My Moto Guzzi V7. Does it smell like pizza or is it just me?

[totalmotorcycle]

So I've narrowed my bike down to a name after all these months. Usually bikes are quite easy to name for me, but this one has so much character, personality and style it turned out to be quite the challenge! But I think I have a name for it, I'll try it on for a bit and see.

Tesoro

(meaning Treasure in Italian)

Hear it: https://translate.google.com/?q=gallina ... /it/Tesoro

Mike

[sapaul]

So I've narrowed my bike down to a name after all these months. Usually bikes are quite easy to name for me, but this one has so much character, personality and style it turned out to be quite the challenge! But I think I have a name for it, I'll try it on for a bit and see.

Tesoro

(meaning Treasure in Italian)

Hear it: https://translate.google.com/?q=gallina ... /it/Tesoro

Mike

Sorry Mike, don't like that, prefer

funghi

[totalmotorcycle]

Sorry Mike, don't like that, prefer funghi

I was thinking of that as the bike REALLY did have a mushroom scent about it when it's warmed up. (it's mostly gone now but it was there till about 1200 miles). But having a bike named mushroom? hmmm...

Mike

[Hanson]

Hi Mike,

A couple of Saturdays back I drove over to RPM Cycle in Farmers Branch to sit on some pizza iron. They had all of the various V7 models and I sat on all of them except the Racer. I liked the Stone in white, and the Special in Black and Yellow. RPM Cycle uses a price tag that includes everything; dealer prep, shipping and taxes, and a V7 Special out the door was over 12 large which was a bit of a shock. The extra expenses bumped the price up by a bit more then 20% over MSRP.

I loved the V7 Special in Black and Yellow, but it felt cramped. The indents on the side of the tank hit me just behind the knees and there was not a lot of distance between my butt and the pegs. I could scooch back a bit on the seat but this made the reach for the bars a bit uncomfortable and it is not at all comfortable sitting on the step of the seat. You are two inches taller than I am and I wonder how you fit comfortable on your dark hat Stone. Can you truly tuck your knees in behind the indents on the tank? Also, the pegs are mounted right on top of the exhaust so I don't see how it would be possible to lower the pegs. Perhaps I could change the seat height to get a bit more room on the bike. All that said, I still love the looks of the V7 Special.

I also sat on a Stelvio 1200 NTX. In this case, the cylinder heads where only about an inch or two in front of my knees, this was not a problem on the V7, and the transition between the seat and the tank was quite uncomfortable with the the front edge of the seat poking me on the inside of my legs. From the specks and reviews, I loved this bike, but I can't imagine how it could work for me. Right before I drove over to RPM I dropped in on Richardson Power Sports to sit on the Yamaha Super Tenere. I did this on purpose so that I would have a good base line for evaluating the Stelvio and the Super Tenere provided about the same riding position but without any of the ergonomic issues of the Stelvio. If I had been in moto pants instead of shorts, I think it likely that the knee armor of the pants would have been in direct contact with the cylinder heads of the Stelvio. One thing I have learned is that no matter how much research I do on a bike there is simply no substitute for going and sitting on the machine.

For those who like cruisers, RPM had a California Custom in inventory and that is just a gorgeous ride.

For Forum members in the DFW area, the sales staff at RPM Cycle was much better than the young man at Richardson Power Sports who surprised me by telling me that a Supper Tenere would make a great first bike if I just showed it a bit of respect.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[totalmotorcycle]

Hi Richard,

So glad to hear you checked out RPM Cycle the Moto Guzzi dealer and saw the V7 models. The V7 Special sure is a great bike, I do love the new polished rims they put on it for 2013. A little surprized about the price as you can get a base one here: http://houston.craigslist.org/mcy/3706999270.html for $9190. (then add the 6.15% vehicle tax and delivery). Shouldn't be more than $10k ish. Maybe you should give MPH Cycle a call and see what their price is?

Do I fit on the V7 Stone? Sure do. 6'4" and I have a 34" inseam plus size 14 boots as well! I can't fit on a Sportster or V-Rod though, infact I don't fit on many full sized Harley's (I use H-D here because they are big bikes). My knees are about 1/4" away from touching the tank bump outs (and yes, I'd prefer a smooth tank) so I just scoot back and sit on the seat strap (which does flatten down after 100 miles). I've even had my wife on the back of the bike with me as well. 2-up for 2 tall riders isn't that comfortable though. Moto Guzzi does make a gel seat that you can sit back another 1" or so on for $200. And for $60 you can get rubber pads that fit into the tank grooves so you knees don't hit the tank bump. http://www.motoguzzi-us.com/motorcycles ... ories.html



The pegs can't be lowered but I don't mind. I wanted to lower my V-Strom's pegs but haven't had an issue with the V7 pegs. And the V-Strom is a full sized dual sport.

Everyone does fit different and as you said it's best to sit on a bike. What works for some may not work for all. I've been excited about seeing a photo of a bike and it's stats only to find out it doesn't fit me (much too often too!).

The Moto Guzzi California Custom is a beautiful bike, MPH has 7 of them in stock, 7! The grey one looks better in life than in the photos too. I think it will be a hit as it's something really different in the cruiser world.

Mike

Hi Mike,

A couple of Saturdays back I drove over to RPM Cycle in Farmers Branch to sit on some pizza iron. They had all of the various V7 models and I sat on all of them except the Racer. I liked the Stone in white, and the Special in Black and Yellow. RPM Cycle uses a price tag that includes everything; dealer prep, shipping and taxes, and a V7 Special out the door was over 12 large which was a bit of a shock. The extra expenses bumped the price up by a bit more then 20% over MSRP.

I loved the V7 Special in Black and Yellow, but it felt cramped. The indents on the side of the tank hit me just behind the knees and there was not a lot of distance between my butt and the pegs. I could scooch back a bit on the seat but this made the reach for the bars a bit uncomfortable and it is not at all comfortable sitting on the step of the seat. You are two inches taller than I am and I wonder how you fit comfortable on your dark hat Stone. Can you truly tuck your knees in behind the indents on the tank? Also, the pegs are mounted right on top of the exhaust so I don't see how it would be possible to lower the pegs. Perhaps I could change the seat height to get a bit more room on the bike. All that said, I still love the looks of the V7 Special.

I also sat on a Stelvio 1200 NTX. In this case, the cylinder heads where only about an inch or two in front of my knees, this was not a problem on the V7, and the transition between the seat and the tank was quite uncomfortable with the the front edge of the seat poking me on the inside of my legs. From the specks and reviews, I loved this bike, but I can't imagine how it could work for me. Right before I drove over to RPM I dropped in on Richardson Power Sports to sit on the Yamaha Super Tenere. I did this on purpose so that I would have a good base line for evaluating the Stelvio and the Super Tenere provided about the same riding position but without any of the ergonomic issues of the Stelvio. If I had been in moto pants instead of shorts, I think it likely that the knee armor of the pants would have been in direct contact with the cylinder heads of the Stelvio. One thing I have learned is that no matter how much research I do on a bike there is simply no substitute for going and sitting on the machine.

For those who like cruisers, RPM had a California Custom in inventory and that is just a gorgeous ride.

For Forum members in the DFW area, the sales staff at RPM Cycle was much better than the young man at Richardson Power Sports who surprised me by telling me that a Supper Tenere would make a great first bike if I just showed it a bit of respect.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[Hanson]

Hi, Mike and thanks for the info.

I am only 6'2" but my inseam is just under 36". I also sport size 14 feet.

When I just sit on the V7 Special in a neutral position, the indents on the tank hit me about 4" behind the front of my knees but I had a comfortable reach for the bars and a nice upright position. It sounds like you are pushing back just a bit on the saddle to tuck your knees in behind the indents and I tried this but that put my backside well up on the pillion area and made my reach for the bars uncomfortable. Likely, your reach is longer than mine.

One thing that surprised me about the Special was that I had expected to like the the Red and White color combo, but the Red has a rather orange tint and after looking at both of the color option in full sunlight I found that I easily preferred the Black and Yellow. I looked at a lot of price tags that day and the more I think about it I might be misremembering. The V7 Special was priced at MSRP $9190 + $495 delivery charge + $495 dealer prep + $50 paperwork + TTL and other miscellaneous line items, so about 11k. I might have been thinking about the tag hanging on the V7 Racer.

My overall impression of the Guzzi bikes was that they all look great with wonderful aesthetics, that they are well made, but a bit pricey. Lots of character.

To be realistic, no matter how much I like the V7 Guzzi bikes, I don't think I fit on them all that well. This won't keep me from drooling like a moron every time I see one on the rode.

Some time ago I also sat on the new Honda CBR500R and found it comfortable with my legs tucking in neatly against the tank, but with a bit of a forward lean. When you compare the V7 Special and the CBR500R on cycle-ergo.com, both bikes have the same low seat height of only 31.5" and about the same knee angle with the big difference being a bit of forward lean on the CBR500R. The MSRP for the CB with ABS is only $6500 and high on my list as a first bike at this time.

In a few years I want a big adventure bike to do some touring and camping and having less cash wrapped up in my first bike might allow me to keep the Honda for a track bike. I love the idea of going to track schools to improve my riding skills down the road.

Safe Travels,
Richard

Only 11 payments left on my truck .

[totalmotorcycle]

Hi Richard,

Wow, a 36" inseam, I'd hate to have to find jeans for you as 34" is about as long as it commonly available. Unfortunately you do have the height (in the legs) more than I, which will cut down even more on bikes. If you find the CBR500R fits you then, awesome. The other bike that I know will fit comfortably for you is the Suzuki V-Strom 650. By far the most comfortable bike I've owned, but you have to be at least "ok" with the styling.

Yup, the Racer V7 is the crème-de-la-crème of the V7 line. It's pricey but with the real chrome tank, custom painted frame, and lots of other bits-and-bobs...

How do you feel about dual sports? Or even cruisers? As these are higher or longer bikes they fit long legs better than the standard position.

Mike

[Hanson]

I tried to find a seat on the DL650 but there where none at the local Kawasaki/Suzuki dealer. I am going to have to look harder. I like this bike on paper and I like that I can get it with ABS. I did sit on a Versys and it was a good fit, but no ABS and I would rather the V-Strom. The sales man at Plano Kawasaki Suzuki was the best I have encountered to date. He was truly helpful without being pushy and no BS. The worst was a salesman at Maxim Honda in Allen who tried to tell me that the chain and sprockets on the Honda NC700X are maintenance free and good for the life of the bike. I had to check a mirror to make certain that Mrs. Hanson had not written "Stupid" with lipstick on my forehead while I was taking a nap again.

The CBR500R was cramped but I could fit. The Versys was better but I did not care for the bike that much and did not think it a good value. I still have a lot of time left to make a decision and I am sure I will sit on a V-Strom 650 before all is done. I like this bike and it looks to be fully capable of taking me on camping trips but with a base price of $8500 I kept thinking why not the V7 Special? Now that I have had a sit on the Guzzi, I can get that out of my mind, and in truth the little Strom would be a great bike for what I want to do on a bike. Styling? The Strom is a purposeful ugly that I actually like. I have a harder time with the beaks on the BMW adventure bikes.

Dual Sports? I have tried to like the DR-Z400SM and such but the looks do nothing for me. It would be a versatile bike to learn on. I have also had a sit on the KLR650.

Cruisers? This is my least favorite moto format but the more I have learned about motorcycles the more appealing all bikes have become including cruisers. The curves on the Ducati Diavel exhaust pipes are just art and there is something very special about the BMW R1200C along with the new Guzzi. When I first started this process, what I liked the most was the old UJM stile, I think this was simply a function of comfort from my CB400T days, and what I disliked the most was the HD cruisers. This is no longer true and I have grown to have an appreciation for the reality that different types of bikes serve different purposes and provide a wide range of motorcycle experiences for the rider.

I will take one of each please, and thank you sir!

Safe Travels,
Richard

[totalmotorcycle]

Your most welcome for the advice Richard, I'm happy to help. This gives me an idea... Why not create a blog called "The search for the perfect first bike" and do as you are doing now, writing down the ups and downs. A LOT of new riders will read it and gain a lot of experience from your experience.

The V-Storm: I really did enjoyed owning it, it was the PREFECT bike I was looking for. I wanted a V-Twin, something with Fuel Injection, something that could rev higher up like a sport bike, had a larger fuel tank and most of all, that was comfortable. It did all this and more. I could go 700km's on a tank of gas and be comfortable doing it. The only down fall was I was looking for something with more character and hence the Guzzi, but I'd give the Strom a SOLID recommendation!

Mike

[Hanson]

Perhaps, and I am sorry to have hijack your pizza Guzzi thread. The V7 Special is going to always be one of my favorite bikes.

Richard