The Black Campbell

So…I did a thing. I had test ridden the new V7 Special ( the “gray stripe” color, as the catalogue calls it, but it’s a deep midnight blue metallic flake) a few times over the past few weeks. After decades of waiting for a Guzzi dealer to hit Albuquerque, we’ve finally got one in the shape of Motopia New Mexico. i’ve wanted a Guzzi, and specifically the V7, for quite a while…but the test rides were good, but the bike wasn’t speaking to me like the Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor had. Each ride, I found the bike excellent in build quality, a bit clunky on the transmission, lacked the ground clearance of the Enfield, but had superb power delivery and once moving, the V7 is incredibly smooth. While at the shop looking into another issue and to let my 12 year old daughter drool over the Aprilia RS660, I noticed the V7 Special was gone. Yay! Temptation removed, I could settle in to figure out what was next in the odyssey of my hopped-up Interceptor. Except, it was out of a test ride with a buddy of mine who has a habit of buying the bikes I’m interested in before I can.

Yes, it’s a silly pissing match sort of thing, but seeing him ride up with his wife on the back, I suspected he was (to her chagrin) going to go for it. While they were dickering about inside, I got the sales manager working up a deal for me on the bike. I literally bought it out from under him.

Within a week, I’d hit the first service and got the valves checked and the fluids changed for a $350 hit. But now I have a better idea of how the bike behaves and how it’s likely to as it breaks in.

So first the good stuff. The deal had a 1.9% finance rate. That’s low right now, so if you’re thinking of one of these, it’s a good time. The machine is well made, although I could do without all the yellow inspection marks all over the thing. I understand this allows you to see if bolts are backing out, but I’m not flying a C-130 here. It does something Triumph doesn’t anymore — it has a friggin’ tool kit. So did the Enfield. Time for Triumph to step it up a bit. For the prices they’re charging they’re getting a bit Scottish with the stuff that some might don’t matter. Like a damned tool kit. Tires are a standard size — 150/70-17 like most Bonnevilles and 100/90-18 up front. It’ll be a breeze to get rubber for it. I already checked and my favorite shoes for the Thruxton are available for it. (The Shinko 712s. Trust me on this one.)

As suspected, for long rides, this machine is a dream. I did several 60 mile days, taking the bike up to the top of Sandia Crest, a climb of 4000ish feet over 13 miles with 120 turns in about 15 minutes. That’s a bit slow for me when there’s no traffic; the ground clearance on the pegs was such that i was scrapping pegs on every damned turn until I had to start doing the racer-style butt scoot on the saddle to stop it. An adjustment to the rear shocks — it was on the lowest setting so I bumped it one and that sorted it out except for some of the turns with negative cambers. It did stiffen the ride a bit, so it’s not as plush, but the bike is handling very well. I went for a long haul with some friends on sport bikes who promptly went for triple digits on their machines. I stuck to a reasonable (for New Mexico) 85mph for most of the first half of the ride. The Guzzi soaked up all but the worst bumps, and even managed to negotiate a surprise 35mph turn that they really meant 35mph. I was well over that and the V7 went through the turn without murdering me. (Butt scooting to the rescue!)

While stopped for lunch in a small town called Mountainair, we had an interesting encounter with the locals. A grandma in with her family for lunch followed the female rider we were with out to enthuse over the bikes, how she was a rider, and begging to get taken on a ride. The other guys were hoping to ignore her ’til we went away, but what the hell. Being nice to someone isn’t that much of an imposition. The shit that happens to you on a bike…

So I ran her around Mountainair for about 10 minutes. Hitting 70mph on the highway with no issues. The bike ride well with someone on pillion: it turns agreeably, stays very stable, and the passenger had plenty of room to handle acceleration. (No — she didn’t want a helmet.) I normally avoid passengers; the Guzzi is built for it. After Mountainair and my close encounter, we headed back to the city. It was about 100ºF and we were getting cooked, so we were moving at about 90 the whole way. No issues at all. The V7 is ready, eager even, to reach for the redline at 6500rpm. (It’s doing about 115 at that point). Vibration was at a minimum for the ride, saddle comfort was good enough I wasn’t tired or sore after about 3 hours in the seat plus lunch time. Over the course of the run, the motor felt like it really smoothed out in the 3000-3500rpm range, where it had been buzzy for the first 300 miles or so. Other reviewers have mentioned this and it seems to be a function of the bike needing to be run in some. After the oil change, the motor has been much smoother, shifting is better but still has a pretty audible clunk when up shifting. I suspect that will also get better over time.

The ranges and fuel mileage were a bit up and down during the first 600 miles. The bike was telling me I was getting 55-56mpg, but when I would fuel up, it was closer to 50mpg. (The Mountainair run was done at pretty high speeds, so that made sense.) Since the oil change, the fuel mileage is up dramatically — about what the bike has been claiming. I have noted that the low fuel light comes on at about 3.7 gallons, leaving about 1.8 gallons in reserve. That’s a hell of a reserve. The light comes on around 175 miles on the tank, although since the oil change I’ve put 195 miles on it and the light has not lit up as of this writing. I expect it should hit about 200 miles. So conservatively, the 5.5 gallon tank has 250 or so miles in it. That is exceptional and would allow for touring even in spots where gas stations get kinda think in the American Southwest.

Brakes are adequate. They’re a Brembo 4-pot on the front (only one side…) and a Brembo two-pot on the back. They work, and the rear quite well for slow speed on dirt, and the front feels good and aren’t too abrupt, but they’re not award winning. Fortunately, the engine braking on the motor with the shaft drive is very good. The suspension, once ticked up a step got much more firm and the handling — which is good and very neutral — improved.

Since the first service, I have seen an improvement in gas mileage and overall smoothness in operation. The gearbox appears to be a little more pliant, but it’s not the light and smooth flick of the Enfield or a modern Triumph. The motor is still characterful. It’s really hard to describe it; I imagine it’s feels a lot like an classic motorcycle. The mirrors are ugly but they work. There’s nasty DOT mandated stickers on the tank and the steering bridge that are on there. I found brushing the stickers with warm water and diskwashing detergent soaks and weakens them, and they come up easily with a softer object to scrape them up. I keep my fingernails short so I used a tire valve cap and lightly scraped them off with no damage to the finish. I’ve no idea how to get the yellow inspection marks off. They appear to be paint, not grease pencil. might try a light WD-40 rub. The beefy-looking transverse twin looks old-school and it is a breeze to get to almost everything. If you do you’re own maintenance, this is probably a good choice.

The down sides: I find it weird that a boutique-ish brand of bike doesn’t engage in branded gear, but outside of stuff for the V85 “adventure” bikes, there’s not much in the way of things like riding jackets, tee-shirts, nor is the accessory catalogue impressive: not much in the way of flyscreens, or aftermarket mirrors and pipes. They’re out there, but you have to hunt a bit. Agostini does pipes for the V7 including a nice shorty exhaust that would allow you to get into the wheel easier when servicing it. BAAK does a nice side cover replacement with small leather bags that are big enough for a hat and sunglasses, or the tool kit, if you don’t want to put it under the seat. I’m new to the Guzzisti thing, so I might just not be looking in the right places.

The V7 Special was an impulse buy, and a tough decision, surprisingly. I’ve wanted one for as long as I’ve been riding, and I’ve tried a few — the V7 750, the excellent Griso — but with the “two bikes to the garage” rule I’ve agreed to, it was lose by beloved 2010 Triumph Thruxton or the superb Enfield Interceptor to gain the Guzzi. Even after I’d dropped off the Enfield, I wasn’t sure I’d made the right choice…pretty much until the last day or two. The V7 Special is an excellent machine — well made, superbly comfortable, with a bit of tweaking on the suspension capable of getting a bit of the hooligan, and the range is phenomenal. Paint quality is exceptionally high — possibly the best I’ve seen on a motorcycle. It’s not the fastest thing out there, but it’ll crack the ton with gusto and it gets there plenty fast.

Overall, it feels a lot like a nicer, quirkier…well, Italian, Bonneville. It’s got 65hp and 54 ft-lbs. of torque that is channeled very quickly with the shaft drive and compared to the Bonneville 900s’ 60hp and 55 ft-lbs., they’re pretty evenly matched, though the power comes on lower in the rev range with the Guzzi. Having traded my Street Twin for the stock Enfield because the Indian-made bike was lighter, more maneuverable, and faster (both with acceleration and top speed), I suspect the Guzzi, which is about as fast off the line as the souped-up Interceptor but a bit slower on the top end will hang with but most likely pull away from a the Triumph Bonnies in a straight-up race.

So…is the V7 Special worth it? Hell, yes — especially if you can get it for the MSRP or close. The new Street Twin is MSRP $9900 (so assume $12ish out the door in the US) and the Guzzi is $8950 — a grand less for a nicer, faster bike from a more exclusive manufacturer. That said… the 650 Interceptor is a tight match for both those machines and comes in at $6149. If you’re a bit tight on cash and looking for a classic standard motorcycle, the Enfield is really hard to beat, but the Guzzi pulls it off with an undefinable style and “character” to the motor.

I’ve wanted a Guzzi for over a decade. I loved the look of the transverse twin motor, I like the idea of shaft drive (as I am terrible at keeping up with chain maintenance…), they were on par with Triumph for pricing (when Triumphs were on the cheap side; now they’re usually cheaper) and there just weren’t a lot of them around. That’s partly because their dealer network is kind of sparse in the United States, so getting warranty work is tough, and because the support for the dealer by Piaggio Group is — unimpressive. So, I wanted one, but didn’t want the hassle of trying to find someone to work on them.

This changed a few months ago when out excellent local Triumph/Royal Enfield dealer here in Albuquerque — Motopia New Mexico — picked up Aprilia and Moto Guzzi. Already a few people I know have picked up the V85TTs and V1000 Mandellos, but for me, the V7 is Moto Guzzi. I got a chance to take one out this morning and it’s time for a first impression review. I’m going to compare the V7 to the bikes that are it’s competition — the Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor (and more specifically my hopped up 650) and the new Bonneville 900cc (and my old 2010 Thruxton).

LOOKS AND BUILD QUALITY

Just look at it — it’s gorgeous. The chrome and paint quality are top-notch, it’s got the dual clocks for the speedo and tach. The build quality of the welds, the frame coating, everything — it’s on par with anyone else out there now, and the paint quality is probably better than most. The spoked wheels and chrome exhaust set this off beautifully, but for the more modern-oriented rides, the matte black V7 Stone has mag wheels and everything is blacked out with LED lights all around. (For some reason, Guzzi kept a traditional bulb in the headlamp for the Speciale.) The saddle has a nice stitched Moto Guzzi on the back. The twin heads of the motor sticking out the sides is way cool.

Compared to the new Bonnevilles, it’s comparable (although I think cooler looking), and compared to the Interceptor, it’s a definite step above. The Enfields are well made, but the 650’s still look a bit old-school beside the V7 (or even the new 350s Enfield is turning out.)

It also sounds good with the stock pipes. It purrs and at higher rpm growls, but it’s never loud or obnoxious.

RIDE QUALITY

The suspension on the Guzzi is plush. During my ride, I did twelve miles on a pretty crappy, grooved concrete, section of I-40 that makes most bikes I’ve ridden jump around and get a bit niggly on the front end. The Enfield on the same section, ridden right after the Guzzi, was feeling every bump, nook, rut, and was letting me know. The Guzzi glided over it. It’s better than the Triumph — new, and definitely my old Thruxton (which I’ve done all day rides on), and much better than the Enfield.

The saddle is wonderful. It does demand you improve your posture, you heathen; slumping was gettign me right in the tail bone, but when I sat up, it became an all-day saddle. The bend in my knees (I’m 5’8″ish) was perfect, feet on the pegs at the arch, just a little bent forward to reach bars, with my arms relaxed. I could easily see touring about on the V7. In comparison, the T100 Bonneville is comfortable in just about any position — I think with the Bonnies, the seat’s a tie. Even with the touring saddle, it’s loads better than the Enfield. Compared to Thruxton’s bench-like seat, or the MK Design brat saddle I have so I can have a matching chrome seat cowl..? It’s luxurious.

The V7 also sits a bit lower than the Bonneville and is a good inch shorter than the Interceptor. Coming to a stop in town, you can plant your foot without issue. For the shorter rider, this would be a welcome thing.

POWER DELIVERY

If you’re a sportbike guy/gal, the numbers on this thing aren’t going to impress: 65hp near the redline and 53 ft/lbs of torque around 5k on the tachometer. That’s a bit less than the 900cc water-cooled Bonnevilles and about on par with my older Thruxton. Compared to a stock Interceptor, it’s a rocket — the Enfield normally turns out 48hp and 30ish ft/lbs of torque near the top end, but the gearing on the Indian-made bikes is fantastic, so these things scoot much faster off the line than your would expect and most can hit about 115mph under perfect conditions. My Interceptor has had a high-performance cam and domed high-compression pistons fitted and the tune has pulled her up to a sea level performance of about 62hp and 44 ft/lbs of torque, and it comes on hard about 3000 rpm.

I hit I-40 from the same on ramp with both the V7 and my Interceptor. The V7 definitely got up and going in comparable time up to about 60mph, but was much faster to 85 after that. Both bike were running 85 mph and the V7 was turning about 5000 rpm — the same as the 650 (which has a redline 1000 rpm higher than the Guzzi.) Top end on the V7, running at just shy of the 6500 rpm was 110 mph. At 7000 rpm, the Enfield was moving at 115 and was working. The V7 never feels stressed; the power just stops about 6000 rpm.

The gearbox and clutch are on par with the modern Bonnies. The clutch pull is non-existent, and slightly better than the Enfield. It’s incomparably good compared to the older Thruxton. The bike slips through the gear with a slight clunk going down the gears, but you don’t feel it going up. I suspect this is however they have to transfer power to the shaft drive. It simply falls into 1st with a light push on the pedal. The Enfield, on the other hand, wins here. The gearing on the Interceptor is butter smooth, to the point where it’s easy to get lazy shifting gears and not give it enough of a kick to change.

The engine breaking with the shaft drive is crazy good. Drop a gear and let off the throttle, and you dump speed — from 80 to 60 mph in a blink of an eye. It’s really, really good. It also makes the butt of the bike dip, the exact opposite of what you would expect from a chain driven bike. It’s better than any of the other choices in this respect.

HANDLING

I had the V7 out for a little over an hour and rode 50 miles — in town traffic, highway, and some fairly tight twisties on the Sandia Crest Road. It puttered about the city with no issues. Changing lanes was as simple as shrugging my shoulders in the right direction. On the highway, it was similarly good. Carving the canyons, however, is where I started to run into the V7’s limits. I’ve ridden this road countless times with a number of different bikes, and on the first good long hard right hand turn, I ran into a slight issue. When you hit the throttle, the transverse twin wants to lean to the right…and it did. This lead me to scrape the pegs and my toe in a place I’ve never hit before. I got similarly close in a few of the other turns, nicking the toe of my boot where normally, I’d have clearance.

Could it do the turns? Yes…but you might want to do some body lean or butt sliding to keep her from listing over to far in a turn. The clearance simply isn’t there. Also, exiting a turn and romping on the throttle will bring you up out of a left turn quickly, but make you work in a right hand turn. It’s kinda like flying a Sopwith Camel, I suppose.

MAINTENANCE AND OWNERSHIP

The V7, like most Guzzis, has an enormous fuel tank: 5.5 gallons. A friend bought the V85TT and thought the gas gauge was broken, because it wasn’t showing gas — he was basically empty and still got 100 miles out of it before stopping for gas. According to the bike’s instrumentation, it was averaging 46mpg. That means a whopping 225 miles range, if you’re being conservative.

Speaking of the instrumentation: the Stone has a simple single LED gauge. The Special has a twin clock with an LED panel in the speedo for odometer, trip mileage and gear indicator (which doesn’t show when the odometer is up, but does on all other screens.) It’s controlled with a mode button on the throttle side — a weird place to put it and it feels like an afterthought. The rest of the switch gear is nice, but the mode lever feels chintzy.

Talking to a bunch of Guzzi owners over the years, the main complaint is usually electronics. The maintenance intervals are 10,000 km (or about 6000 miles), so on par with the Enfield and older Triumph, and a bit short compared to the new Bonnevilles. According to the boys at Motopia, the valve adjustments and other maintenance are easier and less shop time intensive, but it does run a funny oil — 10w60. Otherwise, the cost of ownership should be about on par with most other bikes.

SO IS IT WORTH IT?

The MSRP for the V7 Speciale is just over $9000, and figure your dealer is going to hit you for another $1500-2000 for tax, title, license, set-up, sunspot protection, hair loss prevention, and whatever else they can, so reasonably — $11k. I think that’s about $2000 too much, but compared to the other machines in this category, it’s on the cheaper side. Here, it beats the Triumphs by a grand or more. The Interceptor, which is not as refined on looks, but is otherwise just as good a bike, comes in at $6000. If you’re on a budget, you simply can’t beat the Enfield 650s. If you’re not — I think the V7 is an excellent value, with a motor that feels more alive and active than the Bonneville, and which has a better look and ride.