V7 Racer 2011 model- To buy or not

[Zaff]

Giday everyone ! Have been riding Motorcycles for years and always dreamt of getting a Guzzi one day.......Have narrowed it down to a low mileage V7 .On looks alone I love the Racer with the Chrome tank & from what I have read the riding pos is fairly mild for a cafe racer.  There is a low km (2600km) 2011 racer for sale with a dual seat and Agostini pipes that I am looking at on line .... my ? is am I barking up the wrong tree ? I want a bike that can comfortably take me 500km a day and isn't going to have design floors that will cost me big money in the long run. I have read that the suspension on the racer is limited, which concerns me as Australian roads can be pretty ordinary at times to say the least- is it worth upgrading the suspension or am I better off going for one of the other V7 models......And before anyone asks I haven't had a chance to ride it because it is half a days ride away from where I live ! Would love to hear your thoughts ..........Thanks in Advance.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

The v7 series are great bikes, as long as you don't want asphalt-ripping performance...  The question would be are you comfortable riding a cafe style bike with clip-ons and rearests 500km a day?  I would reccomend a v7 to about anyone, but that question is the real sticking point. What about your previous bikes? Are you of a sporty bent or have you mostly ridden standards/touring bikes, or cruisers.

[Vagrant]

a lot of great change made to latter models. still leftover 2017 -9 for $6000 -8000. plenty of used 2015 at 3500-4500.

[Bobic69]

If the price is right get it. Some people ask way too much fort the Racers but there are some good deals too. The main thing to look at is whether it has a plastic tank. Not sure what year they switched from plastic to metal tanks. A lot of them were replaced under warranty. I had a Cafe Classic which is the same riding position. Comfortable enough to ride all day. I did get slightly sore wrists but I'm 50 years old. As mentioned, you won't break any speed records. People have criticized the handling but I found it a super fun bike to ride.

[Dave Swanson]

Time to Que in this video.  It is very appropriate.   The V7 Racer in the video is a couple of years newer than what the OP is looking at, but close enough.   It has a thread of it's own but the OP may have not seen it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fq0zpeBWlg&t=3s

[malik]

2,600kms is very low - not even properly run in yet (I found a distinct smoothing at 15,000km) - and as long as the sacred screw on the left hand side of the throttle bodies hasn't been fiddled with (should still have its yellow paint blobs) and the price is good, that would be a starter. (Recently, there's been been quite a few V7's for sale, Racers & others, secondhand). There may be some age-deterioration of some of the rubber bits, and probably wise to change the fluids & filters, re-grease the drive shaft splines & change the tyres if still original.

I've found 500km days not a problem at all, and that's with the Racer rear sets & low bars. I prefer the solo seat, but with the rear sets, there's not much difference (for me) between the solo & the dual seat. The early Racer solo seat has a suede centre pane, which tends to collect water, if untreated.

The stock suspension on the Classic, Special & Stone are adequate, if basic. The Racer's Bitubos were a step up on those. I can't think of anyone I know with a Racer who has gone to the trouble of changing them, tho' there likely many who have. None of them come close to the Ohlins on the V7 III Racer, which, properly set up, are brilliant.

With the earlier 2 throttle body versions there has been a few (very few) instances of the "vanishing oil syndrome " - for no known reason, the engine oil just disappears in a hurry. The single throttle body versions had a different piston ring set, and apparently, no recorded instance of that reoccurring. I still prefer the 2TB to ride - it idles lower & smoother, mainly - but otherwise runs similar speeds at the same rpm, and handles similarly.

All the plastic chrome tanks SHOULD have been replaced with the 21L metal tank under warranty. And 21L is a very useful range in this country. Although I've replaced the tank on my Classic with a metal one, I know plenty of people for whom a 300km range is not an issue.

Hope this helps.

[Zaff]

Thanks for the feedback guys.  My current bikes are a 2012 DL1000 & my trusty dusty KLR 650 . I did own a 500 Pantah many years ago and found the seat painful and suspension severely under dampened BUT never had a problem with the riding position . Hope to get a chance to ride some bikes soon and form some impressions of my own !

[Roebling3]

Malik makes many good points. I have a 2017 racer. I chose it to get the fully adj. rear sets and MG's latest version of their engine, i.e. hemi head, single injector, steering angle changes, plus I wanted one new Guzzi.

I no longer ride any where near my annual miles of 2-3 yrs. ago; but reliability, safety and stability are always my 1st considerations.

In my view the entire series of these later generation V7's need better suspension, frt & rear, plus a few more reliable substitutes for what is standard.

Before my bike left the dealer it had the stock fuel filter replaced with an all metal version - wire wheels were swapped for cast (no tubes), spark plug caps traded for NGK's and a K-Tech adjustable conversion in the forks, Verde Legnano bars.

I've ridden many V7 II & III bikes; all their transmissions howl - proving mine is not faulty? (I always wear ear plugs). Under power (accelerating), I can feel every power stroke in the grips 'til ~ 4k r/m. I swapped out the std. frt. caliper for a radial 4 piston Brembo caliper plus their radial master cyl. w/adjustable lever and remote reservoir. A truly wonderful frt. brake. R3~

PM me if you would like pictures. I can't make that happen on this forum.

[Bobic69]

That's all great but I would say it would break the bank for most riders.

[Zaff]

    That's all great but I would say it would break the bank for most riders.

                                 I appreciate all the feed back ...but spending 10k on a bike and having to spend more to make it bearable does not impress me. I think I will need a long test ride to decide if it is worth my while.... so I must concur.... having said that IF the Guzzi stirs up emotions I didn't know I had , well it's nice to know there are other options... will get back to you guys when I have experienced the V7.

[Bobic69]

The V7 is fine as it is but best bang for your buck mods are better rear suspension and new pipes with a remap.

[Dave Swanson]

When I got my V7 I felt that it really needed better rear shocks.   The Progressives you see in this photo were about $400.  Everything else I added, sump extender, and Mistral cans were purely personal choice, not required by any stretch, as the bike was perfectly fine without them.  The only other must have I would say is a Beetle map for $100.

[jpv7]

                                 I appreciate all the feed back ...but spending 10k on a bike and having to spend more to make it bearable does not impress me. I think I will need a long test ride to decide if it is worth my while.... so I must concur.... having said that IF the Guzzi stirs up emotions I didn't know I had , well it's nice to know there are other options... will get back to you guys when I have experienced the V7.

The reality is that the v7 is a budget bike, so it does have cheap suspension.  Others in this price range will too.  I found the front forks worse than the rear, but that’s my opinion.  Best to ride it and see if it does anything for you. 

[Zaff]

When I got my V7 I felt that it really needed better rear shocks.   The Progressives you see in this photo were about $400.  Everything else I added, sump extender, and Mistral cans were purely personal choice, not required by any stretch, as the bike was perfectly fine without them.  The only other must have I would say is a Beetle map for $100.

O.K I'm guessing a Beetle map is a aftermarket fuel controller ? and what will it improve ? And BTW.....  gorgeous bike !

[malik]

With the rider that this point of view is from one who mere tilts at the peripheries, a fuel injected motor is controlled by software in the ECU. This software is called a map. Spark, fuel and air is directed in response to inputs from the various sensors. The factory software seem to have some significant shortcomings. Aftermarket maps seek to improve on the factory's efforts, and this is possible thanks to a few dedicated & clever people at Guzzidiag who have developed software to read from and write to the various ECU's in Guzzis. Beetle has invested a lot of work into refining how the ECU's work in the real world and makes available the results to us, the great unwashed, in the form of "Beetle maps". Basically, a Beetle map helps the ECU run the motor better.

[Dave Swanson]

With the rider that this point of view is from one who mere tilts at the peripheries, a fuel injected motor is controlled by software in the ECU. This software is called a map. Spark, fuel and air is directed in response to inputs from the various sensors. The factory software seem to have some significant shortcomings. Aftermarket maps seek to improve on the factory's efforts, and this is possible thanks to a few dedicated & clever people at Guzzidiag who have developed software to read from and write to the various ECU's in Guzzis. Beetle has invested a lot of work into refining how the ECU's work in the real world and makes available the results to us, the great unwashed, in the form of "Beetle maps". Basically, a Beetle map helps the ECU run the motor better.

What he said!  😀

[Zaff]

Got it, thanks , something to consider down the track.  At the moment I've got the flu (Not the KUNG FLU) but won't be test riding bikes down in Sydney till it clears up !