From the Land of Motors: Moto Guzzi “Riviera” from Fuchs Workshop…
The Italian region of Emilia-Romagna has been christened the “Land of Motors” or “Motor Valley” for its high concentration of car and motorcycle manufacturers, racetracks, and museums. Truly it’s a motoring dream: four international circuits including Imola and Misano, seven manufacturers including Ducati and Ferrari, and more than 30 motoring museums and collections.
It’s also home to any number of smaller racing and custom shops. One of our favorites is Fuchs Workshop, started by Massimo Rinchiuso more than two decades ago to build race bikes. Over the years, they also began specializing in hand-shaped aluminum bodywork, 3D design, CNC parts, and the preparation of vintage flat trackers.
Back in 2023, we featured their super-cool Piaggio Ciao tracker, built as a pit bike for riding around the race paddock (and tearing up the track as well), and their Moto Guzzi Enzo remains one of the sharpest, most recognizable customs of modern times.
Now Fuchs is back with the custom Guzzi you see here, built from a ’99 California that had been the victim of a bodge-job customization.
“The bike was not only really ugly, but also potentially dangerous.”
The owner, Roberto, brought the botched Guzzi to Massimo for a full redesign and rebuild into bike that was safe, functional, and perfect for cruising the Riviera Romagnola. Not only was the engine overhauled, but this Moto Guzzi “Riviera” is now wearing hand-built aluminum bodywork, a custom saddle, YSS rear shocks and fork internals built to spec, stainless exhaust with HP Corse Hydroform silencers, new instrumentation and LED lighting, and much more.
Massimo is proudest of the lines of the new tank and tail.
“I think I have combined elegance, lightness, and functionality well, because unfortunately beauty often does not go together with comfort.”
Even more importantly, there’s the overall sensation of riding this reborn Guzzi “Riviera.”
“I associate this motorbike with the relaxation that a beautiful sailing boat can give that travels calmly in calm seas on a sunny day, and because Fuchs Workshop is located on the Romagna east cost (Riviera Romagnola), the land of motors.”
This is one of those bikes that looks like it was born this way, shaped in an alternative universe where the Mandello maestros rolled out aluminum-clad beauties straight from the factory. Fortunately, we have custom artists like Massimo to realize such visions.
Below is our full interview with Massimo Rinchiuso of Fuchs Workshop, and credit goes to Christian Fussi (@chrifussi) for the gorgeous photos.
Moto Guzzi Riviera: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
The Fuchs Workshop brand was born in the early 2000s, as a creative workshop building special motorcycles mainly for racing. The main objectives were therefore lightness and performance, combining them with an attractive aesthetic. When the Cafè Racer genre prevailed, the workshop specialized by integrating metalshaping work by building tanks, tailpieces, and fairings in aluminum, as well as components from solid CNC.
For some years it has been involved in the construction and management of Flat Track motorcycles especially for the vintage categories, on bases such as Rotax, Harley, Yamaha, and Honda. Fuchs Workshop motorcycles are built entirely in-house, making use of external collaborations only for what concerns painting. Among the most well-known motorcycles, the Moto Guzzi Enzo stands out, built on an SP1000 base.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
The bike comes from a 1999 Moto Guzzi California, previously customized using poorly matched parts, with many malfunctioning parts and poorly made modifications. Therefore the bike was not only really ugly, but also potentially dangerous.
• Why was this bike built?
The owner submitted the motorbike to me to redesign it and make it usable and safe, as well as beautiful to look at.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
Roberto (the owner) loves long rides accompanied by the sly beat of the Guzzi engine, so he chose a Cruiser setup, which is very comfortable and relaxing.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
The new project therefore included, in addition to the total overhaul of the engine, a new bodywork entirely in hand-wrought aluminium, a custom-made saddle, new dedicated YSS shock absorbers and fork interior, a new stainless steel exhaust system with Hydroform mufflers from HP Corse, new instrumentation and LED headlights, as well as a myriad of other particular interventions.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
The name Riviera was chosen because I associate this motorbike with the relaxation that a beautiful sailing boat can give that travels calmly in calm seas on a sunny day, and because Fuchs Workshop is located on the Romagna east cost (Riviera Romagnola), the land of motors.
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?
Riding this way is particularly relaxing and enjoyable, especially thanks to an improved and well-designed chassis. The riding position is very versatile making it comfortable both for very tall and shorter people.
The weight is also very helpful, reduced by many kilos compared to the original model thanks to the extensive use of aluminum in practically all components. The electronic injection and the new generation gearbox are even more surprising when riding this bike, being decisive when thinking about how these engines worked a few years before 2000.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
Undoubtedly the line obtained by the new tank and tail. I think I have combined elegance, lightness, and functionality well, because unfortunately beauty often does not go together with comfort.
• Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
Absolutely yes, HP Corse for supplying their beautiful Hydroform silencers which seem to have been created specifically for this bike, and YSS Racing Italy for supplying the shock absorbers custom-built according to the requested specifications.
More Photos
Follow the Builder
Instagram: @fuchs_workshop
Facebook: @fuchsworkshop
Photos: @chrifussi
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Looks real nice!
Gorgeous.