The Moto Guzzi V7. Why is it Not More Popular?

Easy Rider Tenerife:

On top of Banco Santander, Calle Moraditas, EDF, C. Clara Toledo Gómez, Local 4, 38639, Santa Cruz de Tenerife

_________________

This was a first for me; the first ever Moto Guzzi I’ve ridden! This is the 2019 III Stone model with 750cc and 52hp.

I couldn’t wait to see how the Guzzi was, and how this handsome modern classic motorcycle compared to the Royal Enfield Interceptor and Triumph Bonneville.

I hope you enjoy it!
_________________

Partners:

(Motorcycle tracker and rider's mate)

(Your one stop motorcycle shop- from biking gear to tools and everything else)

My Quad Lock setup: Wireless Charger, Vibration Dampener, iPhone Case, USB Charger

__________________

Timeline:

0:00: Intro
0:31: Walk Around and First Impressions
7:54: Coffee Shop and Ride
10:41: Gear For The Day
11:16: My Final Thoughts

__________________

Gear For The Day:

- Daytona Low Profile Helmet
- REV’IT Worker Overshirt
- Ethen Brandon Sunglasses
- Hood Jeans SK11
- TCX X-Blend Boots
- Racer 1927 Ronin Gloves

__________________

Locations:

- Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
- Lille Cafe, El Medano, Av. José Miguel Galván Bello, 38, 38612 El Médano, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
- The ride: Up into the mountains towards El Teide
__________________

Buy us a coffee:

__________________

Find me on:

- PODCAST: Freedom Machines With Freddie Dobbs Podcast
__________________

- Filming and editing: @monikameraki (Instagram)

__________________

Music:

- Lars Eriksson: (Stay) True

__________________

#motoguzziv7 #motoguzziv7iiistone #motoguzzi

[larrywade]

The simple answer to your confusion is that the Italian's are too hard headed to listen to other's suggestion's. Over here in the State's, there are few company representative's to handle people's problem's not to mention trying to get part's in any kind of a timely manner. And this was @ pre-covid, so imagine the nightmare in which you will deal with today. It's really a shame as they are a beautifully manufactured machine. We Guzzi guy's over here ( I own two ), say that these bike's are the best kept secret. Once the head's are re-torqued 2 time's these bikes are virtually bulletproof. Lack of dealership's are also a main problem for M.Guzzi over here & there are many reason's for this, all of which the company is aware of/or should be by now. But they simply don't give a damn. And that is why people buy other bike's. Good dealership's sponsoring your product's, access of part's & mechanic's to work on your bike's are the (3) main key's to a successful company & that my friend is why you see very few M.G. here in the State's. So in essence M.G. has failed us over here & receive an F for a grade. Have a great day from you friend on the other side of the Illinois, USA

[samuelebongioanni]

I am 26 years old and I own a Guzzi t5 850 of the Italian police of 1986. I have never experienced so many emotions on a motorcycle. It has almost 40 years old and km but has still an immense reliability. I can't understand how we Italians never manage to enhance our brands. Now in Italy you only see bmw gs despite having competitive brands in my opinion much more beautiful . Greetings from Italy . Long live to Moto Guzzi

[elisabattle]

Currently own a 1989 Moto Guzzi Mille GT 1000 cc that I have had for 20 years. Once took me 120 miles on one cylinder at highway speed when one spark plug wire crapped out on a Sunday morning with no shops open. At almost 70 years old it has gotten too heavy to maneuver in and out of situations. Purchased a 2013 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone at more than 100 pounds less wet weight. Absolutely love it. Will stay with Moto Guzzi for the rest of my riding life. I have owned BMW, Laverda, Ducati, Moto Morini, Triumph, BSA, Zundapp, Indian, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Cagiva and loved them all for different reasons, but the fact that I can physically handle the weight of a bike that will cruise (illegally) at 85-90 mph for as long as I need, looks good, is reliable and affordable and unique, why shop anywhere else?- -Mike Battle

[mrbxv]

Freddie’s reviews of motorcycles is different from any other motorcycle journalist because he goes into the emotional aspect of the bikes. He goes so deep and tries to see the bike from the average enthusiasts perspective.

[carlokite]

Man you're wrong, we italians love guzzi too!!!

[BladedAngel]

Went to a Royal Enfield Dealer that was sharing the building with a Vespa Dealer. I stumbled across Moto Guzzi's in the Vespa section and instantly dropped my jaw at their beauty. I genuinely felt ashamed for not knowing about them. Their appearance truly is drop dead gorgeous. I came in for an RE and still walked out of the dealer with an RE Meteor 350, but the first impression MG has made to me is one I'll never forget. One that if given enough time to sink into my heart and fester my soul...I may just be back for the MG the next time I visit!
EDIT: I own a Moto Guzzi Flying Fortress now

[DLMorel]

I have owned my V7 for 4 years and still enjoy it. Only problem is lack of dealers, very rare to see another Guzzi but I kind of like that. Great bike for me.

[halohalomotomoto]

This month, I bought a 2023 V7 special and I absolutely love it. Finally, I know what the Guzzi charm and soul is all about. It’s a wonderful traveling companion. As much as I loved my 2013 Bonnie, I can’t say that it tugged at me the same way as the Moto Guzzi. Cheers!

[kor]

Being a Guzzi owner, the biggest downfall is lack of dealer support. Unless you live close to a dealer it puts a lot of people off. If they worked out more dealerships I think it could sell in much higher numbers.

[MotoMischiefs]

I have owned a V85 since May last year, initially, it was what you would call an impulse buy as it just looks stunning, like nothing else that is out there, but as many others stated, I fell in love with the Guzzi charm and are now shopping actively for a V7 Racer. I can see the dealer network as a deterrent for some folks, but then again, owning a Guzzi gives so much back, and it's almost like a lifestyle. I cannot tell you how many people have complimented me on my Guzzi or just walked up and wanted to talk about the bike. No other bike I owned (and I owned a few ... lol) has gotten the same reaction. I will also say, so far the V85 has been dead reliable. I mean, a virtual mx free shaft drive, no radiator or plumbing to deal with, and a very proven design, a great recipe for long-term reliability!

[nathanielkswas]

I had a 2013 V7 Stone and to date it's still one of my all-time favorite bikes. It oozes character and charm and was so much fun to ride. I just bought a new bike and the primary reasons it _wasn't_ a Moto Guzzi was 1) I wanted something that'd be more comfortable for a passenger and 2) easy access to a repair shop. The closest Guzzi dealer is 2 hours away from me and that wasn't tenable. It's truly a shame, because I love the v7's and the new v100's are mouth watering.

[ElvinIsbell]

I love your enthusiasm for this motorcycle.

In my opinion the Moto Guzzi doesn’t sell like hot-cakes because they weren't meant to. If you buy one you aren’t looking at what it’s trade in value will be, but who you will pass it down to in your will. It was engineered for the long haul. They’re easy to maintain, simple to repair and can last for generations. That’s rare in a world overflowing with disposable razor blades and empty soda pop bottles.



I’ve done a lot of dreaming and reading about owning a Moto Guzzi, but have hesitated due to the lack of dealers and rumors of sketchy parts supply lines, but I am a big fan.



Until then I’ll keep riding my 1981 Honda CB900 Custom, which I consider the proto sport-touring machine.

[dennishughes]

Just found a low low mileage 2017 v9 bobber for a good price. It's absolutely beautiful can't wait to bring her home this week. Have a GS, 2 Harleys and other bikes no bike I've ridden gives u the feeling of a guzzi

[eltonl]

I recently sold my Bonneville and bought a V7 Classic wich has the spoked wheels and lots of chrome.
Do i miss my Bonneville?Yes, but this bike has much more character and the sound coming from stock exhaust pipes is addictive.
I ride the Guzzi much more frequently than i did the Bonneville, and although not a perfect bike, if such a bike exists, i totally fell in love with riding all over again.

[tomislavstanich]

Exactly! They are awesome bikes. People are ignorant not realising of how these bikes are so great, but also, at the same tome: classic.

[mikekamler]

Thanks for the review Freddie! I was “this” close to buying the Bonneville exactly one year ago for all the reasons you mentioned regarding the triumph…and then I stumbled upon the exact same V7. I was drawn to the lines, the styling and it drew me down a rabbit hole and did research on the brand and then joined a Guzzi Forum and fell in love with the Guzzi community and of course Ewan McGregor’s affiliation played no small part, and before I knew it I pulled the trigger and bought my very own Sophia. 7051km later, I’m totally and madly besotted with this motorcycle. It’s more than the sum of its parts. It’s the smile it gives me, the people and Guzzi community and the smiles I get from onlookers, it’s the right leaning throb from the engine like no other, it’s the huge mileage you get from the 20litre tank it’s ..a Guzzi. So why doesn’t it sell? I think it’s economy of scale - each Guzzi is still made in the very same factory in Mandello on lake Como. It’s a niche brand and a niche bike. I think Piaggio purposefully positions this brand and it’s product to be niche (which is a rare strategy in this day and age) and uphold Guzzi as a brand making bikes for those who want to be part of a happy community. Long may it last

[garyeelman]

Moto Guzzi caught my eye about 2 years ago. Then I delved into the companies history. For me, a great looking bike with the heritage that is important, to me anyway. I look forward to owning one.
My present ride in the Interceptor 650.

Thanks again for the review Freddy and to Monica for her great filming / edits. You two are great!

[fasteddy]

I test rode both the Bonneville T120 and Interceptor 650 and I own both the Moto Guzzi V7 III Special and the new V7 850 Special. The T120 felt very ponderous, much less agile than I had expected; a common complaint of the reviewing journalists. The T100 is supposedly more agile, but may be too smooth. I don’t like the liquid-cooling of the T120, although they did a good job hiding it. Also there were reports of failing gearboxes, which kept me away from buying (I assume that has finally been solved with the recent updates). Apart from all that I think the Bonneville looks stunning with great attention to detail. I still think Triumph should have made the Kawasaki W800, which is closer to the original. I was not that impressed by the Interceptor. For the price a great bike (although prices have gone up considerably recently and here in the Netherlands they are only a bit cheaper than the Kawasaki W800, which I think is a much nicer bike). While the Bonneville is made in Thailand and the Interceptor in India, the W800 is made in Japan and the V7 in Italy. I still value when a product is made in the original country, especially if it has such a heritage. The V7 Stone is the rebel of the two, the Special is the more elegant classic version with lots of chrome and an extra tachometer. The V7 is not only a very characterful bike with a nice exhaust sound and good vibrations, but also very practical one with the large 21 litre fuel tank and the shaft drive. At 6’3” the bike is a bit small for me, but still of all my (many) bikes the V7 is my favourite (okay, after my 1956 BMW R50 that is). I think that the main reason that these bikes are not sold in big numbers is the bad marketing of Moto Guzzi and Piaggio. In Italy the client is not king, it is considered a favour that you as a customer can buy their products..

[doomyman]

you are absolutely right, bougth a 2009 model in mint condition for 4.5 grand and I absolutely love it.

[nigelfisher]

People who want a Guzzi knows how to get one and what the machines are all about. Guzzi don’t have massive marketing budgets; if you don’t know the brand or don’t one of their marvellous bikes, that’s fine, Guzzi will just shrug their shoulders and think ‘ your loss’….As an aside, they are marvellous bikes.