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V7s are very good looking retro bikes, but, they are beginner's bikes,
What's wrong with Retro? give me this with USD forks, a 6 speed and ABS..
Gee, I sure hope I grow out of my beginner phase of riding soon... Maybe year 37 will be the year I get to graduate to "intermediate rider", as voted by the wise council of the interwebz.
Experienced riders owning V7s (as many do) has little to do with the fact that MG designed and positioned the V7 as MG's entry-level bike. IOW, it's a bike friendly to beginning riders due to its low ride height, power, and price, and it is universally known as such.
I think you are off base with that assumption . The V7 is appealing to some beginning riders , but we have several fellas and ladies with hundreds of thousands of miles that are riding Small Blocks because they work . "Universally known as such" , well , not among the fans of Small Blocks .
Google "Guzzi V7 beginner's bike" or "Guzzi V7 entry-level"...
No doubt they make a decent entry level motorbike , but they punch way above their weight .
Google "vaccines cause autism", and "the ruling class are lizard people"... An internet search supporting your viewpoint, doesn't make it fact. The V7 is a solid classicly styled touring motorcycle, it's low centre of gravity and ease of riding don't make it a beginner bike, they make it a well-designed, capable motorcycle.
"the ruling class are lizard people”
If the Griso had ABS from the factory, I would be all over it.
A bigger, more expensive sport bike will at once be compared with more modern, faster and stronger bikes. And if Guzzi itself would make a more modern, faster and stronger bike the old customers would say: That�s not a Guzzi anymore. Hence the success of the V7 series. And let�s see what they will do with the V85 - platform.
I personally do not care if anyone considers the V7 to be a so-called beginners bike. I bought mine, and totally love it, based on its actual features. Which to my knowledge are unique in our market today I wanted something seriously light weight. As large a gas tank as possible. A simple, air-cooled engine. Had to handle well, with plenty of ground clearance. Shaft drive. Standard bike ergonomics. A simple, durable, well tested design. Straightforward to maintain. Capable of easily running 85 mph all day. Able to mount hard saddlebags. Finally, I wanted something that had a bit of character. Not mechanically boring. Not a scooter. And it would be a huge plus if the bike looked good and was not covered by plastic fairings and gee games. I did not care about maximizing horsepower. I did not care about ABS. I did not want double disk brakes. Did not need two-up capability. I basically wanted to buy a brand new bike that was functionally similar to a BMW airhead like my old R80/7. And then I planned to ride the heck out of it. Of course, my Kawasaki Ninja 250 also meets most of these requirements as well, and I will absolutely ride the little two-fiddy anywhere. So maybe I am just crazy.
It is that simple: people who buy new Guzzis now (like myself in 2013) do this because they want a bike that looks like a Guzzi, sounds like a Guzzi, is not too expensive and easy and fun to run. A bigger, more expensive sport bike will at once be compared with more modern, faster and stronger bikes. And if Guzzi itself would make a more modern, faster and stronger bike the old customers would say: That�s not a Guzzi anymore. Hence the success of the V7 series. And let�s see what they will do with the V85 - platform.
something like half of Guzzi's sales are V7's of one flavor or another. Like Triumph tho they felt to compete in the American market they would also need cruisers and adventure bikes. If the number of 2 and 3 year old new Triumph and Guzzi cruisers and adventure bikes sitting on dealer floors are any indication, they might have misjudged that. V7's sell because they are solid bikes with a unique set of features at what passes as a reasonablV7's are not starter bikes any more than all retro's are purchased by older riders. What they are is a reaction to the excess of the motorcycle market over the last 10 or 20 years and a desire to get back to basics. Triumph took the better part of 15 years to figure that out before reinvesting in the parallel twin line, fortunately Guzzi seems to be a quicker study how that they are at generation iii with the 7's and that is a good sign in my opinion.