Thank you all for all the nice comments on BMWs and Moto Guzzis.
I had a V50 Monza (the cafe` racer version with more ooomph)

(in this very color!)
and a BMW R65 Mk1 at the same time

I was actually juggling my one insurance between the two bikes to keep costs down.
The Guzzi had a much more performing frame and brakes (3 discs and integral braking) and a more responsive engine (48bhp@8000rpm) compared to the BMW's smooth waffle (45bhp@8000rpm).
The Guzzi would cruise at 4000rpm@100Km/h (60mph) the BMW needed to rev up to 5000rpm to match the speed.
(in a word, BMW's 5th gear matched GHuzzi's 4th gear, and Guzzi still had 5th to go)
Also, the BMW had one stainless disc up front and a tiny udrum at the rear (useless!) - no matcvh for Guzzi's three discs.
The Guzzi was also a tad less thirsty, I could squeeze 300km out of that 15 liter tank before needing a fillup - compared to 250km in the BMW's 16 liter tank.
All in all, the BMW was terriffic for putt-putting (slow cruising) in Rome's city center (narrow alleys, cobblestones and riverside boulevards) whie the Guzzi was a better high-speed motorway cruiser.
Now that I have the Savage and the 1200 Beemer

I feel I have come full circle again, one slow boulevard cruiser (with hilariously useless brakes) and one quick and efficient motorway cruiser

PS No, I do NOT wear BMW riding apparel, it's strictly "Tucano Urbano" Made in Italy