It?s the Radical Guzzi ?Ristretto,? a highly tuned Tonti-framed Guzzi. The builder is Stefan Bronold of Schwarzenfeld, a small town in Bavaria near the Czech border.
The price is steep at ?45,000 ($50,000), but three have already been sold. That?s partly down to Radical Guzzi?s reputation in Europe, and partly down to the extraordinary level of custom engineering that has gone into this bike.

?The goal was to take the Moto Guzzi cafe racer to the next level,? says Radical collaborator Kris Karathomas.
?To cross the line of 100 horsepower and the torque typical of a two-valve engine. The logical consequence was to implant a 4-valve engine into the Tonti frame.?

This boosts engine output to 130 horsepower and 112 ft.-lb. of torque. To put that into perspective, the stock California pumps out 96 horsepower and 89 ft.-lb. Even more pertinent is the weight: Ristretto tips the scales at just under 200 kilos (440 pounds) with a full tank, while the California is 336 kilos.

At the back, you can choose from Öhlins or Wilbers shocks, and wheels are 18 inches both front and rear?shod with Pirelli Night Dragon rubber. The brake systems are from Brembo or Behringer.
The frame is Moto Guzzi?s classic Tonti design, which is still in production today. But the Ristretto features a hand-built replica for guaranteed strength, with a very friendly seat height of just 760 millimeters (30 inches).

?With the disc wheels, the Ristretto runs as straight a freight train,? says Karathom...