When we find joy in life, we grab onto it and try to increase it - according to the book by Melissa Holbrook Pearson, who talked about her love affair with motorcycles. Even when she was looking for her first motorcycle, it was love at first sight when she first saw “a 500 cc Moto Guzzi V-twin, red and black, simple, reliable and beautiful.”
Like any true love story, Pearson's passion for Moto Guzzi was deep and incomprehensible. She fell under the spell of the jazzy rhythm of the Italian V-twin, and devoted mind, body and spirit to learning the art of riding, learning to maintain her own motorcycle and enduring many, many hours in the saddle in stifling heat, freezing cold and pouring rain.
Moto Guzzi is a legendary brand that this year celebrates a century of continuous production. Every Moto Guzzi, from the single-cylinder 498 cc Normale of 1921 and the Otto cilindri of 1955 - a 500 cc V-eight, liquid-cooled, DOHC capable of over 270 km/h, to the beautiful modern models, has been created at the same plant in the Italian town of Mandello del Lario, on the shores of Lake Como.
To mark the anniversary, three models were released, the V7 Stone, V9 Bobber and V85 TT in a special Centenario livery designed in honor of Otto cilindri. The silver color of the gas tanks in this scheme is chosen in honor of the unpainted aluminum tank of the legendary sportbike, the green color of the side panels and front fender is reminiscent of the green fairing of the legend, and the brown saddle and gold eagle on the tank further distinguish these models. However, all models and all colors of 2021 are decorated with a logo on the front wheel fender in honor of the company's centenary.
Over their long history, Moto Guzzi has developed and produced many great motorcycles, but the V7 is truly a living legend and the true soul of the brand. After the end of World War II, the company produced small and inexpensive motorcycles for 20 years, and was the first in Italy to dare to offer customers a large-capacity model: in 1967, the first 700 cc V7 was released. This motorcycle became the progenitor of the configuration with which Moto Guzzi has since been associated: a 90-degree V-twin with a longitudinal crankshaft, with air-cooled fins on the cylinders. In addition, the V7 was equipped with an automotive-style dry clutch with two discs, a four-speed constant mesh transmission and a cardan final drive.
Moto Guzzi V7 Stone 2021
Today's Moto Guzzi V7 Stone retains many of the same ties to the original - from the round headlight, sculpted tank and upright riding position to the dry clutch, shaft drive, dual rear suspension shock absorbers and dual exhaust. The V7 Special has a classic design with spoked wheels, chrome trim, dual analog gauges and a traditional headlight, while the more modern-looking V7 Stone has a matte finish, digital instrument panel, black exhausts, alloy wheels and an eagle-shaped LED DRL integrated into the headlight.
Anyone who has ridden a V-twin from Moto Guzzi will not let you lie: they are some of the most charismatic motorcycles, with their own, easily recognizable character. Just look at the sound of the engine starting and the slight roll to the right when you open the gas - you can’t confuse it with anything.
On the move, the Moto Guzzi feels even more unusual, very exciting and rhythmic. Moto Guzzi V7 Stone is the pure, undiluted pleasure of riding a motorcycle, the feeling of the wind in your face and the vibrations of the V-twin in different parts of the body, the joy of acceleration and the feeling of oneness with the motorcycle in corners. Despite the fact that the V7 Stone is no longer a 7 - its engine has a displacement of 853 cc, and there are variants of it on both the V9 and the V85 TT, its power output remains modest by modern standards, only 65 hp at 6800 rpm /min from the crankshaft. But 73 Nm of thrust at 5000 rpm is more than enough. Moto Guzzi V7 Stone is one of those motorcycles that allows you to relax and unwind, to enjoy the moment. Why rush when there is such a miracle under you, and the whole huge world around you?
Moto Guzzi V7 Stone
The Moto Guzzi V7 platform has received small but useful improvements: the lever force of the single-plate dry clutch has been reduced, the frame has become more rigid, and the swingarm with a new bevel driveshaft has become larger. The rear shock absorbers have become longer-stroke and have new internals, although the only adjustments on them are still preload of the spring. But the ABS module, inevitable for European motorcycles, has been updated. The rear tire is larger (now 150/70-17), the running boards have damping spacers, and the passenger seat is thicker.
All this is nice to know when you are near a motorcycle. And when you are already driving, this, and much more, ceases to be important and generally exist in your mind. You just ride the Moto Guzzi V7 Stone, wherever your eyes look and the road calls. There are no driving modes for you, you don’t even need to connect a smartphone - you just open and close the gas, click the gears and push the grips away from you to enter turns. And you smile.
“Life is good if you live it slowly.”
Over time, this simple but wise aphorism became for me the main motto and the basis for a healthy lifestyle in all respects. And also, we will help you to do your best to bring benefit not only to yourself, but also to others, since the opposite situations (hurry, wait, catch up, work for wear and live for a break) in the reverse historical perspective, as it turned out, did not bring absolutely anything good - and not for yourself and not for others. Famous people of all times and peoples spoke about this in different words. The Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl, in his first book about his own adventures on the godforsaken island of Fatu Hiva in the Pacific Ocean, admired the way of life of the aborigines, for whom, unlike us, modern and “progressive,” time had absolutely no value (a common expression of American passionaries “time is money” did not work for them, since during their stay on Heyerdahl’s island there were no passionaries or money there). But who is reading him now, Thor Heyerdahl? They read precisely the modern and progressive, now fashionable Max Frays, who pour into our ears: “time is running out, your life is wasted on nonsense, and by the way, you have no other life, do you know?” Yes, I am aware, but I am closer to the East and the Eastern sages, who are also much more laconic in their statements. Omar Khayyam, for example: “We are the ripples of time”... That’s actually all... In three words it is quite comprehensive about the whole meaning of our life. I would just like to add that, no matter what, it is advisable to ripple in a fun way, perhaps even with pleasure and taste, not to interfere with the ripples of others, but, if possible, to help. And if the words hammered into you at school about “aimless years lived” do not give you peace, then let’s believe the words of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky: “A person always finds time for everything he really wants.”
After such a philosophical introduction, you will understand more clearly my new choice after parting with an old friend (Honda XL-700 Transalp), on which I drove more than fifty thousand kilometers. I described my extremely positive emotions from traveling on the Transalpa in a previous post. But everything has a beginning and everything has an end, our mutual interest faded and our paths diverged.
My requirements for a new companion boiled down to the following points: 1. It must be iron (but not a cruiser or a chopper), have a classic fit and an average saddle height; 2. It should be easy to climb, more for the city than a “kilometer eater”, but a short trip should not be a problem for it. 3. He must please my eyes and my ears every hour, and this is not so easy. 4. At the same time, it shouldn’t be very expensive, since I don’t plan on long runs in the near future, and I don’t consider it advisable to travel 3-4 thousand kilometers per season on a motorcycle costing tens of thousands of dollars. 5. A belt or cardan is highly desirable as the final drive. 6. And, finally, as follows from the philosophical introduction to this story, he should not rush me anywhere, be able to please me with driving in the “I roll where I want” mode, purr to myself, allow me to admire the landscape and, if at times, impose something (active driving, for example), it’s fun, but without unnecessary squeals. Looking ahead, I’ll say that as a bonus to all these points, I got a 21-liter tank - and this at a consumption of some four and a half liters per hundred.
I had no intention of buying the bike new. But one of the excellent copies in St. Petersburg, two years old, with a mileage of 1800 km and a 40% discount, disappeared from under my nose. The second one, in Moscow, instead of “only the gas tank was replaced,” it turned out to be practically reassembled, since in a warehouse in the USA something apparently no less than a reinforced concrete slab fell on it from above. But then, in one of the showrooms I saw it - the new Guzzi V7, Stone version in a rare green color. My heart trembled. The price was not what I had in mind for my budget and I, with sadness in my heart, several times, as if accidentally passing by, lingered near him, enveloping him with my gaze. Until a simple and timely thought occurred to me - to bargain. The year of manufacture is past, summer is already in full swing, it’s a time of crisis, and the brand, to put it mildly, is not the most popular. And my arguments worked! The discount turned out to be such that the decision was made without any test drive, which, moreover, was not planned.
And now he is already on the street in front of the store. Iron, “tube”, with Italian taste, worked out in detail. The signature design of Moto guzzi: the engine is located longitudinally, but the cylinders, on the contrary, are defiantly erect across the frame. The leather bags that traveled with me around the city on the Transalpa (where I was able to fit a backpack, raincoat and sneakers) fit perfectly onto the moto without any frames, and to my taste it only looked better with them. When the starter is turned on, the motorcycle shudders with its entire mass as if it were a bear that had slept until April and a forester had fallen into its den. New tires, new pads, a new engine, an unaccustomed driver - we make the first kilometers of the journey uncertainly and clumsily. My first thoughts are whether I just shelled out a decent amount of money for this. Friday hell on the Moscow Ring Road and in Balashikha. First test of riding between the aisles: excellent, moves like a bicycle, even with bags. And only after breaking out onto a free road, I began to compare my feelings with the expectations and requirements described above. So. The motorcycle is fun! And this is at 52 hp. I follow the requirement not to turn the throttle back more than one third when breaking in, but I feel like it's fun! Well, yes, because there are more newtonometers than horsepower - 60. The sound is a little different from what I expected (listening to it with headphones on YouTube before), but it’s quite enough. There was conflicting information from various reviews - that is, it has bottoms, then it doesn’t, that is, it has tops, then it doesn’t have tops. For me, it has enough lows for its cubic capacity, and it has a middle, but the highs are still unclear - it’s just a run-in. And it’s somehow strange for a motorcycle of this kind to fuss, strain and switch from a juicy bass to an absurd howl, I thought. I thought until the run-in was over... In the meantime, the road to Nizhny was in the style of riding Syroezhkin’s moped from “The Adventures of Electronics” - a sunny day, a satisfied smile on his face, trucks overtaking me, frequent stops for supposedly something to drink and eat, but in reality in fact, in order to admire the motorcycle from the outside once again.
The painful testing went on for two months. Painful, because despite my slowness, I still waited with interest for the day when it would be possible to “unscrew” it. And it came. What to say? He's quite cheerful. Just as fun as a 750cc motorcycle should be. It is cheerful, not fierce and angry. Exactly what I expected. And lo and behold, I love spinning it! But it’s better to unscrew the accelerator handle more smoothly - the main gear selects freewheels rather jerkily. However, our blinker now blinks with enviable consistency (there is no tachometer on this model at all). By the way, all reviewers scold it (the blinker on Guzzi V7) - they say it turns on early and is annoying. But no one bothered to figure out that it is easily set in the settings to any engine speed, and at the factory it is set by default to 4000 revolutions for break-in purposes. There are enough brakes, despite the total number of discs - two - but they are embraced by Brembo. The suspension is stiff, but this can also be corrected, at least the rear part. There are noticeable vibrations. In addition, thanks to the longitudinally located crankshaft, when the throttle is opened sharply, the motorcycle moves noticeably to the right - not only at idle, but even a little while driving. In terms of driving around the city: my Transalp was also a fairly versatile motorcycle for me, and it lurched through traffic jams quite well, but on the “green” I find it more comfortable in the city: the steering wheel is narrower, the weight is less, my legs confidently reach the entire area of the asphalt when stopping and at low speeds soles For the route you need at least a small glass. Well, arcs. Otherwise, in my opinion, Guzzi is a completely finished motorcycle, including in terms of design. Meanwhile, on the street (my organization is located between two checkpoints), tipsy citizens walk past the motorcycle without stopping - the majority, looking at it with peripheral vision, think that it is Izh. And next to Transalp they often stopped and said to each other: “here - look - a sports motorcycle!” Sorry if you didn’t find a detailed overview of all the characteristics of my Moto guzzi V7 here, I’m a little off topic, but if you have anything, ask :).
Summary
The Moto Guzzi V7 Stone is a confident, predictable and carefree motorcycle. Its engine provides accessible thrust at any speed, but it really sounds happy in the midrange. Throttle response is lively and immediate, and the exhaust note is soothing. Thanks to its modest weight, low seat height and natural ergonomics, it rides and handles effortlessly. Brakes, gearbox, suspension - everything just works as it should. Like the Guzzi that stole Melissa's heart, the V7 is a reliable workhorse, not capricious and quite cute. Well, minus the peculiar-looking rear light with a constellation of red diodes, which is too high-tech for this motorcycle.
The V7 Stone Centenario carries Moto Guzzi's century-old heritage with ease and pride. This brand is like black coffee or Italian cheese. It's not made for kids, and it values a thoughtful, slow approach. And yes, sometimes it remains misunderstood by the masses, but it was not created for the masses, but many who tried it at the right time in their lives are captivated by it once and for all.
