Let me see your Classic!

[thepittsburghguzzi]

Hello friends! I wanted to introduce my newest love, and first-ever Moto Guzzi, Scarlet... 2012 V7 Classic. She sure is pretty :) Phil Waters at Clevelandmoto is brilliant, and has an amazing collection to choose from.

I've never actually seen one of these in person, and only one or two in photos. Anyone around here own a classic? Show me photos, I want to see my bike's siblings!

In addition, V7 owners (Classic, Stone, Mk1 and Mk2, etc) show me your V7's... tell me what you love about them, why you chose your V7 (or why it chose you?), anything you want to share. But pics for sure! These bikes are so lovely to look at.

Thanks for welcoming me in, and sharing an appreciation for Guzzi :)

Paul

[rocker59]

[thepittsburghguzzi]

Hey Michael, very nice! Which windscreen is it that you have there? How effective is it? Up to the head, or just upper-body? And is that the Guzzi luggage rack I see? I am thinking about snagging on of those for mine!

[oldbike54]

 Damn good picture , are you talking to someone we know ?

 Dusty

[jas67]

2014 V7 Special
IMG_8356 by jay_snyder67, on Flickr
IMG_8354 by jay_snyder67, on Flickr

2013 V7 Racer
IMG_8227 - Version 2 by jay_snyder67, on Flickr
IMG_8088 by jay_snyder67, on Flickr

2009 V7 Classic (sold to buy the Racer)
P9223112 by jay_snyder67, on Flickr

[Moto Fugazzi]

Welcome to the forum!
Here's my 2009 Classic. Taken on the shores of Lake Michigan during a full moon.
Ken

[welshrob]

This is my 2009 Classic and my Ute, or pick up truck if you live in the Horthern Nemisphere. ;) The pipes have been bored out, I`ve fitted bar ends and as per the second pic, a solo seat.

I`d  like to invite you all to join our Australian V7 and Moto Guzzi enthusiast FB group, it`s a small friendly open group, members from worldwide are welcome.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1550142541964515/

[Cam3512]

Welcome.  Your bike is unique - old engine and new larger steel tank.  It was a one year transition for 2012. 

Love that color!

[Kev m]

Ahhhh, my V7. Possibly my favorite bike of all time or at least a close second. Why? I love the size, style, feel, and efficiency. It's about doing more with less.

Here is my Stone shortly after I took delivery of her in 2013.



This is more or less how she looks today:



Dart Marlin windscreen
Over-racing frame sliders (with extensions)
HB topcase and side racks (powdercoated black)
IKON shocks
Guzzi Power sump extender (also powdercoated black)
OEMish 1200 sport/Aprilia mirrors
OEM centerstand
OEM cafe seat
Black injector guards from AF1 (I forget the brand)

Only 10k miles so far, but pretty much all bliss.

[thepittsburghguzzi]

Guys this is awesome!

Jas67 - I love the paint scheme on your Special!! How do you like your Racer compared to the Classic you sold?

Ken - Thanks! Classic looks good with the Racer seat! And I'll be putting bar-end mirrors on mine too. Are those upgraded shocks I see? What kind?

Welshrob - Beautiful Classic! I requested to join the FB group, thanks!

Cam3512 - Thanks kindly! My buddy at the dealer is fairly convinced there are only 24 of these Ibis red models in the US. Anyone in the forum care to add their opinion on that? He thinks out of the one shipment of 42 Classics the US got in 2012, half were black and half were red. Kinda cool if that's the case!

Kev - Nice shots! Are those actually Guzzi saddlebags?

[rocker59]

Hey Michael, very nice! Which windscreen is it that you have there? How effective is it? Up to the head, or just upper-body? And is that the Guzzi luggage rack I see? I am thinking about snagging on of those for mine!

Dart flyscreem. It knocks a little air off the torso. I'm not much for big windshields.

Hepco + Becker pannier racks and luggage rack.. 30 L  Junior panniers.

[Kev m]

Those are HB (Hepco & Becker) Juniors.

They were the OEM Guzzi bags at one point.

You can still buy the round Guzzi decals to go over the HB rhino decal on the corner of each lid. Same goes for the topcase decals.

I've used these bags on 3 Guzzis so far (Jackal, Breva 1100, and now this Stone). I also use the topcases on my Harley.

[jas67]

Jas67 - I love the paint scheme on your Special!! How do you like your Racer compared to the Classic you sold?

Thanks -- it is my favorite paint scheme too.   I just got in November, and consider myself lucky to have found one.   It seems most 2014's are Silver/Grey (also a nice combo, but, I wanted the black/orange).

I have to say, that your Ibis Red is also quite nice, and as you've discovered pretty rare as well.

The Racer vs. Classic comparison needs to be done in two steps.  One would be Racer vs. Classic/Stone/Special, the other would be the two generations of engines, the earlier two throttle body engine, 2009-2012(US), vs. 2013+.

The later engine has better low end torque.   Under "normal" riding, shift points are about 500 RPM sooner.   Under "spirited" riding, about the same.    The early engine was a little rough at 4,000 RPM and lower in 4th and 5th gear, but, smoothed out nicely around 4,500.    The later engine is perfectly happy at 3,750 and high gears, and as low as 3,000 in the lower gear.

The later engine returns 10% better fuel economy as well.    I got 44-48 MPG with my Classic, and get 48-53 with both the Racer and the Special.

On to the differences between the Racer, and the rest of the V7 lineup.     The cafe-racer styling is the obvious difference.    Along with that comes a different riding positions.   The racer has clip ons, which are more forward, and a several inches lower than the handlebars of the Classic.    The Racer has rearset foot pegs and controls as well, which are high quality CRC milled parts.     They are about 4 inches futher back, and maybe an inch higher than those of the Classic.     The riding position of the Racer is "Sport Touring", not all out sport.    I'd say that lean and knee angles, etc, are very close to the 2001 Honda VFR800 that I had.

Now that I have the Record fairing on, the clip ons are 1 1/4" lower (about 32mm for the rest of the world) for the controls to clear the fairing.     The kit came with some spacers that would've put them a full two inches lower, but, 1 1/4" was enough.

With them lower, I find my torso vs. thigh angle to be a little tight, and am considering buying adjustable rear sets, or even having a buddy make me some to get the pegs a little lower, and maybe a little more to the rear.    If/when I do that, I'll likely put the stock Racer rear sets on my Special, as I wouldn't mind having my knees a little lower.   I have a herniated lumbar disc which causes sciatica, having a more open torso/thigh angle helps alleviate it.

The Cafe Classic, which preceded the Racer has the clip-ons, but, not the rear sets.    I would think that would be very unconfortable to ride, as I would think my knees would be real close to my chest (or at least feel that way).  IIRC, others that have ridden the Cafe Classic have made that very comment.   If you ever consider putting clip-ons on your Classic, plan on doing the rear sets as well.

Going from the Classic to the Racer was fun at first, but, in doing so, I gave up having hard side luggage, as the Hepco & Becker side cases would interfere with the up swept exhaust of the Racer.     I did add Hepco & Becker C-bow mounted "Street" soft bags.   These are much smaller, don't lock, and are not water proof.    Some days, I just missed the more relaxed riding position on a completely naked lightweight bike (the Breva 1100 was much heavier).    So, in November, I got the Special, and quickly bought and installed the side luggage mounts, and all is well.

The Bitubo shocks on the Racer are much better than the stock ones on either the Classic or the Special.    This definitely became much more apparent when I rode my Special for the first time after two years of riding the Racer.   I will be upgrading the Special's shocks very soon.   The $300ish Ikons are a huge improvement over the stock ones.

So, to answer the question of how I like the Racer coming from the Classic, I do like it, but, can't say if I like it any better.   It is just different.   Some days I like one better than the other, so, it is nice to now have both in the garage.   I intend to keep both bikes, but, if I could only have one, it would have to be the Special, just because it is a more versatile all-purpose bike.    The Racer's riding position (remember the lower than stock clipons) is a 2-3 hour bike for me.    The Classic/Stone/Special is an all day bike.    When winter ends, and the salt is washed away, I will use the Special for commuting because of the luggage (I need to carry a laptop to and from work, and want hard luggage for that).   For other riding, I'm not sure which I'll use more, it will depend on my mood and the length of the ride (see earlier comment).    I also have many other bikes.   I would say that the Racer will be a "Sunday bike", and the Special is going to get ridden more.

Oh, and one least comment, the seat you so on both my bikes is actually the older version of the "Solo Seat" available from Moto Guzzi.   I use this, instead of the suede on that comes with the Racer simply for weather resistance.    This solo seat is MUCH more comfortable than the stock dual seat that came on the Special (and I would assume the Classic seat as well).

[Moto Fugazzi]

I have YSS shocks on my V7C. They're alright, but I think you can get similar shocks for less money. Hagon shocks are nice.
Ken

[jackson]

CIMG0024 by Jackson, on Flickr
2010 V7 Classic

[Sasquatch Jim]

[dedave]

I lucked into mine. Craigslist find and the timing was right.

I had looked at the V7 Classic a few years ago and really like the Pearl White one. Nearly bought it, but passed on that and bought the Husky TR650 enduro for desert riding. Nobody makes a good scrambler in my price range. This V7 is going to get nobbies and better suspension, skid plate and a custom 2-1 pipe system. It may take awhile, unless I sell the 650.

What I like is the size of it. Not too big, easy for me to handle when pushing or slow turning etc.  I love the shaft drive. Been a BMW owner for many years, but they refuse to build a smaller shaft drive bike, similar to their epic R80.

My 2015 V7 Stone shifts amazingly smooth. Has plenty of power, sounds great and loves the road. It is my first Guzzi, and I am liking the brand already.

[thepittsburghguzzi]

dedave - I love the satin green, an absolutely handsome color! And I agree on the size. The Classic is significantly lighter than my KZ750, which made a difference right away.

Sasquatch - I'm guessing this was Not a factory-installed option? :P

Jackson - Absolutely dapper! The slanted saddlebags are nice... That's kind of the look I want for my Classic. Did you install the center stand yourself? Did you have to do any mods to get it to fit?

Jas67 - Your conclusions seem spot on. I almost sprung for the Racer (the dealer has two of them, and that beautiful chrome tank and suede seat look amazing), but I plan on doing some serious touring on this bike. So the Classic is my whip. On the seat, I actually bought the lowered gel seat, which was almost necessary for me because my legs are so short :P The extra inch or so made a difference, and the seat is very comfortable.

[jas67]

Jackson - Absolutely dapper! The slanted saddlebags are nice... That's kind of the look I want for my Classic. Did you install the center stand yourself? Did you have to do any mods to get it to fit?

For best results, you'll want to install the Euro side stand.   The center stand will work with the US one, but, it interferes.   That was the setup on my 2009.  I had to always deploy the side stand and leave it down when using the center stand.   If I forgot, the center stand would still deploy, but, would trap the side stand once it was back up, making it damned near impossible to deploy the side stand from on the bike.

[jackson]

Jackson - Absolutely dapper! The slanted saddlebags are nice... That's kind of the look I want for my Classic. Did you install the center stand yourself? Did you have to do any mods to get it to fit?

I bought the bike used and it already had the bags & center stand installed.  Both are the MG factory accessories for the V7 Classic.  I used to have a Breva 750 and it had the Hepco Becker center stand which I did not like.  The bike came off of the stand too easily which always made me feel uneasy about where I would use it.  The only problem with the MG center stand is that you have to first put the side stand down before the center stand will go down but that's easily fixed by replacing the factory side stand with the European sidestand which has a more pronounced lean and it eliminates the problem..  I also had the Euro stand on my Breva.
The bags are leather and don't hold as much as the HB bags but I like the look.  I also added a deep sump, crash bars, Aprilia mirrors, Emgo fairing, Oxford heated grips and and a cloth tail bag on the MG factory rack (that was on the bike when I purchased it)

[JoeW]

This is a 2014 V7 Racer I did a little custom work on for a client...


I think the interest shown in the new V7 series is great. As an long time Guzzi owner I'm happy to see some new buyers and owners that are excited about the brand.

[Clancy]

The Daily Workhorse
Light to push ^tick
Long range tank ^tick
Commuting ^tick
Highways ^tick
Weaving through bumper to bumper ^tick
Country back roads ^tick
Twists & turns ^tick
Smile on my dial ^{tick tick tick}

[thepittsburghguzzi]

Clancy - Handsome in black! Nice crash bars, they're not too big but definitely look functional. The rack that your tail bag is on, is that from Guzzi?
JoeW - I think Moto Guzzi makes some beautiful machines, and I can't wait to add more Guzzi to my collection one day. I think it's sad that when I tell people I have a Guzzi, they scratch their head and ask "what is that?"... and Ducati is usually the only Italian name they can think of. Prime example of the guy with the fattest advertising budget coming out on top.

Speaking of long-range fuel tank, chime in on fuel milage for your V7's, guys. Longest you've ever gone on a tank? What kind of real-world averages are you seeing on V7's, and I'm curious to hear about the new engines VS the old ones (such as my 2012).

Nice thread here guys, thanks for the input! 

[Clancy]

Clancy - The rack that your tail bag is on, is that from Guzzi?

Hepco & Becker

[Kev m]

I've got the slightly more efficient 1TB motor and the same tank.

I never go less than 200 miles on a tank.

I've not got more than 280 miles, but I probably could.

My low fuel light comes on early around a low 3.something which leaves a USABLE 1.5-2.0 gallons.

I think the most I've put in was about 5g.

I generally get around 50 mpg, but have gotten anywhere from 48-56.

YMMV, quite literally.

[K250]

Welshrob - that is a NICE looking pair you have there.  Those Utes look very practical wish we could get those in the USA.
What kind of MPG do you get on that?

[canuck750]

2013 V7 Racer
IMG_8227 - Version 2 by jay_snyder67, on Flickr
IMG_8088 by jay_snyder67, on Flickr

Great looking bike! The fairing really makes the bike look special.

[malik]

The Classic - in its work clothes

[thepittsburghguzzi]

Malik,
I see you have those cafe bars, and your bike seems to be ready for some serious hauling with all that cargo... how  do you feel after riding for a while on those bars? Do you ever feel bothered in the wrists or back or anything? My Classic had Ace Clubman bars on it, but I switched back to stock because I plan on doing a lot of touring.

The Classic - in its work clothes

[Penderic]

My Fantastic Plastic Classic!