Mine for a Few Hours

Took my Moto-Guzzi V7 in for a service today and the dealership have lent me one of these:

Not the bike itself, good looking wee thing

I love the look of it and to ride in a straight line it is lovely, the suspension soaks up the bumps properly (take note Moto Guzzi) and the seat and riding position is really really comfy. The engine was nice and responsive once it warmed up and has a nice step up in power from around 5.5k rpm ish. Unfortunately the brakes are rubbish and it doesn’t corner very well at all, guessing that is due to the lazy steering angle which makes it so nice on the straight bits. Also above 85ish mph there seemed to be an increasing weave which could have been partly to the wind but it got a bit un-nerving when approach 100+ which the engine was willing to go to and more!

Cool Retro Vibe

If you into the retro, this is supposed to be more authentic than the Bonneville, I’ve not tried that but there are some bits of biking which should improve no matter what style of bike and the main one being the brakes. My Guzzi has basic brakes and only a single disk up front like this but has far more feel, feedback and power than the Kwak.

I certainly think I chose the right bike with my ’70s esq V7 but I really can see why people like the ’60s style of the Kawasaki and Triumph.

Words and Pictures: Pete O’Connor