Which production motorcycle is famous for using a transverse-mounted V8 engine?

The Moto Guzzi V8 is famous for using a transverse-mounted V8 engine.

Moto Guzzi built the V8, also known as the Otto Cilindri, for Grand Prix racing in the 1950s. Its 499 cc engine had eight cylinders arranged in a V and was mounted transversely across the frame, an unusual configuration for a motorcycle.

The design was created to provide high power with a compact frontal area. The motorcycle was technically advanced for its time, using features such as a sophisticated multi-cylinder engine and a streamlined fairing. However, its complexity and development challenges limited its racing career.

The Moto Guzzi V8 was a racing prototype rather than a normal mass-production road motorcycle. That distinction matters because motorcycles such as Honda’s CBX used six cylinders in road production, while Moto Guzzi’s V8 is remembered primarily as an extraordinary Grand Prix machine.