Where the Hell is the V7 II Centre Stand?

[malik]

Thanks, another good lead. Still want the MG stand, if and when MG offers one, and I have maybe three months for that to happen.

i think you'll find that the Stucchi stand IS the OEM stand.

[Lank]

Yup Jeff Olson, the Norge is a bike with a dangerous center stand, sticks out a whole bunch and will lever that bike to the ground if you are not on the level...but its real nice when you need it

[stevet]

i think you'll find that the Stucchi stand IS the OEM stand.

Is this a known fact?

My 2016 V7II Stone does not come with passenger grab rails.  What will I be pulling up on as I'm rocking the center stand down, the plastic fender?  Am I going to need to purchase grab rails, too?

Steve.

[jas67]

Am I going to need to purchase grab rails, too?

Or a luggage rack.

MG stopped supplying the V7 stone with the grab rails in 2015, but, the Special still gets them.

You are more than likely to find another WG member who has installed a luggage rack, and would be willing to sell you their grab rails.

[rss29]

Is this a known fact?

My 2016 V7II Stone does not come with passenger grab rails.  What will I be pulling up on as I'm rocking the center stand down, the plastic fender?  Am I going to need to purchase grab rails, too?

Steve.

No need for grab bars. My 2013 came with them but I took them off because I didn't like the look. It's easy to get the bike on the center stand by grabbing the top of the rear shock. It's a light bike and most of the lifting is done with your foot.

[rob-mg]

This past Wednesday, I went to the new Piaggio New York flagship store and asked when the center stand and engine guard will be available.

The store confirmed that the existing parts will not work with the V7II, spoke to the US head office, which is also in New York (indeed, as I understand it, the owner of the store) and undertook to get back to me.

As of today, I haven't heard anything. I will call the store again on Tuesday when it reopens.

As the owner of a V7II, I think that I am entitled to know whether Moto Guzzi is going to offer a centre stand and engine guard, and if so when. I also think that Piaggio's self-proclaimed US flagship store is the obvious place to get the answer.

We'll see.

[rss29]

Looks like both Agostini and HB have crash bars for the new V7II, per the AF1 site. If I were fitting some, I'd go with the Agostini in black. They look better than the MG ones from the older model of bike. It's not like MG is manufacturing this stuff themselves anyway, so these aftermarket offerings will fit and perform just as well as the 'genuine' versions. MG is almost certainly sourcing their stands and bars from one of these Italian aftermarket suppliers.

[Stevex]

I always remove the suicidal side stand off my Tonti framed bikes. Just to remove any chance of using it and regretting it later.

Same here.
My Honda CB1300S (2009) came without a centre stand, although previous models had one fitted; I ended up buying one off ebay.
One other thing to think about...have you ever seen how some bikes sit on their side stands with a flat? It makes them sit a lot more upright, with the possibility of going over on their right side.

[sib]

....As the owner of a V7II, I think that I am entitled to know ....

Good luck, you're likely to be disappointed.  I'd also like MG to do a few things, like produce an updated parts manual for the V7II Stone (the last one, April 2015, doesn't show most parts for the crankcase ventilation system and is missing a few other things), an updated workshop manual (incorrect ECU wiring shown for the 1TB V7/V7II series, corrected torque specs that have been incorrect and incomplete for at least 6 years), etc.  Probably ain't gonna happen in my lifetime.  This is why WG is so valuable.

[rob-mg]

... torque specs that have been incorrect and incomplete for at least 6 years...

Interesting, which ones?

[swordds]

When I lift my V7II Stone on to its center stand I lift up on the passenger foot peg brace, it makes a decent lifting handle.

[sib]

Interesting, which ones?

Two that come to mind:

The tightening torque for the lower head column nuts is given in the manual as 25 Nm, but this is only the pre-tightening value; the final value should be 42 Nm.

The larger (front) engine oil drain plug torque is given as 25 Nm in the blow-up illustration but 12 Nm in the instructions.

[rob-mg]

Good luck, you're likely to be disappointed.

You called it right.

Having visited Piaggio's New York flagship store last week, having asked during that visit whether and when Piaggio would make a centre stand and engine guard available for the V7 II, having been told by store staff that the store would get me an answer, and having not had the courtesy of an answer a week later, I called the store today.

I was told two things.

First, Piaggio does indeed own and control the "flagship store".

Secondly, Piaggio refused to tell its own store whether, let alone when, it will offer a V7 II centre stand or engine guard.

[rob-mg]

Does anyone know whether Stucchi's online prices are VAT included or excluded?

They want Euros 195 for a V7 II centre stand, plus Euros 35 postage, but they don't say whether this is the export price. If VAT inclusive, it makes a difference of about Euros 40.

It's this stand: http://lgccompany.it/en/home-page/9216-central-stand-for-v7-ii.html

Also, has anyone installed it? Easy? Complications?

Cheers

[rob-mg]

I bought it for US$185 delivered.  Maybe the exchange rates were good.

It is not on the bike.  I have some work ahead of me to make it work.  Installation is painfully simple and it is well designed.  However, the lever used to deploy the stand hits the bottom of the muffler when the stand is in the stowed position.  Since it rests on some rubber buttons, it should be easy enough to put washers under the buttons to fix the problem.  The other problem is shared with the H&B stand.  The bike doesn't go over center on the stand far enough to make it stable.  If you bump it, the bike will come off the stand.  The fix for this is pretty simple as well.  All I have to do is grind down a couple metal tabs an eighth inch or so and it will be fine.

This is a picture of the stand next to the frame member that is removed for installation.  There is one long bolt that goes through the center.



The center stand weighs 7.6 lbs.

I'll get it modified and installed in the next couple of weeks.  BTW, it's much easier to install if you remove the left muffler.

Thanks very much.

I'd love to see an update once you've installed it.

Can't say I'm wildly impressed with the fact that a company based in Mandello del Lario wants Euro 195, plus Euro 35 postage, for a centre stand that requires modification to work on the bike for which the company says it is designed.

[Cam3512]

You don't pay VAT if it's being shipped to the States.

[rob-mg]

You don't pay VAT if it's being shipped to the States.

I know. Stucchi doesn't say on its web site whether its prices are VAT excluded or included, and if one takes an order to checkout, no distinction is made.

What this means is that it's necessary to telephone them in Italy to find out and, if their online pricing is VAT inclusive, to make the order over the phone.

So let's figure that their price of Euro 195 is VAT inclusive with VAT at about 21%. One winds up at about Euro 154 (makes sense in terms of an earlier post) plus about Euro 35 for postage, for a part made in Mandello del Lario that has to be modified to work.

This is a joke, right?

[Cam3512]

I know. Stucchi doesn't say on its web site whether its prices are VAT excluded or included, and if one takes an order to checkout, no distinction is made.

What this means is that it's necessary to telephone them in Italy to find out and, if their online pricing is VAT inclusive, to make the order over the phone.

So let's figure that their price of Euro 195 is VAT inclusive with VAT at about 21%. One winds up at about Euro 154 (makes sense in terms of an earlier post) plus about Euro 35 for postage, for a part made in Mandello del Lario that has to be modified to work.

This is a joke, right?

Try and take it to "checkout" where they ask for shipping destination.  When you plug in a US address, it may reduce any built in VAT.

[rob-mg]

Try and take it to "checkout" where they ask for shipping destination.  When you plug in a US address, it may reduce any built in VAT.

I did. It doesn't change the price. Which means that if the price is VAT included (which I suspect it is, despite the fact that legitimate European vendors are clear about this on-line), non-Europeans who just pay Stucchi's on-line price, without understanding this, are getting screwed to the tune of about 21%.

If Stucchi adjusts it after your credit card is debited (which is a costly way for them to handle this), there is no statement that that is what Stucchi will do.

[Cam3512]

I did. It doesn't change the price. Which means that if the price is VAT included (which I suspect it is, despite the fact that legitimate European vendors are clear about this on-line), non-Europeans who just pay Stucchi's on-line price, without understanding this, are getting screwed to the tune of about 21%.

If Stucchi adjusts it after your credit card is debited (which is a costly way for them to handle this), there is no statement that that is what Stucchi will do.

I bought a rear rack from them a couple years ago.  Seem to recall they were responsive to an email question I had.

[rob-mg]

I bought a rear rack from them a couple years ago.  Seem to recall they were responsive to an email question I had.

Which doesn't change the fact that a non-European who orders a centre stand from Stucchi on-line is probably overpaying by 21% and is buying a product, despite the fact that this company is headquartered in the same small town as Moto Guzzi, that apparently won't work without modification.

Here's how ridiculous this is. Piaggio, which makes Vespa and Piaggio scooters, and has historically produced centre stands for Moto Guzzi V7s, knows how to make one that works.

Why is it suddenly a problem, and why is this Stucchi company apparently incapable of producing a centre stand, despite a rather high price, that works as well as a Piaggio stand?

[rob-mg]

Did you guys miss this?  US$185 delivered to Long Beach, CA.  No VAT.  I just used the online checkout process and VAT was removed.

I tried it and VAT wasn't removed. So I could try it again, or phone them, but it isn't obvious why I'd pay that for a centre stand, allegedly made specifically for the V7 II, that you say has to be modified to work. I really have trouble understanding that.

I own a $3,000 Piaggio scooter, which came with a centre stand that works perfectly. It's just ridiculous that Piaggio can't make available a centre stand for the V7 II, and equally ridiculous that Stuuchi wants a bunch of money for one that doesn't fit properly.

[Cam3512]

You know what, just buy a Condor front wheel chock that will stand it upright.  I'm out.

[rob-mg]

You know what, just buy a Condor front wheel chock that will stand it upright.  I'm out.

Ahh, not only not the same thing as a centre stand, but useless if the latter is what one wants.