The turn signals are pretty slick looking with their clear lenses, and the single, round headlight does a great job at night. On the way to start my tour, it was a dark, lonely ride over the mountains to Chattanooga, making the broad, piercing beam of light a good friend for sure.

More chic details abound with the stylish carbon fiber side panels and front mudguard. The rear seat has a small cowl, which attaches with two bolts to enhance the sport look when riding solo. And the twin upswept exhausts run parallel to the rear sub frame to maintain the theme. Tucked over the chunky 180/55 17 rear Metzler is a plastic hugger, which I think would have looked a whole lot nicer in carbon fiber. Wheels are light alloy Brembo three spokes, and a 120/70 17 front tyre matches the sporty rear.

Leaving the magical piece of lakeside road that runs under the mountains, I rolled along some nice, gentle four-lane highway. The big Guzzi soon settled into a comfortable, relaxed beat. The seat is broad and comfortable, and the sporty foot peg placement easy on the knees. The wide, upright handlebars, which attach to the triple clamps by brushed aluminium bar risers, definitely make things feel roomier.

Out on the open road, I found my average fuel consumption to be around 40mpg. The big fuel tank holds 20.7 litres, and the fuel light regularly came on with 240km on the trip meter, meaning there was well over a four litres left in the tank. Better safe than sorry, I guess.

Back on US 64, I left the four-lane to start my ascent over the next mountain range. The road was thankfully devoid of traffic as I attacked the smooth sweepers with gusto. Valve gear chattering, intake noise roaring and the twin exhaust noise reverberating off the rock walls as we passed, I was totally in sync with the big Guzzi.

At $23,700 this Italian import isn’t cheap, and air-cooled, shaft drive bikes are certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. But, for the mature enthusiast who wants a long-legged, robust bike that doesn’t have to trade character for reliability, Moto Guzzi has got you covered.