First ride: Moto Guzzi V7 Classic road test review - Page 2 of 2

The 744cc 90° two-valve twin suits the bike perfectly. It’s a perky little number that, if you look at the brochure figure of 48bhp seems underpowered, especially when you consider that the bike weighs 181Kg dry. That’s not the full story though as it fuels really well, revs eagerly and, along with the ample brakes and competent suspension allows you to buzz along happily regardless of what kind of road your on. I never found that I was running out power in any gear, maybe this showed that the bike had been developed on the roads we were riding but you could could hustle the bike along a fast A-road back in the UK no worries.

In keeping with the retro look the Guzzi’s front wheel is an inch bigger than the rear at 18”. This caused some confusion when I started riding. It felt like it didn’t want to turn, like the head bearings were being strangled. After some studious experimentation I found it was much easier to steer from the back of the bike, laying it over and letting the front follow the rear. Think of steering a boat with a tiller and you will get what I mean. Lazy, easy steering in tune with the bike.

The fact that the brakes, suspension, controls and power delivery are so good shouldn’t surprise but it will, such is the effect the styling has on your senses. It really does look like a mint condition classic so you throw a leg expecting to have to tickle the thing into life and then wrestle it round the roads. When you have thumbed the starter it rocks on the side stand and burbles away through exhausts that you would never want to replace with aftermarket items. It’s back to basics biking in the mechanical sense, which makes it perfect for beginners or commuters.

But the V7 is so much more than that. It will make you smile every time you take the cover off to go for a ride. The brakes slow you down, the engine speeds you up, simple. The most important factor on this bike is the way it makes you feel, and if it has the same effect on you as it did on me then you won’t want to know what kind of spark plugs it has. You read about Fireblades being launched on tracks and Teneres being in the desert because they are the best environment to show off the bike’s qualities. Whether the V7 will be any good on your favourite A-road is up to you but in the environment I rode it I couldn’t think of any other bike I would rather be on.