well, and the many requests convinced Moto Guzzi to resume production. For commercial and marketing reasons it was decided to give the model a new name after a US state: after California and Florida came Nevada in 1991.
The new V35 was given a facelift that let it last into the 2010s and become the best-selling custom motorcycle in Italy. It was updated in looks and components, and the electronic technology of the period was used in its favour in buyers’ eyes. A year later the Nevada 750 followed, a version with the well-known 744 cc engine, which had already been used on many models from off-road to touring machines.
The 750 and the restylings
With the 350 dropped in 1999 the range continued with the 744 cc model only. In 2002 came a restyling with important changes, the model sharing most of its components with the Breva 750 introduced a year later; the air-cooled V2 still displaced 744 cc and gave 36 kW, 48 hp, at 6,800 rpm, with electronic injection, a regulated catalyst and a lambda probe. The 2004 restyling brought a new engine with Magneti Marelli-Digiplex digital inductive electronic injection and new Brembo brakes with a 320 mm floating Oro series front disc and a fixed four-piston caliper. A restyling followed in 2010 with the two-tone Anniversario version, and in 2012 a new twin with single fuelling of 51 hp was presented.
Police and the end
Like many Moto Guzzis, the Nevada was made available to the public services, the so-called P.A. version, with the typical white, blue and light blue colours depending on the department, and it still equips the traffic police in Cuba. The last model names were Nevada 750 Classic and Nevada 750 Aquila Nera, Black Eagle, with all-black paintwork. A special anniversary version, the Nevada 750 Anniversario, was released in 2011 for the 20th anniversary of the Nevada range and the company’s 90th anniversary and sold through 2013. The Nevada was discontinued in 2016.
Design and features
- Small-block custom: developed from the V35 Florida as a low-cost 350 and later a 744 cc custom.
- Best seller: for years the best-selling custom motorcycle in Italy.
- Modern updates: electronic injection with catalyst and lambda probe, and 320 mm Brembo front brake.
- Police version: the P.A. model, still used by the traffic police in Cuba.
- Anniversario: the two-tone 20th-anniversary edition of 2011–2013.
Moto Guzzi Nevada versions
- V35 Nevada (1992–1994): the first 350 cc custom version.
- 750 Nevada (1992–1993): the first 744 cc model.
- Nevada 350 and 750 NT (1994–1997): updated versions, plus the 350 Club of 1999.
- Nevada 750 Basic and Club (1998–1999): simpler and sportier trim levels.
- Nevada 750 Classic i.e. (2004–2009): injected 744 cc model with Brembo brakes.
- Nevada 750 Anniversario (2010–2013): two-tone anniversary edition.
- Nevada 750 Aquila Nera: all-black final version.
The Nevada was the small-block ancestor of the Breva, whose 750 shared most of its components, and it was a smaller alternative to the California. More machines are in the Moto Guzzi collection.
Video: Moto Guzzi Nevada 750 2010 Motorrad
Video by HC-Motorradtechnik on YouTube.
Sources
- Moto Guzzi Nevada, English Wikipedia: origin, dates, 2002 restyling, engine, final versions
- Moto Guzzi Nevada, Italian Wikipedia: Florida origin, 750 versions, 2004 and 2010 updates, police version
