Ridden: Moto Guzzi V7 Classic

ITALIANS do lazy so well; relaxed afternoons sipping cappuccinos as the rest of the world bustles by. That's what life's about and that's why the Moto Guzzi V7 Classic fits the bill perfectly.

The background

It pays homage to the first Italian maxi motorcycle, the Moto Guzzi V7, which was released in 1967. The across-the-frame V-twin of the early '70s was a great success at the time and it now provides the perfect platform for Moto Guzzi to create a newer version.

With many of their bikes being powered by big-block engines - the Norge and Stelvio - for example, Moto Guzzi was keen to introduce something smaller, something simpler and, best of all, something cheaper.

To keep production costs to a minimum, much of the V7 Classic has been seen before and in fact only the exhaust, dash and tank are new additions. The bulk of the bike's been donated from the Breva 750 with both the chassis and 744cc, engine being virtually 'cut and pasted' onto this new entry-level bike, which means the bike rocks in at an affordable £5,629. Not bad for a slice of Italian life.

Although there is a budget flavour to the bike, the overall taste is very pleasant.

Performance and handling

It's not massively powerful, with just 48bhp, but it does pack enough punch to be fun. The mountain roads which snake endlessly besides Lake Como were ideal for putting the bike through its paces. Heading out on the highway I let the revs rise to a toe tingling 6,000rpm but although I felt the vibrations through the footpegs, the ever-clear mirrors seemed totally oblivious to the twin cylinders pounding beneath them. It has to be said though, this is a bike that definitely prefers a more relaxed approach and as I moved away from a high revving ride and took advantage of the low torque, I was instantly rewarded.

I stuck the V7 Classic in second and left it there, the five-speed gearbox is a little agricultural in first and second, but it's generally pretty smooth. And with the bike's strong engine braking, there's less call to chop through the 'box anyway. Backing off the throttle feels like you've just hauled on the anchors, which is fortunate because the brakes are as soft as a Victoria sponge and the front 40mm Marzocchi forks have a tendency to dive under pressure. However, these flaws are easily worked around by being more progressive with front brake and by adding a dab of rear.

The handling's good provided you're not too demanding. The slower and mid-paced twisties were a pure pleasure with the 182kg bike falling readily into bends without complaint. But pick the pace up and the suspension starts to complain. There's a gentle pitching in higher-speed bends which is controllable but I didn't feel overly confident in pushing either the bike or the Metzler Lasertec tyres to their limits. But in the bike's defence, that's not what this retro classic's designed for. It's for novices ... and Italians, as the dimensions clearly prove!

Design

Although I wasn't exactly squashed, I was aware of the bike's compact design and after a morning's ride, I was quite happy to stop for a treacle-thick coffee and stretch my legs. The riding stance is pretty natural but for six footers, the bike's on the small side. Now I know how Alice in Wonderland felt after knocking back the 'drink me' potion that made her grow!

Style wise, Moto Guzzi has hit the nail on the head. The company has managed to incorporate a modern day feel with '70s sentiment. For example, the cockpit looks instantly traditional, but the instruments display the time and external temperature as well as the mileage, speed and revs.

The spoked wheels and cigar-shaped exhaust are gleaming in chrome and the cylinder heads (which warm your shins quite well) have been tipped in black rather than the more usual grey tone. In general though, this V7 Classic has no hidden agenda and no unpleasant surprises. It's easy to ride, it's simple and that's a formula that seems to work well for Moto Guzzi.

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