A couple of weekends back on November 5th, Sloan's Motorcycles and ATV Superstore held a demo ride event featuring their remaining 2011 Aprilia and Moto Guzzi street bikes as well as a couple of Vespa scooters. Johnny and I as well as Kevin and Gerald from our forums planned on making the scene for a chance to saddle up on some Italian hardware. Johnny and I each wrote out reviews and they have been combined into this unified article. As the article progresses we'll denote who is "speaking".

So enough already right? Let's get to it.

Brandon:

Kevin met up with Johnny and I in the morning for a "brisk" ride in some dense fog out the the 'Boro from Old Hickory. We arrived a bit before 10:00 am, signed the necessary paperwork, and hunted down some coffee before finally heading out the parking lot. About a dozen other riders joined us in circling the demo machines like sharks ready to feast. This would be the order of the day as one basically just stood near the bike one wanted try out, with jacket on and helmet in hand, ready to pounce on the ride of your choice.

Speaking of choice, the number of bikes available was a bit limited. The event was supposed to feature KTM street bikes as well as Guzzi and Aprilia models but unfortunately for us (but good for Sloan's) they had sold all their remaining stock of street-able KTM's. However, I was able to jump on a Moto Guzzi V7 Classic and a Stelvio and I was also able to take a spin on the Piaggio MP3 three wheeled scooter.

Johnny:

When someone posted in the forums that there were going to be demo rides at Sloan’s in Murfreesboro, I was interested, but when I found out what the rides were, I was committed.   I’ve never ridden a Moto Guzzi, or an Aprilia, or even a Vespa, you see, so this was a chance to cross a few off of my “need to ride at least once” bucket list.

So Brandon, Kevin and I met up, early, at Brandon’s, and then together we braved the wet, cold fog bank that dogged us all the way to Murfreesboro. I was also trying out a new helmet, the Bell Revolver, and that seemed to make matters worse. It was noisier than most modulars, with the sort of aerodynamics that pushed the front backwards into your face. The inner drop shield fogged continuously, and when in the “up” position, the bottom quarter of it still hovered just in your upper vision. The helmet felt cheaply made, which explains the low price, but just because something is cheap doesn’t mean it should suck THAT bad, so this one is going back in the box and I’m trading it in for an HJC CL max II.

We made it to Sloan’s in one piece, albeit a little damp, and after warming up with a little coffee and talk, we were ready to go again. Luckily, the sun had popped out, burned off the fog, and was getting everyone out of their cold riding gear. Then the mad rush to hop on someone else’s bike started.

The Moto Guzzi V7 Classic

Brandon:

The V7 is the smallest bike currently available from Moto Guzzi and is available in three flavors, the Classic, Cafe' Classic, and Racer. The V7 Classic is truly a "standard" motorcycle. The seating position is upright and the foot pegs are found almost directly below the seat. The handlebars rise up about 3 inches (or so) to meet your hands and the overall position is comfortable though still "active" rather than laid back like a cruiser.

The V7 Classic is "All Motorcycle" (to quote Kevin) and as such, anything that isn't needed on a motorcycle is absent on the V7 Classic, and that's a good thing. A tach, speedo, and a small cluster of idiot lights are all that you'll find above the single, round headlight. Also keeping things simple is the large single Brembo 320mm disc brake up front attached to non-adjustable 40mm Marzocchi forks.

The 90 deg V-Twin engine is a throwback to a simpler time with it's 2 valve heads operated via push-rods and it is of course laid out longitudinally as is standard for all current (and most previous) Moto Guzzi machines. The 744cc engine makes only 47.6 bhp and 40.3 ft/lbs of torque but the V7 Classic scoots along rather well. When you take into account the fact that that torque is available down at 3600 rpm's and the bike itself dry weighs only 401 lbs, the resulting willingness of the V7 to move sounds makes sense.

Johnny:

There were still two bikes I wanted to ride, and both were Guzzi’s, but I was getting hungry and felt like one would be enough, so after waiting a couple of turns, someone handed me the Moto Guzzi V7 Classic, an orange one.

It’s been said before and I’ll say it again: The V7 is all bike. No bells, no whistles, just the pure unadulterated joy of two wheels and a safety flag attached to your seat. When I realized it had a cable operated clutch, my eyes got a little misty. The seat was comfortable, very comfortable. The bars were in a good position, and the overall riding experience was enjoyable, just what I would expect from a rental while in Miami.

Brandon:

Underway the V7 Classic is equally happy to cruise along as it is being flogged down a twisty road. Obviously the V7 is no back-road scalpel but the suspension is surprisingly well sorted and I found it quite fun during the few curves we had along our demo ride route. The single Brembo binder on the front was also up to the task in good order providing very good feel and linear stopping power.

So everything sounds rosy so far, but there are few "nits" to pick. The throttle, for instance, is very light for my taste. I prefer a bit more "push - back" from the throttle return spring on a motorcycle. The right amount of resistance makes for smooth modulation and the V7's throttle grip took very little effort to turn. That, combined with a noticeable "bump" in the fuel mapping lets down the overall "fun" of riding the V7.

The gauges (from VDO) have nice styling with chromed bezels (didn't check but I believe they are plastic) and the layout is simple and classic, befitting the the overall style of this little Guzzi. The problem here is that the numbering and lettering doesn't contrast strongly enough with the faces making them hard to read in direct sunlight or strong shade.The result is a bit of extra effort can be required to see exactly how fast you and/or the engine is going.

Johnny:

The V7 has weird tendency to get twitchy when you twist the throttle. The position of the v-twin engine causes it tweak right, it’s not a dealbreaker, but I still wonder why it does that. Lack of a counterbalancer? Kevin to the white courtesy phone, please….

A lot of the rider’s at Sloan’s that day walked away singing the praises of the V7, but not me. I just don’t get it. If I wanted an overpriced European motorcycle with low horsepower and plush suspension, I’d just go buy a new Bonneville, which in my humble opinion, is twice as much “all bike” as the V7.

It is a pretty motorcycle though, and that odd gas tank sort of grows on you. I avoided it at first because I thought the tank was ugly, but eventually, either hunger or acceptance won me over, because now I will agree with anyone who thinks it’s a nice looking bike. Will I ever own one? Sure, if I had gobs of money and needed a Moto Guzzi to fill that spot in my expansive collection, I would. Don’t take my word for it though, ride one yourself. Apparently I’m the only guy in the world that isn't absolutely in love with the V7, so it’s probably just me.

Brandon:

Character or quality control issue? That's what one really has to keep a mental tally of when thinking about the V7 Classic. The light throttle can be addressed with a stronger spring, check the quality control box. The fuel mapping could be adjusted (probably) if it bothers so in this case it's a toss up between character or (QC) quality control.  The out of balance front wheel likewise could be remedied (oh, did  I mention it was a bit out of whack? ) and should definitely fall on the QC side. Things like wheel balancing and adjusting the clutch lever are all things that the dealer can address for a buyer so I can't ding the V7 for that.

What I will ding it for is the inconsistency between the same model and year bikes. The issues such as the fueling, light throttle control, out of balance wheel and poorly adjusted clutch were all absent on the other V7 classic there that day. What's ironic (yes Alanis, I'm using that word) is that the inconsistency itself IS considered character by the Guzzi crowd best as I can tell.

It's probably not as bad as I'm making it out to be. Could it be that I'm spoiled by the precision and consistency I've come to enjoy in my Japanese machines? Perhaps. Calling them QC issues or character in my mind still doesn't detract from the overall experience of riding a Guzzi, especially one styled the way the V7 is. This low (relatively) powered standard machine had me grinning nearly every mile of our demo ride. It's not about speed or corner carving or precision this bike. It's nostalgia, heritage, and character wrapped in a V-Twin box with wheels to make it easy to carry along with you wherever you go.

Coming soon.. Part Two - The Moto Guzzi Stelvio and the Aprilia Dorsoduro