Cycle Trader write up for 100,000 miles on a V7

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

Cycle Trader just posted a short write up about Cait Maher's 100k miles on a V7 Rough.

https://www.cycletrader.com/blog/2026/03/18/the-story-of-cait-mahers-100000-mile-moto-guzzi/

[bad Chad]

Thanks for posting, pretty cool!

[Dave Swanson]

Great article.  Thanks!

I liked that she now has 2 V7s with her recent V7 Sport purchase. 

[DoubleGuzzi]

Blocked outside the US?

Request blocked. We can't connect to the server for this app or website at this time. There might be too much traffic or a configuration error. Try again later, or contact the app or website owner.

(I have ways around that.)

[Anomaly]

Great article.  Thanks!

I liked that she now has 2 V7s with her recent V7 Sport purchase.

+1

[turboguzzi]

im blocked out too in italy.

if someone wants to simply copy paste the text in a post here. would love to read.

[Anomaly]

im blocked out too in italy.

if someone wants to simply copy paste the text in a post here. would love to read.

I tried a VPN connected to some random US location, and it worked...

[Yan]

 The Story of Cait Maher’s 100,000 Mile Moto Guzzi

Published: March 18, 2026


For many riders, hitting 100,000 miles on a motorcycle is a distant, unattainable dream. For Cait Maher, it has already became a reality. After years of daily riding, long-distance touring, Cait surpassed the six-figure milestone on her 2019 Moto Guzzi V7 Rough. Admitting the journey was not without its mechanical challenges and personal growth, she is proof that big adventures don’t require expensive, oversized touring machines.

We sat down with Cait to talk about how her riding journey began, why she chose the Moto Guzzi V7, what it took to reach 100,000 miles, and what’s next on her horizon.



How and When She Began Riding

Cait’s path into motorcycling didn’t start on two wheels; it started in the snow.

Growing up around snowmobiles made powersports feel normal and accessible. At around age twenty-two, she decided to test the waters by purchasing a small moped, using it as a low-risk way to see if riding truly suited her.

After moving to California, Cait took the next step by buying a vintage 1976 Kawasaki KH100. With no formal instruction at first, she taught herself by reading manuals and watching online videos. Once she found local riding communities, motorcycling quickly became central to her life. She eventually sold her car, began organizing group rides and trips, and committed fully to life on two wheels.



Why She Chose the Moto Guzzi V7

When Cait began searching for a long-term bike, she had clear criteria: a mid-size engine, classic styling, and modern reliability. She narrowed her options to bikes in the 500 cc to 900 cc range and ultimately purchased a used 744 cc 2019 Moto Guzzi V7. Almost immediately, she began customizing it for touring, adding different handlebars, a larger windscreen, and luggage systems to better support long-distance travel.

Over time, Cait also learned the realities of owning a less common brand. With a limited dealer network in some regions, she relied on independent shops, gathered mechanical knowledge, and leaned on a strong online Moto Guzzi owner community that shared parts, resources, and technical advice.



How the 100,000 Mile Goal Came Together

Originally, reaching 100,000 miles felt more like a “pipe dream” than a concrete goal. But once Cait realized that her high-mileage bike had little resale value, she committed fully to using it to its full potential.

She began setting annual mileage targets and carefully planning routes, all while balancing her work schedule, limited transportation alternatives, and occasional service delays. What started as an ambitious idea slowly became a structured pursuit shaped by consistency, discipline, and perseverance.



The Most Challenging and Rewarding Moments

One of Cait’s toughest experiences came during a cross-country trip when multiple mechanical failures stacked up at once. Unknowingly, she rode thousands of miles with a failed stator, voltage regulator, and engine seal. At the same time, she dealt with a cupped front tire, a blown rear wheel bearing, and a broken clutch cable. Despite the stress and exhaustion, Cait pushed forward with help from small shops and supportive friends along the way.

Looking back, she describes that trip as deeply formative. It serves as a reminder of how resilient riders can be when forced to adapt.

Over the course of six years and more than 100,000 miles, she managed to hit 49 U.S. States, including Alaska!



Key Takeaways from the Journey

For Cait, long-distance riding has been as much a mental challenge as a physical one.

Some of her hardest moments came from internal pressures by feeling guilty about time away from work or pushing herself beyond healthy limits. Over time, she learned to shorten riding days, take breaks earlier, and prioritize safety over rigid and ambitious mileage goals.

Her biggest takeaway: success comes from consistency, flexibility, and honest self-assessment, not ego.



Advice for Riders Considering the Challenge

Cait encourages aspiring long-distance riders to focus on realistic planning and bike maintenance rather than chasing numbers.

She advises riders to set achievable goals, build in meaningful stops, and avoid riding purely to prove something to others. According to Cait, that mindset often leads to unnecessary risk.

She also hopes her journey shows newer riders that big trips don’t require massive expensive motorcycles. Her Moto Guzzi V7 is a modest mid-sized bike, proving that thoughtful preparation matters more than displacement, fancy technology or creature comforts.



What’s Next on Cait’s Horizon

Next spring, Cait plans to ship her 2019 Moto Guzzi V7 to Europe for an open-ended touring adventure. Prior to that, she’s treating the upcoming year as a “rest year,” focusing on preventative maintenance and internal engine checks while logging fewer miles. Once overseas, Cait hopes to ride gradually across Europe without a strict timeline and potentially document the experience through video. Meanwhile, her newer Moto Guzzi V7 Sport at home will be set up for adventure-style riding, keeping her stateside journeys active as well.

[Kev m]

Great article.  Thanks!

I liked that she now has 2 V7s with her recent V7 Sport purchase.

Uh, I think it's a requirement for all us Mahers to own (at least) two V7's. 

[professir]

Great write up! I will never get 100K miles on my v7....as I am 70 years old, but its encouraging to see the little bit of problems she has had with it. Coming from a Harley twin cam that eats itself at 30K with catastrophic engine failure I can ride my 2K a year with faith. So far, I am LOVING the 2022 V7 special I have and never looked back. Even after 40 years on HD. 

[bad Chad]

And the elephant in the room..., she's very attractive!  Which is always a plus, even more so from and nitch brand prospective!

[Vagrant]

I'm at 135,000 but that's on eight small blocks. Four of each V85 & V7.
Worse yet, I'm old and a bit ugly.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

The rough is deff her second V7 .. she had an earlier V7classic maybe 2012 or so I believe. It was one of the black & gold ones.

No way I could do those monster interstate rides like that. She's get a great approach- just takes a couple trips a year and basically rides half the country. She's actually touring. It's not just ironbutt stuff with an aux fuel tank and pissing your pants to say "I rode XX miles in XX hrs". Shes having fun with it. Actually traveling. Pretty sure she puts out waaay more quilting content than moto stuff.
 

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

She had a 2010 V7 Classic before (pictured in this article: https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/setting-out-solo ), it's just the Rough that she's put 100,000 miles on as a single bike. She's a MGNOC member and has the 100k mile badge 😎 Aside from the touring, she lives in SoCal without a car so the V7 is her daily. My kind of motorcyclist! The October 2025 MGNOC newsletter had a piece on the open house in Mandello Del Lario and she's there pictured on a V7 Stone, and you'll also find her in some of Moto Guzzi's promotional materials. Cait was my introduction to Moto Guzzi motorcycles other than just seeing them around on occasion, and now owning a V7 Stone and having done long tours on it... I'm even more impressed by the miles she's racked up on hers. The hardest miles on mine have been the ones where you don't get to take the leisurely scenic route but instead need to crunch miles from point A to B to get somewhere on time, and I know she's done her share of that on her V7 riding to and from events.

[eldointheweeds]

She plans on touring the EU on her V7. Maybe Guzzi should loan her one so she doesn't have to ship hers?

[Dirk_S]

She plans on touring the EU on her V7. Maybe Guzzi should loan her one so she doesn't have to ship hers?

Considering she has sponsorship, I imagine she *could be* covered, but besides, how else will she continue to rack up miles on her own bikes?

[Motormike]

"Unknowingly, she rode thousands of miles with a failed stator, voltage regulator, and engine seal."  Uh, wouldn't that make the bike just a little hard to start!      I'm guessing the writer got something a little messed up in this description. 

[Dirk_S]

"Unknowingly, she rode thousands of miles with a failed stator, voltage regulator, and engine seal."  Uh, wouldn't that make the bike just a little hard to start!      I'm guessing the writer got something a little messed up in this description.

Not if she charged or bought a new battery along the way. I had a stator fail on me when I attempted my Newfoundland and Labrador trip. Diagnosed the issue with my trusty multimeter and was able to buy the only spare battery in all of New Brunswick that fit the bike as well as a charger, and swapped/ charged for the next few days as I rode around Nova Scotia and back home.