2008 Moto Guzzi V7 Classic

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The clutch is light, and getting into first gear is easy and painless. The gear ratios are sensibly spread out and I found no false neutrals, and in all the hours of riding, I didn’t have to adjust the clutch, which, like bikes of yore, is adjustable at the lever. Neither clutch nor brake levers are adjustable for reach. The bars are set at a comfortable height, and though they’re nothing like the old V7’s touring-type bars, they are wide enough to help hustle the bike through tight bends. The seat is firm but quite comfortable, with a small step in it to stop you from sliding backward. Nice stitching, too. There’s no redline on the tach (not that it’s really needed) and I occasionally had problems separating the tach from the speedo because of their small lettering and similar clock faces. Warning lights are clear and bright, and the digital readout gives plenty of information,
useful or not.

With its “small block” twin-cradle frame and 2-valve Breva engine, the V7 Classic is a physically small bike, and is more reminiscent of the old V50 rather than a Tonti T3 or loop frame V7. Its lack of weight and low center of gravity mean it handles very precisely, and a reasonable seat height of 31.7 inches should appeal to many female riders, novices and those shorter in stature. You feel positively in control maneuvering the Guzzi at slow speeds, pulling up at lights or taking it on and off the side stand. A main stand is, ridiculously, an optional extra.

I rode a wide variety of roads around Mandello, under the hot sun and in sudden rain showers, ranging from fast straights, fast sweeping bends and tight hairpins to mountain roads with loose gravel and busy urban areas with cobblestones. The bike’s suspension, with 40mm Marzocchi forks and Sachs rear shocks, took it all in stride, as did the Metzeler Lasertec tires. In fact, on smooth surfaces the ride is rather plush, though always firm in typical Italian tradition, inspiring confidence to sling it into corners without having to think too hard in advance.

The shaft drive is so smooth as to be unnoticeable, and only once, when changing impatiently into first for a hairpin and with the engine spinning too slowly, did it show itself, with a momentary lockup and tire squeal: rider, not machine, at fault. Brakes are Brembo, and as on the Breva, the single front 320mm floating disc and 4-piston caliper is plenty to haul the Guzzi down in a hurry — the rear providing extra if required — without being wooden or resorting to the old Guzzi linked system. I would prefer a dual-disc front if only because the single-disc setup looks cheap and unfinished.

The 750 engine produces just shy of 50hp at 6,800rpm. Nothing spectacular by any means, but perfectly adequate for this kind of motorcycle and what will be demanded of it. The Weber-Marelli injection system delivers the fuel pretty much without hiccup throughout the rev range. Acceleration is smooth, and there’s more than enough power in reserve for overtaking and more spirited riding. The only occasion I got the bike up to 7,000rpm was on a stretch of fast, multi-lane highway, accelerating in fourth at about 85mph, and the V7 felt like it was beginning to run out of steam. To be fair, without any wind screen, windblast prevents much more progress.

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