2017 Moto Guzzi V7 III launch review

If there's one thing of which Moto Guzzi has plenty, it's history. The oldest European marque to remain in continuous production was established in 1921, and though it's long since dropped off the international racing stage it can still lay claim to no fewer than 14 motorcycle world championships and 12 tourist trophies from that most unforgiving of arenas, the Isle of Man.

Today, in the hipster and reborn café racer scene, history sells – which is why most of the long-established marques have at least one retro offering within their ranks. At Moto Guzzi it's the naked V7 and V9, the latter only appearing last year as a higher-torque alternative to the V7, which first appeared in 2009.

Actually, that last statement isn't entirely true. The very first V7 appeared way back in 1967, marking this year as the 50th anniversary of the birth of the V7 family. To celebrate that fact, Moto Guzzi has released the third modern generation of V7, the V7 III, which includes an exotic, limited-edition V7 III Anniversario model in addition to the regular trio of variants: the Stone, Special and Racer.

Hit the beach
Surfside Custom Motorcycles in Brookvale on Sydney's northern beaches was a fitting venue for the V7 III's Australian press launch, the workshop/café/diner being decked out with all manner of memorabilia and aged hardware on two wheels and four.

It was there that Piaggio's Oceania Area Manager, Nicola Capello, gave us a snapshot of the brand's proud heritage (Piaggio has owned the Moto Guzzi brand since the end of 2004), before John Hansen, Moto Guzzi Technical Manager for PS Importers, the brand's local distributor, delivered the lowdown on the update itself.

I've ridden each generation of modern V7, starting with the first V7 of 2009, so I was keen to see how the brand's 'latest and greatest' had moved the bar. More than you may suspect, as it turns out, especially given the initial visual similarities with the out-going V7 II. Yes, there's a whole new range of striking colours available across the V7 III range, but the biggest change concerns the bike's engine.

While the transverse V-twin's capacity remains unchanged at 744cc, much of the donk is now borrowed from the engine found in the V9. In fact, the V7 donk is now essentially a smaller-capacity version of the V9, with a new crankcase, a new lubrication system and pistons specific to the V7.

Moto Guzzi says the V7 III produces 10 per cent more power than the old model while peak torque (unchanged at 60Nm) now falls later in the rev range, but the torque curve is flatter so it essentially delivers the grunt across a wider spread.

The changes were all about achieving a slight power increase while also meeting the more stringent EU4 emissions compliance, says Moto Guzzi. The frame has also been stiffened in places, says Hansen, and the Kayaba twin rear shocks have been updated, while the clutch is said to be more durable and the seat is now lower, at a height of 770mm.

Four-model line-up
The three basic variants remain, the base-model and minimalist Stone complemented by the blinged-out Special and the track-inspired Racer, but this year also heralds the arrival of the V7 III Anniversario to pay tribute to the birth of the V7 lineage.

Actually, these V7 IIIs, like their modern forebears, are more closely tied visually to the V7 Sport of 1971, but that's of little consequence. The Anniversario sports a spectacular mirror-finish chrome tank, a brown leather seat, a leather tanks strap, a billet handlebar clamp with etched series production numbering and no end of other beautifully crafted features.

A total of 1000 examples of the Anniversario will be produced in total, of which just 20 have been secured for Australia. Priced at $16,990 plus on-roads, only $500 more than the Racer, they're sure to sell out in no time…

The Stone is a bare bones affair with cast alloy rims, a single clock and numerous blacked-out components. It's ripe for customisation, says Moto Guzzi, which fortunately is here to help with a long list of factory accessories.

The Special brings more bling to the equation, with lashings of chrome, dual clocks (ie speedo and tacho), spoked rims and a two-tone paint scheme.

The Racer boasts numerous styling cues that hark back to the café racers of the 1950s and '60s, while the Anniversario is essentially an up-spec version of the Special with all the aforementioned extras.

Moto Guzzi has service intervals pegged at every 10,000km, with a valve check at every 20,000km. The brand says servicing is an easy and affordable affair, with even a valve check only taking around 40 minutes, the adjustment carried out via screw adjustors.

Ride and performance
Our ride was only quite brief, involving a strop from Brookvale up to the picturesque West Head and return, but it still gave a good initial taste of what's on offer.

Complementing the styling, the V7 III is all about a simpler age of motorcycling – one free of complex electronics and weighty add-ons. No fairing, easy-to-read instrumentation, a relatively modest weight and steering geometry with an emphasis on fun – this is grass roots motorcycling to deliver smiles by the mile, plain and simple.

Not that long ago you had to be a committed Moto Guzzi diehard to put up with the idiosyncrasies (or plain faults) inherent to the brand, but not any more. Now anyone can hop on a bike like the V7 III and enjoy it right from the off, although the bond with that transverse V-twin does grow even stronger with more time in the saddle.

The fuelling is quite sensitive at slower speeds and in heavy traffic, as we experienced along Pittwater Road, and you'll need to be precise with small throttle inputs to promote smooth progress. That comes quickly enough with familiarity, while finding some open space and upping the speed soon puts the V7 in its element.

It's simply a pleasurable thing to ride along a winding road, where it's stable yet pleasingly nimble. Personally I'd prefer a twin-disc front brake for extra stopping power but in reality, for this style of bike, the single-disc four-pot Brembo is fine and it does allow for braking into a corner without standing the bike up too, if necessary.

Comfort and ergonomics
The ride position is upright with a short stretch to the 'bars (or clip-ons, in the case of the Racer). That low 770mm seat height won't prove too challenging for most, and the leg room is adequate, if not exactly ample for a lanky 188cm scribe like myself.

The seat cushioning is on the firmer side – period correct, perhaps? In short, the V7 III is ideal for day trips but I wouldn't be too keen on taking it touring – you could do it, but that's not what this bike is all about.

The engine dishes out an entirely respectable degree of urge; enough to crack the old ton if need be but, more importantly, with plenty of torque delivered from low down and right through its meaty mid-range. It's eminently useable, the six-speed transmission shifting cleanly through its well-spaced ratios, although selecting neutral at a standstill can occasionally take a few prods before you achieve success.

The new instrumentation looks classy and the trip computer can dial up all the usual information. At the end of our ride the digi display was registering 5.5lt/100km, but we'll bring you a more comprehensive fuel figure after we've grabbed a V7 III for a through road test in the near future.

The retro theme doesn't mean the V7 III is completely devoid of modern technology. Fuelling is via electronic fuel injection and the bike benefits from ABS and even multi-stage traction control. The latter can be off or offering one of two levels of intervention. It can be changed on the fly but, curiously, you have to use the starter button, not the 'mode' button, to cycle through the settings. Oh, and the tang for the side stand is set quite a bit back from where you might expect it to be. Good to see these gleaming machines aren't totally devoid of Latin foibles!

It would be remiss of me to finish this review without making mention of the V7 III's overall finish. Pre-Piaggio Moto Guzzis had their issues in this respect, but the attention to detail and general quality of finish found in the V7 III is exemplary. From the paint to the welds to the bracketry and wiring, it's a classy affair – anyone would be proud to call one of these bikes their own.

Summing up
The evolution of Moto Guzzi's V7 III range rolls on, and while the update isn't major it does raise the overall level of appeal significantly. Beautiful to look at and fun to ride, the Moto Guzzi V7 III will faithfully transport owners back to a simpler time on two wheels, but with all the modern reliability and amenity we've come to expect from motorcycling in the 21st century. Bravo.

SPECS: MOTO GUZZI V7 III
ENGINE
Type: Air-cooled, SOHC, two-valves-per-cylinder transverse V-twin
Capacity: 744cc
Bore x stroke: 80mm x 74mm
Compression ratio: 9.6:1
Fuel system: Magneti Marelli electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 52hp (38kW) at 6200rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 60Nm at 4900rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate
Final drive: Shaft

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Steel double cradle
Front suspension: Conventional fork, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Twin shocks, adjustable for preload
Front brakes: Single 320mm disc with four-piston Brembo caliper
Rear brake: Single 260mm disc with twin-piston Brembo caliper
Tyres: Pirelli Sport Demon, 110/90 R18 front, 130/80 R17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed dry weight: 189kg (Stone) to 193kg (Special/Anniversario)
Seat height: 770mm
Wheelbase: 1463mm
Fuel capacity: 21 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: Stone $12,990 (plus ORC); Special $13,990 (plus ORC); Racer $16,490 (plus ORC); Anniversario $16,990 (plus ORC)
Colours: Stone – matte blue or matte black; Special – blue or black; Racer – Satin Silver; Anniversario – Chromium
Warranty: Two-year/unlimited kilometres
Bike supplied by: Moto Guzzi Australia, motoguzzi.com.au