Moto Guzzi V7 history
The Moto Guzzi V7 name actually dates back to 1965 when the factory displayed a new touring model at the Milan Show. It was based on a police bike which had been under development since a government tender had been announced in 1963 to replace the 500cc single-cylinder Falcone. Moto Guzzi engineers Giulio Carcano (famous for his Moto Guzzi racers, including the V8 in the 1950s) and Umberto Todero partnered in the project, which called for a machine with a 100,000km service life. Guzzi had long been a supplier of police and military vehicles, and Carcano opted for a V-twin, a version of which he had experimented with in his Fiat four-wheeler some time earlier. Although the configuration of an across-the-frame V-twin for a two-wheeler was not new, the use of a car-type single-plate clutch, four-speed gearbox and electric starter, along with shaft-drive to the rear wheel, was a new departure. Also unusual was the use of a one-piece crankshaft with shell bearings that could be changed without removing the engine from the frame: capacity at the time was 703cc. Moto Guzzi went into receivership in 1966, but in 1967 a new company, SEIMM (Societa Esercizio Industrie Moto Meccaniche) was formed, with manager Bianchi’s Romolo De Stefani, who brought with him engineer Lino Tonti. To establish a racier image, the factory set up a programme of speed record attempts and endurance racing, but this exposed the inadequacies of the V7’s frame and chassis. Tonti designed a new lower frame and it appeared at the 1971 Milan Show in the V7 Sport with its line green tank and sidepanels. The V7 Sport’s style was a game changer for Guzzi and continued with the 750-S3 in 1974 and, in due course, the 850 Le Mans in 1976. The current V7 series is derived from the more compact series of V-twins designed by Tonti, launched in 1977 with the V50. Versions in 350cc, 650cc and, in 1991, as a 750cc model were developed (by then the Le Mans was offered as a ‘classic’ 1000 model). Both sports and touring options have been offered over the years. For the 2017 model year, after celebrating the factory’s 95th of continuous production the previous year, the 750cc V7 series was re-designed to make the V7 III upon which this trio of models is based.