V7 Racer review by MC USA

[Hambonee]

Sounds like a fun problem to have  

Yep  

As much as I love the Norge I do miss how light and fun the Kawi 650R was...besides..a nice simple air cooled is easy to work on etc..

[vitaminC]

Price to performance would depend on what, exactly, is meant by performance.  If it's something like bhp per dollar it's unlikely that any Italian motorcycle could compete in that case.
I'm leaning toward the V7 because I suspect that its price to fun ratio is probably pretty good and motorbikes are supposed to be fun.

Not bhp per se, but for 10k I would want to accelerate a bit faster, that's all. I had a Breva 750 for a while, and while it was beautiful and fun, acceleration was a bit more leisurely than what one might expect from a relatively lightweight 750cc machine- especially at $10k.

[Rincewind]

Purportedly the new V7 Racer - the Racer X - from the EICMA show    What is that, a front drum brake?  

[ConPilot1]

Purportedly the new V7 Racer - the Racer X - from the EICMA show    What is that, a front drum brake?  

Oooooyeah, now we're talking. That fairing is EXACARY what that bike needed. I'd hit that HARD.  

I'd like to see that with the cast wheels and the overall flat black with that oldschool bullet fairing.  

[coho]

Purportedly the new V7 Racer - the Racer X - from the EICMA show    What is that, a front drum brake?  

Just think of it as ABS without all those pesky electronics.

[Orson]

Purportedly the new V7 Racer - the Racer X - from the EICMA show    What is that, a front drum brake?  

that looks like it may be an aftermarket accessory exhibitor, not the official Moto Guzzi exhibit.

I could be wrong though  

[Jeff]

Just think of it as ABS without all those pesky electronics.

ABS = Anti Braking System

[st2sam]

ABS = Anti Braking System

 
That there's funny, I don't care who you are.
Jeff, now go and see if you can get whats ever in your little girls eyes out!    

[Rincewind]

I'll just leave this here...  



 

[guzzinut]

Be better if it had a cafe bullet fairing on the front.

Mine has the Stucchi fairing made especially for the V7 Cafe.
I think it looks more authentic that the one on the V7 Rcer pictured above, which looks a little Japanesey to me.
It's a great bike by the way.

[Rincewind]

Stunning bike, Guzzinut.  The fairing really compliments the bike.

[guzzinut]

Stunning bike, Guzzinut.  The fairing really compliments the bike.

Nice to hear.
That's what I thought when I saw the pre production prototype on the Stucchi website.
On the subject of the bike itself, by far the biggest criticism of the V7 series bikes is their relative lack of power in relation to price.
It was my only reservation before I took the plunge, without the benefit of a test ride, but all those doubts fizzled away the moment I pulled out of the dealers forecourt.
A good spread of torque stops the engine feeling laboured and in all honesty, on the twists and turns in the rural roads I ride, I'm not going any slower than on any other bike I've owned, which have been mainly big cc in line fours.
Only out on the motorways does the bike start to feel wheezy but only after 90mph.
I suspect top speed is somewhere around 110mph, possibly a bit more if the winds blowing in the right direction but I'm not particularly bothered about finding out.
If you're the sort of rider who's happy cruising at 70-80, then you honestly wouldn't find this bike lacking in any area other than possibly luggage carrying ability (and of course pillion).
The biggest surprise if gas mileage.
Even ridden enthusiastically, I'm getting 55mpg (Imp) and have had over 60mpg on a constant speed 80mph motorway run.
On that score I did notice a definite improvement after fitting the fairing.
I don't know about your side of the pond, but over here there is a big move towards this type of bike by people like me.
That is to say, exprerienced riders, late middle age, who have grown weary of the power obsessed world that motorcycling has become.
The little Guzzi is a highly entertaining, involving bike to ride.
A breath of fresh air sounds like a cliche, but I really cannot think of a better way of expressing my feelings towards my stuning little Cafe Racer.

[Rincewind]

Guzzi now sells their very own fairing kit for the bike.

The Record kit comes with a front fairing and a single-seat unit, with kicked-up spoiler fin and a memory foam seat.  The kit is simple and easy to fit on any Moto Guzzi V7 Cafe or V7 Racer. The fibreglass front fairing uses the existing headlight assembly, while the single seat unit is a straight swap for the standard seat with no modification necessary.

The kit can be fitted to the V7 Classic, V7 Stone and V7 Special but a set of Moto Guzzi factory clip-ons are required. The V7 Record Kit costs £1400. Any Moto Guzzi dealer can provide details.



http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/New-bikes/2012/March/mar2312-moto-guzzi-record-kit/

[crispiegee1]

Mine has the Stucchi fairing made especially for the V7 Cafe.
I think it looks more authentic that the one on the V7 Rcer pictured above, which looks a little Japanesey to me.
It's a great bike by the way.

This is my favorite. I don't like the "tail spoiler" on the new Guzzi fairing kit.

I also like the drum brake on the front of the Racer X bike. On a 49 hp bike, a properly adjusted drum brake could stop you just fine, in my opinion. My dad's friend bought a disc brake equipped Eldorado in 1974 and claimed that it had more stopping power than my dad's drum brake model. But after they did a series of stopping tests, they found that could both be stopped in the same distance.

(And having been on the bike when my dad clamped down on the brakes, I feel very strongly that a drum brake - again, properly adjusted - can bring you down from speed plenty quickly in normal, non-track riding. Would I put one on a Hayabusa? Of course not, but for buzzing around on a V7, it wouldn't bother me in the least.)

[atadaskew]

With that fairing and pipe you are at Griso SE money....

[crispiegee1]

With that fairing and pipe you are at Griso SE money....

Seriously? Yikes!  

But still, the Griso's looks just don't do it for me. I know everyone says it's a great bike, it just reminds me too much of that Ducati Diavel, which I never understood.

I still like my idea for a 1200 Eldorado. That's a retro bike I'd buy.

[coho]

If you put the  cafe racer kit on the Stone would it become a StoneR?  

[atadaskew]

Seriously? Yikes!  

V7 Racer is $9990
Fairing is 1700 UK which is about $2500.
Pipes are about $1000

Griso SE is $12690.

[Rincewind]

If you put the  cafe racer kit on the Stone would it become a StoneR?  

Very punny!  

[guzzinut]

With that fairing and pipe you are at Griso SE money....

This is irrelevant.
For the price of a Griso SE, you could buy a multitude of bikes that'll blitz it's ass.
And so on.