V7 850 E5 suspension upgrade?

[Zimmermichaels1ea]

Hello all,

I have been riding my 2023 Moto Guzzi V7 850 Special for about a year now, and I find it a very enjoyable ride.
I am 63 years old and weigh 265 pounds, and don't ride with a passenger, but do pack on saddle bags and tail bag for my camping gear.  I am a cruiser, I ride the speed limits and I'm not an aggressive rider.
Despite my sedate riding style, many biking friends insist that I would benefit with a suspension upgrade.
My Guzzi friends suggest the Bitubo shocks and Bitubo progressive fork springs as a good place to start.

My question to the community here is this:  Is a suspension upgrade worth it to a crusing rider like me?  I'm not really pushing the V7 to its limits or anything.

What say you all?

[Kev m]

We can't say because we don't know your current level of happiness with the comfort or handling.

THAT SAID - I'm a moderately aggressive rider who upgraded the shocks on my MkI V7, but who has left suspension stock on my MkIII V7.

Yes neither is a magic carpet and both can be jolting on poor surfaces. But both are "fine" for what I want/need.

I will admit that, the times I've upgraded shocks in the past (mostly on Harleys and Guzzis) I've never been disappointed. I have thought to myself "why didn't I do that sooner - but that hasn't motivated me to change anything on my MkIII so take that with a grain of salt.

[kingoffleece]

You're way outside the area for which the OEM components are speced for.  A spring change front and rear would do wonders.
It's almost impossible to imagine the bike is properly balanced right now.

[mechanicsavant]

On my Centanario a few improvements I’ve made are . Ditch the bias ply tires for radial’s . As I weigh around 200 lbs. & carry camping gear (about 50 lbs.) occasionally. I upgraded the rear shock/springs with Icon ones . Roger @ Icon was very helpful & Patient when getting the right springs (the 3rd. Set are dang near perfect ). On the front forks an oil change & preload adjustment to get the right amount of sag . A sheepskin seat cover also . My longest days are around 300 Mi. Which for a 1952 model (me) is OK . 

[rocker59]

If you enjoy the ride as-is, then no, you don't "need" a suspension upgrade.  Don't worry what your friends think you need.  Worry about what you think you need.

The ride and handling can be improved if you throw money at it, but on a bike like the Guzzi V7, even a couple thousand dollars of top-shelf upgrades will only improve the bike so much.

If you're happy, ride on and don't worry about it.

[Alfetta]

many biking friends insist that I would benefit with a suspension upgrade.....

What say you all?

You answer is in your question.  Your friends say that you should upgrade, but you did not. So if you yourself haven't said "ouch" then perhaps the "issue"  is in the mind of your friends.

[YellowDuck]

I'm with KOF - you are way too heavy for the stock suspension, probably especially the forks.  You can improve it vastly for almost zero to very low dollars, depending on how far you go.  I'd work on getting correct sag with preload adjustments first (that involves putting spacers inside the forks, since there is no external adjustment, or you could install preload adjustable fork caps), but almost for sure you would benefit from getting springs at both ends sized correctly for you.  That is not an expensive upgrade at all, and honestly getting the spring rate right is the most profound improvement you can make to a bike's suspension. 

Given what you have said about your riding style, I think you might like to keep progressive springs in the rear, and switch to progressives up front as well.  Personally I prefer linear rate springs but it does give more of a "sporty" and somewhat less compliant feel over the small bumps.  You may effectively have linear rate springs at the back now currently, if the tight wind section on the springs is already coil bound with just your weight on the bike.  Have someone check or take a photo of the springs with you on the bike.  If that is the case then either properly sized progressives or even linear rate springs are going to feel more compliant than what you have now.   

[Kev m]

I'm with KOF - you are way too heavy for the stock suspension, probably especially the forks.  .

Are you or KOF anywhere near his weight?!?

Because I am and, forget your assumed OEM specs. Maybe the suspension was supposed to be designed for smaller people but I don't think it actually is better for smaller people.

If anything I bet it's oversprung for little riders.

[PeteS]

If the bike was designed for two adults then the adjustments for the suspension should accommodate that weight.
As many have stated if you feel its fine then thats all the really matters.

Pete

[Dave Swanson]

There's an echo in the room that I will keep going.

If you don't think the suspension is rubbish, then all is good.

I have always been satisfied with the suspension on my V7-850, and therefore am not motivated to drop cash on upgrades.  My 2015 V7 on the other hand I felt it was imperative to do something about the rear shocks immediately

[bad Chad]

I have a v9, super similar to the v7 when it comes to frame and suspension.  I won't speak to the shocks on your bike, as I know they have been improved over what was a few years back.  As to the forks, I found them to be very unpredictable, certain pavement irregularities would send a sudden large sideways jolt which I just couldn't live with.  I had the forks then rebuilt by RaceTec, something like $300 maybe a little more 4 years ago.  I just told them, make it better for normal road ridding, and they did, it made a dramatic improvement.

Most of the advice here so far makes sense, if you're happy with it, leave.  But I'll add, with suspension, I have found we sometimes don't know how much better it could be.  We tend to think, "oh, this is fine, I know it not great, but it's good enough for me and what I do."  But if you're lucky and for some reason we do get around to upgrading, we discover, "Wow, what a difference, my friends really did know what they were talking about!"   I suspect for well under 1k, you could significantly up grade to a much better ride.

[kingoffleece]

No, I'm nowhere near his weight.  Yes, I've assisted for years on suspension work and upgrades.  Set-up, mechanical work, etc.
My empirical experience says he'll benefit even as a "put-put" rider.
Your experience may be different.

How about the guy starts with setting sag.  That will be his first clue.  Chad is on point, btw.  Poorly suspended motorcycles can hop right off the road at legal speed in messed up corners with "ripples".  I've SEEN it happen.

Anyway, that's all I got.  The collective can take it from here.

[PeteS]

No, I'm nowhere near his weight.  Yes, I've assisted for years on suspension work and upgrades.  Set-up, mechanical work, etc.
My empirical experience says he'll benefit even as a "put-put" rider.
Your experience may be different.

How about the guy starts with setting sag.  That will be his first clue.  Chad is on point, btw.  Poorly suspended motorcycles can hop right off the road at legal speed in messed up corners with "ripples".  I've SEEN it happen.

Anyway, that's all I got.  The collective can take it from here.

That begs the question, what would you or anyone recommend? Ohlins may be over the top but expect there are other less expensive options better than stock. I have used Race Tech emulators in a few bikes and gotten big improvements. I believe replacement fork cartridges would be much better than springs alone.

Pete

[Zimmermichaels1ea]

Thanks everyone for the comments!
I will have my son help me measure sag this weekend and help me adjust the rear for preload.  I've not done any of this, so it will all be new.
Then I'll post my results.

Mike

[kingoffleece]

Yes, Gold Valves are a great bang for the buck.  Not many will have the data for a rider over 250.
I can also not that I've assisted in over a dozen rebuilds where the product was installed incorrectly.

Lastly, Ohlins red grease is the only thing to use for assembly.  You'll understand when you've taken them apart several times with the good vs the "it's what I got and it'll be ok" but to be fair I am a stickler for getting things correct.  Shortcuts and home remedies make me nuts.  At any rate his plan is sound.  If he's really unsure the forks can be shipped to Hamlin Cycles in a hard gun case.  Works a treat.