Moto Guzzi V7 - old vs new

In this video we take a good look at the Moto Guzzi V7 Sport from the early 1970s and the modern Moto Guzzi V7.

// CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction
2:35 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport details
9:58 Riding the V7 Stone and V7 Sport together
11:28 Summary
16:01 Historical photos of the Moto Guzzi factory over the last 100 years.

// ABOUT THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE CHANNEL
The Classic Motorcycle Channel is for people who love classic, vintage and antique motorcycles. We are passionate about classic motorcycles and produce high quality motorcycle profile videos, restoration videos, restorer profile videos and also anything that takes our interest.

// FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MOTO GUZZI
Facebook: @MotoGuzziUK
Twitter: @motoguzziclub

// A BIG THANK YOU TO
- John Oakes for his help with producing this video and presenting on the day.
Instagram: @classicbikeman
- Derek Wardell for his time filming on the day and bringing along his Moto Guzzi V7 Sport.
- Tom Wardell for driving us around to get all the external riding shots.
- Griffin Knipe and the team at The Piaggio Group for their help producing the video and supplying images for us to use in the video.
- Ben Walker and Caz Sullivan from Bonhams for sending us their photos of the Moto Guzzi Telaio Rosso V7 Sport.
- Neil from Made In Italy Motorcycles for supplying the photos various Moto Guzzi's they have had in stock to help us show other models.

// PHOTO AND VIDEO CREDITS
- Harley-Davidson Sportster - Jeff Bowles - no changes
- Honda Cub - Mj-bird - no changes
- Moto Guzzi V7 - Huhu Uet - no changes
- Moto Guzzi V7 Eldorado - El Caganer - no changes
- Moto Guzzi V7 Special - Choices11 - no changes
- Royal Enfield Interceptor - Cjp24 - no changes

#theclassicmotorcyclechannel​
#motoguzzi
#motoguzziv7

[hermandegroot]

In 1971, I went on vacation with my V7 from the Netherlands to Italy . In Switserland my bike started leaking oil at the flywheel. We decided to drive to the factory in Mandello del Lario. At the factory we went to the reception and waited until somebody looked at the bike. We waited half an hour in the sunshine and suddenly my wife fainted. Wthin a minute five men showed up and my wife was brought to the first aid room. We didn't have breakfast and a gentleman said reproachfully to me " niente mangiare.... KAPUTT "
Later that week we met a test driver of Moto Guzzi at a bar where we had a coffee. He drove the prototype of the Sport. We were allowed to make pictures but he removed the license plate wich read PROVA . When I draw a power curve he wrote 70 in it. He later showed us a paper for the Police that he drives sometimes too fast because of his work. So The name of the test drivers was Antonio Piazzalunga. We became friends. He was a friend of Giacomo Agostini. They both were members of Motoclub Bergamo. Now I am 77 yo.

[tvr]

Ive bought my first Guzzi ( a 2015 V7 stone) back in 2017 with 4700 kilometers on the clock. Now 4 years later ive ridden it the italy, France, Norway, and Germany and it never let me down after 36000 + kilometers... One of the best bike brands ever. :)

[tedmarakas]

MOTO GUZZI knows the secret of success. Improve through the years BUT stay true to the HERITAGE.
Moto Guzzi motorcycles are among the most beautiful machines on the planet.

[Jodyrides]

i have owned 4 guzzi machines starting in 1979–an Sp1000..had that 10 yrs-142, 000 miles
1980-V50 ll—-35, 000 miles—6 yrs
2004 V11 sport..5, 500 miles-3 yrs—-the most uncompfortable motorcycle in the entire history of the universe
2007 Norge—115, 000 miles - 13 yrs
on all 4 machines— never broke down—no mechanical issues…little common glitches- oil pressure sensor fails-3—start relays are undersized / overloaded—-the starter motors should have more power when the batteries get 3 yrs old, get a fresh battery..
the old guzzis from the 70s & 80s feel nothing like the newer fuel injected 6 speed modern transmission machines..the 6 speed trans shifts as buttery as my gold wing and my kawasaki Z400… my guzzi norge suspension w/ single sided swinging arm and fully adjustable suspension, heated grips— electric adjustable windshield—self diagnosing fuel injection system—6 gal tank—common size sport touring tire sizing—hard locking color matched bags that remove w- ignition key in 4 seconds— center stand— vib reducing rubber topped footpegs—seat removes in seconds w- key— multi function LCD dash display even informs you if air temp drops below 34 degrees to watch for freezing bridge/ elevated roads..valves that can be checked-adjusted using 3 common tools- hex wrench to rem valve cover- feeler gage and 13mm wrench— 20 minute chore-no need to even remove fuel tank— try that o a kaw concourse or fjr ..or a desmo ducati that costs more than $3000. to adjust those valves— the only reason i never bought one of those magnificent quirky machines…

the older guzzi machines feel and sound and ride beautifully— to a guzziest that appreciates .. but the more modern guzzi, is so much closer to the most refined equipment- the masters of perfection- the japanese— that the recent guzzi equipment is not as perfect as the mighty japanese stuff.. but— the modern guzzi is not even compairable to the classic guzzi equipment..
a rider raised on japanese machines that rides a classic guzzi like a 70s LeMans would feel like they were driving a 60s ford 6- cylinder pickup with 3 on the tree shifting..if thats the alter you worship at, thats fine, but the modern guzzi stuff feels like a ram hemi pickup compaired to the classic machines..
in spite of progress and individual preference, one thing all guzzis have that no japanese masterpiece ever can have— a soul.. caracter…Guzzi’s are alive.. they have a heartbeat.. they are a living breathing thing that motorcycleists like myself make a connection with..as soon as i sit on any guzzi, and press that start button, i feel its heart pounding, i hear those valves tick tick ticking like Castanets.. i feel those two jugs of that v twin twist to the right with every explosion..to quote dracula—“ what music they make”….

[speedfinder]

Thanks for posting this video! After a 6 month period of research, I have finally bought a 2023 V7 Special. If you've never ridden one, they are a very unique experience. With less than 100 miles on the odometer, I already know I've bonded with the machine. Maybe some riders won't get it, but the experience of riding a Moto Guzzi is like no other! I highly recommend it!

[JamesCouch]

Love those Guzzis. Awesome looking classic bikes. I plan on keeping my 2001 California Stone forever.

[mantarayal]

As a kiwi on my OE I bought a V50II in 1983. Can't remember the year, but it was red and mint. I didn't even know what a Guzzi was. It was just a sexy thing that was a hoot to ride and i took it all around England and Wales and then from England across Europe to Israel and all around there from Gaza to Eilat. 40 years on I have just bought a 2017 V7III and waiting for it to be delivered in a couple of weeks. I can't wait. It's black with turquoise strips, so I was very interested to see these colours on the older bike. Thanks for a cool vid guys.

[cgln]

Back when I were a lad I worked for a short time as an unpaid bike cleaner at Sports Motorcycles in Manchester (I offered to do it because I wanted to be able to be near these bikes.), I still remember the rows of brand new Moto Guzzi California T3s and Lemans, Laverda Jotas, Ducati 900SS Desmos etc etc. Awesome time.

[VirtualGuth]

While not as special as the V7 Sport, that V7 Special is still a pretty nice looking motorcycle. Kudos to Moto Guzzi for still offering true retro motorcycles, complete with air-cooled engines.

[patrickfitzgerald]

Thank you for recognizing that the current V7 is NOT a "retro" model. It is a classic motorbike updated to 21st century specs, which this comparison makes crystal clear. Guzzis are not for everyone, and that's a good thing in my opinion.

[MikesMachines]

The current V7s actually trace their lineage from the 1977 V50 rather than the 1973 V7 Sport. Whilst the new V7 models have been heavily revised, the first of the new V7's released in 2007 was little changed from the original V50 designed by Lino Tonti in the seventies. Now that's true heritage ....

[amundbjerve]

The early V7 Sport, particularly in that green paint (and red frame if you can find one), is perhaps the most beautiful bike ever made.

[Johan-vkyd]

The ticking of the valves and the air inlet murmur are distinctive, and characteristic of Guzzi. Even the small Stornello had it. Oh sweet memory!

[markgreenhow]

Love the under seat light on the old bike, amazing they would bother doing that.

[jimmarshall]

Love it! I've had an 850 V7 (Centenario paint) since July which I'm very much enjoying, but can't deny the appeal of the original 70s Tonti sports bikes.

[MrSportster]

Great video. The way the number plate / seat on the original hinged/pivoted was a work of art.

[christopherspick]

I bought a moto guzzi california back in 79, , I was 24, in the UK and been watching chips too much lol.sold that to fly to the States were I hitchhiked around for six months, came home and after seeing all those harleys I had to get a bike ...so I bought a t3, ( looking back now at 66, having owned loads of bikes and still riding, that was my favorite bike ever).rode it through a few winters, never let me down and gave me lots of good memory's, rallying, bike races, all the stuff we did back then when you didn't drive a car, then one summer I fell in love with a fiery Italian lady by the name of laverda! 1000 3 cl( the one the jota was developed from) bright red, twin headlamp 24 hrs race style fairing, 3 into 1, looked tge dogs bollox, fell out of love with her after a car pulled out in front of me ( the usual I didn't see me car driver, twin headlights, 3 into 1 ffs...so I had to get myself another guzzi, 1981 le man's 2...favorite bike memory ever on that bike, Nottingham to the bol dor 24 hr bike race in the south of France, 10 days on the piss, camped with nutters, bonfires, fairgrounds, and the Mediterranean 15 miles away down a mountain rd, with topless ladies on the beach! ...coming back to uk 10 pm at night, the rue de periphique in Paris, 6 lanes of traffic, lights failed, got to catch the ferry, latched on the taillight of the bike in front, the bike behind latched onto mine, bowling thro the tunnels, open pipes bouncing off the tunnel walls, singing my head off speed drunk and dosed up on pro plus lol..Nice video, thanks for jogging the memory bank on new years eve 2021..

[normasnockers]

very nice video, many thanks it made me homesick for england,

[edwardrobertson]

An old cyclist from way back, mostly BSA twins and a small time with a Norton.. because I rode, I met other riders. Riders that rode thing unfamiliar to me. I would ask, "Wanna swap?" Sometimes the answer was yes. I did, once, ride a circa 1971 Moto Guzzi. Marvelous, excelent, elegant bike.
Fun posting.

[nigelfisher]

What could possibly be better than the sight and sound of two Guzzis?