The launch of the V85 TT has boosted interest in dual-sport Moto Guzzis lately. And it’s about time: the competent Stelvio was killed off around three years ago, due to low sales and the cost of meeting Euro 4 emissions.
If the new V85 TT is a little beyond your budget, one option is to find a Tutto Terreno or Nuova Tipo Cross (NTX) from the 80s. And if you’re handy with the spanners, do a little work on it, as Filippo Barbacane of Officine Rossopuro has done here?including a major engine swap.

?It?s been a long time since I made an off-road bike just for myself,? says Filippo. ?Finding time for personal projects is very difficult.??
He?s called the Guzzi Levante, which means ?rising??as in the sun rising at the start of an exciting day, which perhaps involves a journey …
The story of this bike started many years ago, when Filippo bought an old mid-80s, military-spec NTX 350 that had been supplied to the Italian police. ?It had been laid up for a while, but about three years ago I decided to work on it in my spare time,? he says. ?
?The base was good, but I wanted a bike with a little more horsepower?and with longer gears.? That?s understandable, because the 350 version of the NTX produced around 35 hp. And although the bike only weighed around 400 pounds wet, it was no ball of fire.

Filippo wanted to be able to use his NTX off-road, but also travel long distances to reach beautiful landscapes. ?Often the off-road specials are excellent when doin...