There is a short stretch of two-lane road in North Carolina that runs along side picturesque Parksville Lake in Tennessee. According to Mr. McNally it is a section of US 64. According to Mr. Café Sport, is it simply known as perfection.

One sunny day last October, the surrounding mountains ablaze with autumn color, I was riding alongside the sparkling water, fast and alone. Passing a local cruiser rider with a wave, I leaned the big Guzzi hard into the next bend, twisted the throttle and spent the next 10 miles deep in motorcycle bliss.

Beneath me, the 1064cc air-cooled V-twin was enjoying the cool morning air. With over 90 horsepower available at 7800 rpm, it was plenty powerful enough for the job in hand. Actually, there was no need to run it up that hard, with the Moto Guzzi’s 70 foot-pounds of torque hitting at 6000rpm. Short shifting between 4000 and 5000 rpm worked best for me and for spirited riding around the 70mph mark, running these revs in fourth gear was the magic combination.

Rising onto the balls of my feet, lightening my grip on the handlebars, and sliding off the seat a little, allowed the bike to attain some serious lean angles. Rock solid the Café Sport was 100 percent committed to my chosen line. Picking it back up, and aiming into the next bend, a light push on the bars initiated the turn. Another twist of the super light throttle had the bike powering through, the grin factor inside my helmet hitting redline.

I was blasting to my home in Sylva, North Carolina, at the end of a three-day tour of the area around Chattanooga, Tennessee. I had taken some soft luggage, a tank bag and backpack, and was easily able to carry enough gear for my trip. Riding with a friend, who has little interest in what’s happening anywhere but straight ahead, the Ohlins suspension, Brembo brakes and sticky sport bike-sized Metzeler tyres also came in handy as we scorched though the surrounding countryside.