Moto Guzzi V7
If you’re tired of modes this and bluetooth that then Guzzi welcome you to their new V7. But… less doesn’t mean cheap
‘Guzzi must look at sales and despair’
Moto Guzzi must look at Triumph T100 Bonnevilles sales and Royal Enfield Interceptors and despair. Their old V7 was as charming and capable as its rivals, yet only 538 people have bought one in the UK since the Mk3 arrived in 2017. By comparison Royal Enfield sold 2470 Interceptors since the 2019 launch and Triumph shifted 1318 of the latest T100.
Which brings us to the new V7 – Guzzi’s attempt to remedy matters by fitting a detuned version of the 850cc V-twin from the V85 adventure bike, plus a raft of updates ranging from new suspension to different graphics. Power is now up from 52bhp to a more sprightly 65. Torque is increased too, up from 44 lb.ft to 54, and it’s spread generously across the rev range, with over 40 lb.ft available from 3000rpm. The bigger engine leads to bigger other stuff too – exhausts, shaft drive and rear wheel are all beefier.
We’re hoping the new 150-section rear tyre (up from a 130) doesn’t blunt the old V7’s nimble handling. The frame has been strengthened around the headstock – geometry is unchanged – and the old forks remain. There are new Kayaba shocks at the rear with more travel, which will hopefully improve the V7’s comfort over choppy road surfaces. Guzzi claim the new stepped saddle is more comfortable too.
At this point it’s customary to launch into a fascinating explanation of a new bike’s revised electronics. But that won’t be necessary as there aren’t any. No modes, no traction control, no keyless ignition and no fancy colour screen. The single LCD dial and LED headlights are the closest you’ll get to high-tech. This bare bones approach fits the V7’s stripped back vibe and we love being able to just get on and ride (it’s the same with the Enfield Interceptor), but the problem might come with the V7’s price. There’s no official word on this yet, but with the old bike retailing at £7999 and the V85 TT at £10,899, it’s likely the new bike will be around £9000. At that money, many riders expect some electronic safety nets beyond ABS – Triumph’s £8900 T100 has switchable traction control. There are two variants: the Stone is the base model with aluminium wheels and LCD clock, the Special gets spoked wheels and analogue clocks.