I have so many questions about this...

[stomatomoto]

...beautiful most amazing V7 cafe conversion that I've seen so far:

http://www.bikerscafe.com/blog/2013/11/22/custom-moto-guzzi-v7-crd-35/

Is that the battery underneath the front of the drive shaft there? Do you think there are any issues with oil spitting back up into that cone filter? What do you think was lost in terms of functionality in order trim all the stuff out of the former air box area? How illegal would this be to just ride around California? That whole setup plus this head kit == winning all of the points? What else would you do/undo to this?

There are all open-ended questions, I just saw it and was like, I want to go to there.

NINJA EDIT: Addendum to the above, thoughts on the following:

http://thebikeshed.cc/2013/06/24/spirits-guzzi-v7/

Did they just do some superfluous brazing on those pipes? Is it possible to get clip on bars that are "taller" than most of the ones you see on these?

[Farmer Dan]

Sure looks like a battery down there, they could have done a better job running the cables and making it more secure.  A rock thrown from the front wheel at just the right angle and it's a goner.  I like it though, got the makings of a good trials bike.

[Vasco DG]

Oh for fucks sakes!

[lucian]

Please don't butch your v7, just go get a duc scrambler.

[Perazzimx14]

The headers sure look silly with the extra angles in them.

There is a zero % chance of oil "spitting" back into the air filter as without the air box the oil filters and crankcase vent no longer share the same enclosed space.

[pyoungbl]

On the plus side, somebody had to buy a couple V7s as a basis for these...projects.  That's great!  The more V7s sold, the better.  It's interesting to see the small block turning into a popular custom and might bring more buyers into the Guzzi showroom.  Who knows, could this lead to a surge in sales all the way up to 10K units in a year (about what HD sells in a week or so)?

Note that, with all the effort expended, the suspension is still OEM on the first example.  In Texas that's called 'all hat and no cattle'.

Peter Y.

[Kev m]

Who knows, could this lead to a surge in sales all the way up to 10K units in a year (about what HD sells in a week or so)?

Nah...











Harley's sales have only been in the 5k/week range for the last few years.   

[rocker59]

NINJA EDIT: Addendum to the above, thoughts on the following:

http://thebikeshed.cc/2013/06/24/spirits-guzzi-v7/

Did they just do some superfluous brazing on those pipes? Is it possible to get clip on bars that are "taller" than most of the ones you see on these?

If you don't have a tube bender, you cut straight sections of pipe into wedges to make curves.  Old Skool shade-tree hotrodding.

[JoeW]

As long as you're looking at V7 customs...
http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/jwalano/slideshow/Graham%20V7%20Racer

[drw916]

I just don't get it.  A cafe bike with knobby's?  K & N's?

It's pretty in its own way, I guess, but talk about no function.

[Penderic]

Not real.

No warning stickers.

[Perazzimx14]

As long as you're looking at V7 customs...
http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/jwalano/slideshow/Graham%20V7%20Racer

Or here:

https://flic.kr/p/xASwV4

[Chuck in Indiana]

I just don't get it.  A cafe bike with knobby's?  K & N's?

It's pretty in its own way, I guess, but talk about no function.

Me, either. It's just a styling exercise with little to no thought of making it work, IMHO.
To the OP, sorry to rain on your parade. Not my cuppa.

[Waltr]

Oh for fucks sakes!

He He He He......

[oldbike54]

I just don't get it.  A cafe bike with knobby's?  K & N's?

It's pretty in its own way, I guess, but talk about no function.

 This .

 Dusty

[Lannis]

I just don't get it.  A cafe bike with knobby's?  K & N's?

It's pretty in its own way, I guess, but talk about no function.

Lots and lots of bikes like that these days.   "Bobbers" or "cafes" done in flat paint, pseudo-military looking, with aggressive-treaded tires.    BMWs are especially prone to that treatment.

I suppose they could be ridden, but it's certainly not optimal.   More for "show" than "go" ....

Lannis

[Kev m]

I don't believe the BUILDERS are calling it a Café, only the people showing it on the website.

That said, it seems to me something more like a Scrambler no?

Or maybe the builder's vision was for something between the two.

The Scrambler "style" is what is "in" right now... Cafés are on their way out, like Choppers a decade ago.

I still prefer the Café style of the latest trends... but Scramblers are better than Choppers to me so that's fine too...except the knobbies and such, I have no need/desire for them whatever the style.

[stomatomoto]

Oh yeah, I kind of glossed on the tires, not really interested in something so off-road-y, would personally put sticky road tires on it for sure. And for sure I am treating this bike as a canvas yo, to the butcher shop! :D Definitely would also do slightly different exhaust (thinking header wrap), and suspension would also be vastly improved--this almost looks like it's a work in progress, to be honest. The second example is a little more complete in some ways, but also has more OEM stuff hanging on where the first trimmed it off, like the instrument cluster.

I'm mostly curious about how to pull off that whole air box removal and batter relocation, in the best way possible, potential rock destruction accounted for. If the batter has to stay in that same area, I wonder if it can at least be "massaged" out of the way a bit to open it up still?

[tazio]

Oh for fucks sakes!

put a quarter in the jar

[oldbike54]

put a quarter in the jar

 
 Pete might as well go ahead and put a $100 US in the jar 

  Dusty

[jazzamoto]

Oh for fucks sakes!

My thoughts exactly. Jeezuz H. Crisco! 

[stomatomoto]

Found the haters!  ANYWAY, someone else opened up another thread on custom Guzzi's, 850T's? So what you're saying is, V7 is not the best platform for a custom ride? Because super sadface if so, I might have to just go maverick somehow on that notion.

EDIT: JoeW, YES, that's even better--not so much into the chrome, but the treatment of the intake and probably battery as well(? can't actually find it in those shots) is better done than in my example, bravo. And no knobedness on the tires; are you personally acquainted with that gorgeous machine, or is that just another awesome find?

[JoeW]

Found the haters!  ANYWAY, someone else opened up another thread on custom Guzzi's, 850T's? So what you're saying is, V7 is not the best platform for a custom ride? Because super sadface if so, I might have to just go maverick somehow on that notion.
The reason I feel that the V7 is not a good platform for a custom is engine performance or lack there of. People do some amazing things to the small blocks, Ed Milich, Todd Egan... but it takes a lot of money to get even a little more HP out of those motors. I've always been a function over form kind of guy. All show and no go doesn't work for me. The 850t on the other hand, there are a lot of ways to get more power out of it.

EDIT: JoeW, YES, that's even better--not so much into the chrome, but the treatment of the intake and probably battery as well(? can't actually find it in those shots) is better done than in my example, bravo. And no knobedness on the tires; are you personally acquainted with that gorgeous machine, or is that just another awesome find?

That's one of my builds.

[Piglet]

wow...

[Vasco DG]

Sorry Joe. I hate it. It's the whole 'Scrambler' thing that is taking over from 'Cafe Racer'. I mean why put knobbly tyres on a road bike? It's hideous!

Pete

[stomatomoto]

Jesus Pete, if you're going to fire off the H-word, at least aim right! 

Joe's build is the even-better version, THIS: http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/jwalano/slideshow/Graham%20V7%20Racer

I personally am not that into chrome, but it's actually well done here, and like I said earlier, filter setup looks like a better quality implementation of the concept than what I opened the thread with. Also he had the foresight to actually improve the rear suspension, something OP post dropped the ball on, as some pointed out, lel. I think we're all in agreement, though: if you put those knobacious tires on a bike, you'd better be actually scrambling off road.

[Vasco DG]

My mistake. I've honestly been trying to avoid looking at these threads as they annoy me so much. Joes execution will at least be well done but I find the constant harking back to the seventies tiresome and the whole 'Scrambler' schtick makes me want to puke.

I seem to be in a minority that wants Guzzi to move forward rather than remain rusted on to past glories which were, to be honest, far from glorious. Apart from the V7 Sport and the MkI Le Mans there were never any 'Cafe' style Guzzis and I would argue that even those two don't really fit that demographic.

I know that there is a hard core of Luddites who I believe would honestly like to see the marque fail so they could sit back and reminisce about the 'Good Old Days' or alternatively think, perversely, that the company's future can only be assured by a constant 'Groundhog Day' re-hashing of the same tired old stylistic themes. That's fine, but I care enough about the marque to believe that the future can and may be better than the past! I certainly don't want any new products to be tiresome old twin shocked shitters with wheezy, dirty, two valve engines that are thirty years past their use by date.

Bring on the new-tech! Revel in it! It's so much better and more effective than the old tech! If you don't want ABS and TC? Turn it off! It's a few presses of a button for heavens sakes! Fuel injection is 'Complicated'! Well, not really. It just requires a different skill set and tools!

I know there are those who simply don't want to believe it. Fine. Remain ignorant, but please, don't let your ignorance and wish to dwell in the past kill Guzzi.

Pete

[Zoom Zoom]

I'm with you on tech Pete! The engine management on the Eldo is light years beyond my '09 Stelvio, which is light years beyond my '01 EV. I'm liking it a lot!

John Henry

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

Joe W that V7 looks awesome, great work! it still blows my mind he didn't de-tab the frame after spending all that money, but cest'la vie



As to the original bike posted, function aside... I LOVE the tank treatment.

[boatdetective]

Oh for fucks sakes!

Off topic- but I would like to propose a daily "irritate Pete" thread. It would be fairly easy from our end- just post some harebrained mod, silly tampering with the factory ECU, needless customization that apes trendy style at the expense of function- you get the idea.  Pete will get suitably torqued and the rest of us will marvel in the power of the internet to generate disgust and contempt from halfway around the globe. One of the really clever guys here should be able to figure out how to hook this unbridled ire to an alternative energy generator.

...then someone else can recommend a way to "mod" the system.  Thereby, the circle will be complete. Voila- a perpetual motion machine: the Ropertron

patent pending

JKK