The uncomfortable truth about custom motorcycles is that for every good one built, there are dozens of bad ones. All too often you’ll come across custom bikes that have been crudely cobbled together with no regard for good taste—or safety, even. This 1999 Moto Guzzi California was one such bike, until Massimo Rinchiuso rescued it.
“The California was previously customized using poorly matched parts, with many malfunctioning parts and poorly made modifications,” says Massimo, who runs Fuchs Workshop as a one-man band in the vibrant city of Ravenna, in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. “The bike was not only really ugly but also potentially dangerous.”
Massimo’s client is a long-walks-on-the-beach guy, so the Moto Guzzi’s torque twin-cylinder motor suits him well. He handed the bike over to Massimo to make it not only beautiful to look at, but usable and safe, too. The idea was to shed visual weight and turn the chunky Moto Guzzi California into a laid-back beach tracker.
The bike’s easygoing appearance belies the amount of work that went into it. Massimo’s first job was to create a harmonious bone line—which meant making extensive changes to the frame. Then it was time to spec the California with running gear to suit its new stance.
The OEM Moto Guzzi forks were upgraded with a cartridge kit from YSS, adding full adjustability, and new YSS shocks were fitted out back to pick up the California’s tail. Massimo retained the original wheel sizes (18F/17R), but swapped the original units for chromed Borrani hoops.
He turned his focus to the brakes next. The front hub was modified to host a second brake disc, with Brembo calipers doing duty at both ends. The setup also includes custom-made caliper mounts and braided hoses.
As you can tell, all of the Moto Guzzi California’s original bodywork was binned. Massimo fabricated a new set of aluminum pieces from scratch, starting with a tapered fuel tank and matching tail bump. A trimmed front fender and triangular side covers round out the set.
The side cover sits on custom mounting tabs, while the tail features a neatly recessed LED taillight that Massimo designed and manufactured from scratch. A stylish pleated saddle offers an adequate level of comfort.
Going deeper, the California’s 1,064 cc V-twin engine was rebuilt with several improvements. It now sports polished intake ducts, a lightened crankshaft and flywheel, and an upgraded camshaft. Massimo installed K&N pod filters, fabricated a new stainless steel exhaust system with HP Corse mufflers, and remapped the ECU to optimize performance.
Massimo also rewired the Moto Guzzi from scratch—partly to accommodate the new bodywork, and partly because the existing wiring was a ticking time bomb.
A tidy cockpit complements the rest of Massimo’s judicious changes, featuring tapered handlebars on new bar clamps. The switches and clutch perch are Domino parts, while the front brake’s master cylinder comes from Brembo. An LED headlight from Highsider sits out front, mounted on custom-made brackets.
There are subtler details to appreciate too—like Massimo’s judicious side stand mod. “The lower left part of the frame was modified to eliminate the very ugly original side stand—mounting a much more discreet one in a rearward position,” he explains.
Massimo finished the Moto Guzzi California off by polishing the aluminum bits, adding subtle graphics, and hitting the frame with a fresh coat of black. Delicate Moto Guzzi eagle motifs adorn the tank, while the side covers are emblazoned with the bike’s nickname; ‘Riviera.’
“I chose that name because I associate this motorbike with the relaxation that a beautiful sailing boat can create when it travels through calm seas on a sunny day. And because Fuchs Workshop is located on the Riviera Romagnola—the land of motors.”
Fuchs Workshop Facebook | Instagram | pics by Christian Fussi
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