The Chronicles of V7iii

[Beerman]

Don't ya just wanna roll her into to the living room, rather than leave her in the cold, dark garage?
[/quote]

Yes Guzzi Gal, I do. But Mrs Beerman won't have it. I guess I'm just misunderstood...or maybe Mrs B is right (again).

Beerman

[jas67]

That's good to know.

I use the cafe seat on my V7 I as it's more comfortable than the stock plank so I mostly stopped thinking about other seats.

But then recently I started to think I wouldn't mind a tiny bit less bend to the leg. And if the difference is as simple as the taller gel seat and I can get more comfort from it then damn maybe that's what I should do.

Or conversely maybe I should send my stock seat out for some refitting and recovering.

I have a Guzzi Comfort Gel seat on my V7 Special (bought it second hand from a forum member).   It isn't any taller than the original plank that came with the bike.   Is there a "Tall" version of this seat available?  If so, I'd be interested, as I've got knee bend to spare when standing over the bike, and despite having lowered pegs, would appreciate a little more distance between the pegs and seat.

[Kev m]

I have a Guzzi Comfort Gel seat on my V7 Special (bought it second hand from a forum member).   It isn't any taller than the original plank that came with the bike.   Is there a "Tall" version of this seat available?  If so, I'd be interested, as I've got knee bend to spare when standing over the bike, and despite having lowered pegs, would appreciate a little more distance between the pegs and seat.

Hmmm, I've not seen your gel seat (or didn't realize).

I assume you're sure it's not the lowered one.

[jas67]

Hmmm, I've not seen your gel seat (or didn't realize).

I assume you're sure it's not the lowered one.

Likely not, as I had the Cafe one on it when Cam rode it to NJ, and it was at your house.
I think I got the gel one sometime after that.    I'm pretty sure that it is the standard one, as I would think that the low one would be lower than the standard seat.

Mine looks just like this one.    I like that it does not have the strap that the stock one has.
http://www.af1racing.com/store/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=51983&sku=B063597&description=Gel+Saddle+For+V7+%2D+B063597




It definitely is not the low one:
http://www.harpermoto.com/v7-lower-gel-seat-b063598.html

[Kev m]

Hmm, ok so how's the comfort?

I'm not sure I ride the V7 enough to justify a $500 Corbin.

Or, like I say, I could get the OEM one built up a bit and recovered, as long as it didn't look like ass afterwards.

[jas67]

Hmm, ok so how's the comfort?

I'm not sure I ride the V7 enough to justify a $500 Corbin.

Or, like I say, I could get the OEM one built up a bit and recovered, as long as it didn't look like ass afterwards.

I'd say it is on par with the Cafe seat.    The upside, being I can strap a bag/package/etc on the pillion and have it be level.

[fossil]

It is interesting. There are two versions of the Comfort Gel - seat. I have definitely the higher one. And I sit higher than on the stock seat. The seat is not as soft as the stock seat. Somehow I feel more connected to the bike, I have more control. The shortcoming of the seats: in the sun it accumulates a lot heat. And I mean a lot! It gets uncomfortably hot..... So put the bike in the shadow.

My dealer did lend me the Cafe Classic seat for several hours. This seat was not good for me, I found it uncomfortably soft, and too wide behind the tank. And the seating position seemed to be even lower than on the stock seat.

[jas67]

It is interesting. There are two versions of the Comfort Gel - seat. I have definitely the higher one. And I sit higher than on the stock seat. The seat is not as soft as the stock seat. Somehow I feel more connected to the bike, I have more control. The shortcoming of the seats: in the sun it accumulates a lot heat. And I mean a lot! It gets uncomfortably hot..... So put the bike in the shadow.

My dealer did lend me the Cafe Classic seat for several hours. This seat was not good for me, I found it uncomfortably soft, and too wide behind the tank. And the seating position seemed to be even lower than on the stock seat.

What year is your V7?   The stock seat might not be the same for all years.

[Kev m]

What year is your V7?   The stock seat might not be the same for all years.

IIRC he's got a white 13 Stone like me.

But the three of us have different impressions of the stock, Cafe, or gel seats.

Go figure...

[fossil]

Yes, Kev is right. For me the really interesting thing is: Take the same bike, the same seat and place different riders on it. You obviously will get a lot of different opinions. And each one is valid - for the individual rider.

Of course the same applies to questions like e.g. whether the V7 series or the V9 series provides the better ride.

[bmp72]

Readin all this I must be the only one who thinks the v7-iii is far from an improvement on the v7-ii.

I am 6'4" (with long legs) and found the ergonomics of the v7-ii to be perfect. The v7-iii is too cramped for me.

For me, adding insult to injury was the feeling that Guzzi cheapened out on the v7-iii stone. The ii stone was perfect, had a rev counter, chrome pipes and handle bars, looked nice. To me the iii stone gives me the feeling Guzzi cheapened out with cheap looking black pipes, black handle bars etc. I mean back in 1990 when the pipes of my GS750 were rusted I sprayed them with cheap-ass black stovepipe paint and they looked just like the v7-iii stone pipes.Talk about your marketing blablabla to cover up using cheaper finishing. Add to this the lowered suspension (harder on my back) and the worse footpeg position...

I finally went ahead and bought my alternative choise bike, a Honda NC750X with the DCT option. But I went and got a second hand one, leaving me money in my pocket for a used v7-ii stone. Prices are not low enough yet for my budget, but when they drop as time progresses I will get a v7-ii stone. Or a future V85 with the honda as trade in.

I was just so disappointed at how Guzzi cheapened out on the v7-iii... I saw the v7-iii Milano at the EICMA but to me this just was what the stone iii should have been, but will probably cost a lot more than the stone. Combined with the drab coffe-with-milk color of the Milano, my mind was made up for the Honda.

Sorry Guzzi...

[Kev m]

For me, adding insult to injury was the feeling that Guzzi cheapened out on the v7-iii stone. The ii stone was perfect, had a rev counter, chrome pipes and handle bars, looked nice. To me the iii stone gives me the feeling Guzzi cheapened out with cheap looking black pipes, black handle bars etc. I mean back in 1990 when the pipes of my GS750 were rusted I sprayed them with cheap-ass black stovepipe paint and they looked just like the v7-iii stone pipes.Talk about your marketing blablabla to cover up using cheaper finishing. Add to this the lowered suspension (harder on my back) and the worse footpeg position...

Facts not in evidence. 

I mean you at least admit you FEEL they cheapened out on the III Stone, not that you know.

I have to guess the instrument pod was less expensive than the dual clocks, though honestly that might have been a design choice and not a savings. It's a separate one-off minimalist piece, and in that sense it is in vogue right now, especially with the black is more crowd.

And I don't know that chrome is more expensive than decent black powdercoat. It's not like you buy say HB racks cheaper in black than in chrome. And we're not talking about rattle-can spray paint at home.

Hell, on two of my last 3 Guzzis I had to buy chrome parts, and pay EXTRA to have them powdercoated black.

The rattlecan was saved for my cheap chrome wheels (Jackal) where the inexpensive chrome was peeling!

And I can't believe that black dual-walled pipes are any cheaper than the single wall chrome that's blueing on my V7.

But I think the biggest difference in our opinions is probably just our different personal preferences. I've always hated chrome from car bumpers to motorcycles, it's gawdy, it sucks, it's only redeeming value is it is pretty tough, but so is decent powdercoat.

[bmp72]

And I don't know that chrome is more expensive than decent black powdercoat. It's not like you buy say HB racks cheaper in black than in chrome. And we're not talking about rattle-can spray paint at home.

What's the point of an expensive power coat when it looks the same and gives the same impression as a cheap rattle-can spray job ?

Yep, agree, in the end it comes down to personal preference. Same with the matte paint fad of nowadays. The guy who thought that was a good idea shoud be     

[fossil]

In addition to what Kev writes: In the past there were the Stone (with a lot of matte black and a bit of Chrome, one model with a bit of glossy white), the Special (a nicely pimped version of the same bike with good looking wheels (ok, I like the Stone´s wheels better), and the Racer, a bike nobody needs and everybody wants  . Well, and the Stornello. And the Garage - models. Today we have a better bike in 5 guises: the puristic Stone, the Milano, resembling the first Stone, the Special, the incredibly beautiful Anniversary and the Racer, a bike nobody ....... . And the Garage - models. Where is the problem? Don´t hang on the model name. Just chose the model you want. And modify it as you like.

[Kev m]

What's the point of an expensive power coat when it looks the same and gives the same impression as a cheap rattle-can spray job ?

But it doesn't look the same in 6 months as the cheap rattle-can finish would fade and peel. Powdercoat lasts, very well in my experience.

Same with the matte paint fad of nowadays. The guy who thought that was a good idea shoud be     

Funny, I DO prefer a nice shiny paint job, and even more I prefer a really rich paint like a pearl or metallic finish.

But I also understand the original point and the benefit of the matte finishes. I mean yeah they were imitating the "home-built" look, but there was another point. Harley calls the finishes "Denim" because they are meant to wear like jeans. They are meant to take on a patina over time and the big "benefit" is that you can skip the paint care regimen (wash and wax) that you are SUPPOSED to do on the shiny stuff.

Me, I'm a lazy bastid and I just Pledge the surfaces now and again and wash them at least once a year. But if I had a denim finish bike I would proudly just park it and not worry about it. I can't seem to do that on shiny finishes.

Maybe that's part of my problem with chrome. I can't seem to not want to clean it to a mirror finish. But with black engine cases I don't care if there's a little dirt, tar, oil, whatever on it.

 

[bmp72]

I'm actually a fan of what was proposed in another thread on this forum. You go to the dealer and you say, I want a guzzi v7 with the shiny blue-orange tank and the black matte pipes and a chrome handle bars and the short sporty seat. And then the dealer goes and orders or compiles the bike as you want it.

And without buying parts in duplicate, none of this 'the customer has to buy two tanks' or a second seat. Especially here in Europe changing stuff is not that easy. Here in Switzerland changing the color means the bike needs to go for a costly inspection as the color is in the paperwork (and then I'm not even counting the cost of a re-spray, or buying a second tank). Even changing the handle bars needs to be approved. The only workable option is to buy the bike as you want it or get a second mortgage on the house...

The honda is also not the color I want (also matte black, bweeeh  ) but at least it was half the price of a new V7(not bad for only 16 months old with full luggage and less than 6000 miles). I've been looking at a lot of spray can plasti-dip video's lately... will be easy to remove and put the bike back to black when the inspection is due.

[Kev m]

I'm actually a fan of what was proposed in another thread on this forum. You go to the dealer and you say, I want a guzzi v7 with the shiny blue-orange tank and the black matte pipes and a chrome handle bars and the short sporty seat. And then the dealer goes and orders or compiles the bike as you want it.

I agree, but it'll never happen.

People have been saying Harley should do that for years, but WHY on earth would a company take away all that extra profit on OEM accessories.

I think if I was to buy a new V7 today I'd have a hard time deciding:

Stone - in blue - plus clearcoat the tank and paint the fenders to match, and live without the tach.

or

Milano - replace exhaust, paint or replace fenders, coat or replace bars.

or

Special - in blue, replace wheels with cast and exhaust with black, paint or replace fenders to match, coat or replace bars.


AT least those things would be what I WANT to do, being the cheap bastid that I am, I'd probably just buy the Stone in blue and live with it more or less as is.

I mean, I already spend another $2k on things like racks/bags, sliders/crash bars, centerstand, etc.

And hey, can anyone say if they replaced the cheap plastic headlight bucket on any of these. That's probably my next purchase for my 13 Stone - a new headlight and bucket assembly.

[rider33]

different asses for different seats.  In matters or ergonomics there is no right answer.  For instance, some swear by Corbins, to me they are about as comfortable as a block of wood.  Some like jell seats, in cooler climates they can get very hard, in warmer ones quite hot if left out in the sun for long.  On the clocks tho I would have to respectfully disagree. I wasn't a fan of the crown of idiot lights on the prior model but the iii is just about perfect, crisp, clear, classic and to the point:

[kenvil1]

To me the iii stone gives me the feeling Guzzi cheapened out with cheap looking black pipes, black handle bars etc.

I tend to agree with your opinion. Motorcycles have generally had chrome bits for over a century now, and that's how I see them. I would prefer that manufacturers simply offer Dark models as an option.

For me, adding insult to injury was the feeling that Guzzi cheapened out on the v7-iii stone.

I've noticed that the V7 Stone has slowly been losing shiny bits over the years. It never had the chrome headlight bucket of the Classic, that I know of, but the chrome tail light, and mirrors of the 2013 model have been replaced with black components, and the grab rail was dropped altogether. The V7III seems to be continuing this trend with the black handlebars and exhaust, and with the deletion of the tach. In the end, I can't help but feel that they are offering less bike for the money as time goes on.

Still a fan, though!

[Kev m]

I've noticed that the V7 Stone has slowly been losing shiny bits over the years. It never had the chrome headlight bucket of the Classic, that I know of, but the chrome tail light, and mirrors of the 2013 model have been replaced with black components, and the grab rail was dropped altogether. The V7III seems to be continuing this trend with the black handlebars and exhaust, and with the deletion of the tach. In the end, I can't help but feel that they are offering less bike for the money as time goes on.

BUT how much of those bits, like the "chrome" tail light, and injector covers were plastic in the first place.

At the same time they've gone from plastic to aluminum metal side covers on a lot of the models right, not sure about the Stone III? Is it still plastic on that one? How about the injector covers?

That's not necessarily offering up "less bike".

I don't think it's all black and white, pun intended.

[rider33]

the side covers on the iii are plastic, its a complex form that would have been tough to execute in metal really.  At first I didn't care for them but they have sort of grown on me.  The injector covers I think are aluminum.  I haven't pulled them to confirm but if they are plastic it is a very, very stout plastic from what I can tell- no flex.  Chrome actually does cost more to manufacture so in deleting  some of the chrome parts they actually do save money, that's why in most bike lines the Matt or Blacked out version is less expensive, and then there is Harley.  If they do anything different it's going to cost you. My Road King has lots of chrome,  the blacked out version (RK Special) has more black, less stuff and cost something like 3 grand more, 'go figure.

[Kev m]

the side covers on the iii are plastic, its a complex form that would have been tough to execute in metal really.  At first I didn't care for them but they have sort of grown on me.  The injector covers I think are aluminum.  I haven't pulled them to confirm but if they are plastic it is a very, very stout plastic from what I can tell- no flex.  Chrome actually does cost more to manufacture so in deleting  some of the chrome parts they actually do save money, that's why in most bike lines the Matt or Blacked out version is less expensive, and then there is Harley.  If they do anything different it's going to cost you. My Road King has lots of chrome,  the blacked out version (RK Special) has more black, less stuff and cost something like 3 grand more, 'go figure.

I believe the side covers on a bunch of the V7III models are aluminum (at least the Racer and Milano, maybe some others), but I guess that's a point of differentiation on the more expensive models.

I like the RK special and seriously considered it until I noticed the bottom of the bags... Such a small detail but I hate the melted look. I was going to buy a new one with the M8 motor, but then saw a leftover Police Special with less chrome and fell in love!!!

Still would have preferred more black parts, but it is better than the 96 I bought 20 years before.

No matter. I'm glad both manufacturers have more than one flavor so they have us both as customers!!!

[fossil]

Regarding the side covers: they are available as OEM - parts in Aluminium for all models.

[bpreynolds]

Facts not in evidence. 

I mean you at least admit you FEEL they cheapened out on the III Stone, not that you know.

I have to guess the instrument pod was less expensive than the dual clocks, though honestly that might have been a design choice and not a savings. It's a separate one-off minimalist piece, and in that sense it is in vogue right now, especially with the black is more crowd.

And I don't know that chrome is more expensive than decent black powdercoat. It's not like you buy say HB racks cheaper in black than in chrome. And we're not talking about rattle-can spray paint at home.

Hell, on two of my last 3 Guzzis I had to buy chrome parts, and pay EXTRA to have them powdercoated black.

The rattlecan was saved for my cheap chrome wheels (Jackal) where the inexpensive chrome was peeling!

And I can't believe that black dual-walled pipes are any cheaper than the single wall chrome that's blueing on my V7.

But I think the biggest difference in our opinions is probably just our different personal preferences. I've always hated chrome from car bumpers to motorcycles, it's gawdy, it sucks, it's only redeeming value is it is pretty tough, but so is decent powdercoat.

 :1:
I don�t see them cheapening the III even remotely.  And as much as we all spit, gripe, and occasionally moan on here, I can�t believe Guzzi sells enough bikes on a yearly basis to even afford modest upgrades and/or changes. 
As per the chrome vs black - fortunately for us, Guzzi offers us the option of either with the chrome (Special) or the black (Stone).

[MacGlennon]

Aluminum (satin) side panels on a V7 Stone.

I did this because I was curious how these would look- whether they would lighten up the appearance of the bike. This is a Photoshop job and also not the actual accessory side panels for the V7iii (just something I grabbed off the internet).

I think it looks good.

Jim

[rider33]

I like the RK special and seriously considered in until I noticed the bottom of the bags... Such a small detail but I hate the melted look. I read going to buy a be one with the M8 motor, but then saw a leftover Police Special with less chrome and fell in love!!!

to me it's a touring bike, an 800# touring bike, so the lack of a screen doesn't make a lot of sense.  The M8 is nice tho, my first King was a twin cam and the M8 variant is both smoother and cooler.  6 hours into a 95 degree day it helps.

Back to V7's:  to me it's a classic roadster so I don't get the blacked out thing, classic bikes had chrome.  That said Triumph does pretty well with the Bonnie Black so clearly mine is not the majority view...

[Kev m]

to me it's a touring bike, an 800# touring bike, so the lack of a screen doesn't make a lot of sense.  The M8 is nice tho, my first King was a twin cam and the M8 variant is both smoother and cooler.  6 hours into a 95 degree day it helps.

Back to V7's:  to me it's a classic roadster so I don't get the blacked out thing, classic bikes had chrome.  That said Triumph does pretty well with the Bonnie Black so clearly mine is not the majority view...

Yeah I would have to add a shield to an RKS.

I never thought I'd buy a TC motor but the 103 in my FLHP has been fine, yes even on a 600 mile day in the 90's.

But it probably helps that the police model has that uber high spring saddle that puts me further away from the motor and it came with those plastic heat guards. Not to mention unless I'm on a road trip I don't typically set out on any bike if it's much above 90°F.

On the chrome of "classic" bikes it was a popular material at one point for its durability but that doesn't mean I ever liked it lol. Besides, how classic are we talking, there was a time before it was popular too.

[rider33]

to me the archetype is a Vincent Black Lighting but in a pinch this woul do, nicely:

[rider33]

farkle minor:  it's cold & the center stand is still somewhere in Italy so I thought I'd do something small.  'Not a fan of hard, narrow grips so I put Grip Puppies on.  They are neoprene sleeves that slide over the hand grips to increase diameter (more relaxed grip) and isolation (so less vibe gets thru, think rubber mounted bars):

I've used them on several bikes & they always seem to help, inexpensive and easy to reverse too.

[professor]

I agree the V7III is a great bike. But I learned yesterday that if you get a bit aggressive you will absolutely ground the kick stand. The round foot assist is now flat. From the ball to the bend it is now flat on one side. Front side. The sound was nerve rattling first  time. I raised the suspension a bit, but on tight back roads it drags on left hand turns and not even that fast. Overall I like the  bike, reset the shift point light to 6500 and omitted that distraction.