W800 vs V7-850 Comparo

[Dave Swanson]

I plan to do a direct comparison between it and my W800 Cafe and post it to this thread. I also want to recommend Cadre for anyone wanting to purchase a Guzzi. Enzo and his staff are very friendly and knowledgeable and were  immensely helpful in assisting me with my decision to purchase the V7..... and the price was right too.

Very cool!! I am looking forward to the comparo!

[Kev m]

Very cool!! I am looking forward to the comparo!

Ditto ...

[9fingers]

I have a V7III Special but was going to purchase the Royal Enfield 650 GT until MG opened my eyes wide with last years Black Friday promo. For less than a $1,000 more than a Royal Enfield I bought a Guzzi. I have ridden both 650 RE bikes, and I have an RE500 Classic. There is NO WAY that the RE is equal to the V7 III. The RE is a really good bike, but not in the Moto Guzzi league in terms of finish or overall quality, comfort or stability. The stock seat sucks on the Interceptor, unless you are around 150lbs. And with MG you get a super cool transverse V engine and really good  sounding exhaust.......even the stock one sounds good. The sound is amazing with Agostini pipes. Plus you get shaft drive and that gorgeous Italian style. So, RE 650 is a great buy..........but it is not a Moto Guzzi. Now, for the Kawasaki.......I was looking into buying one of them last year. I sat on it and it bugged me that I was sitting on a Japanese copy of a Triumph.........but that may be just me. The bike is a tad sluggish......I think the old W650 was more lively and had more HP......rode one this summer. The Bezel engine is cool and it is a beauty, but sitting on the new 800 did nothing for me......again maybe just me. Probably a very good bike if that is what you want. I would take a V7III or a new V7 any day if the $ is available. There is another member on here......I know him from the RE forum.....and he just sold his Interceptor and bought a V7 III Stone and loves it. Maybe he will chime in.
Scott

[dewjantim]

Sorry it took so long to get back on this thread. I did indeed purchase the V7 850 from Enzo. Having already purchased a W800Cafe here is what I think....... Both bikes are a lot of fun and get lots of looks. Many think the W800 is a Triumph which is kind of funny, but it is a retro bike after all. The V7 is semi-gloss black with the red valve covers, clip on handlebars, and Ago exhaust. Most people have no idea what it is. The Guzzi is more comfortable than the W800 which has the hard, narrow, cafe seat. As far as performance goes there is no comparison. The V7 has about 20 more horsepower and is a little bit lighter.... I think. Top speed on them is vastly different. The W800 tops out at about 110 and the V7 runs about 125. Now these results are from the speedometers not GPS, but no doubt the V7 is faster. The V7 corners better and is also quicker on acceleration
 . So, in my opinion, both are great bikes but the V7 850 is the better of the two.

[9fingers]

Excellent! You may know that the W800, which is a beautiful bike, is based on the W650, which was built under license I think, and was basically a Triumph or BSA with a Kawasaki engine. I am fuzzy on the details but there is a good reason people think it is a Triumph. On the other hand, some people think all old bikes are Triumphs. I had my Royal Enfield Classic 500 up in NY state some years back and a guy came out of a bar and exclaimed "Nice Triumph!". I said thanks but it's not a Triumph, which confused him.

[Kev m]

Excellent! You may know that the W800, which is a beautiful bike, is based on the W650, which was built under license I think, and was basically a Triumph or BSA with a Kawasaki engine. I am fuzzy on the details but there is a good reason people think it is a Triumph.

BSA A7, but I wouldn't say that means there's a "good reason people think it's a Triumph."

Maybe that it reminds them of an old British bike, maybe....

[SIR REAL ED]

Funny you should mention that; cast wheels and belt drive are available for the 650 twins from aftermarket sellers. They also have tubless kits to convert the existing spoke rims.

FWIW, even with shipping charges, the price of the added accessories still make it cheaper than buying a new V7/V9....

Just sayin'...

I love the fact that the aftermarket is always offering improvements of stock components.

Just one more reason to buy a bike that isn't quite what you wanted, you can make it more like you wanted and increase it's uniqueness.

[SIR REAL ED]

I'm guessing that the "R" was the differentiator between it and the 920 Virago.

XV920RH if i remember correctly.

I lusted after one, but they were a hard sell compared to all the other great bikes out there at the time.

IIRC, it was Japan Inc. first attempt, or at least one of the early attempt of building a "European" style bike.

[PeteS]

I would get comments like that for years with my Norton.

Norton? Who makes that, Triumph????

Pete

[SIR REAL ED]

I would get comments like that for years with my Norton.

Norton? Who makes that, Triumph????

Pete

"Well.... yeah.... kinda...."