by Andy Bisson.
This month it’s the turn of Moto Guzzi with Pete nudging me towards the 850 V7 Special. Moto Guzzi tend to keep things traditional without a lot of the added technology that you get with most modern bikes so I was interested to see what it had to offer. It’s also been a few years since we last reviewed a Moto Guzzi so let’s see how they’ve developed.
I was surprised at first view at how much I liked it. Its naked lines are well styled and they maintain the look of the mid-range retro muscle bike. It has a perfect blend of chrome and black paint which complement the grey paint work. It also comes in blue and both colours are nicely matched to its style.
Rather than the modern technology that you see on most bikes, the V7 Special boasts a pair of simple yet stylish analog instrument dials that are well in keeping with its period design. They still provide a few data options as in trip distance, fuel use etc. It also has ABS and traction control.
When you first start it up you get a slight rock from the engine when you tweak the throttle which is normal for the Moto Guzzi but I didn’t really notice this on the ride even when held in traffic.
When I first sat on it, it took me back to my early riding days of the 80’s. It felt well balanced with the seat at a great height to suit most riders. It’s an upright riding position with the pegs well positioned to provide plenty of room so its not cramped.
Once I headed out and around town, it was immediately apparent at how light it was. The wide bars make handling smooth and controlled. After a little urban riding and filtering the traffic, it was time to head to our normal circuit.
It was much smoother than I was expecting and the engine offers loads of torque down low so you can cruise a long quite happily without really needing to change gear that often other than for some of the tighter bends.
It handled well in all road conditions, purring through the bends of waterworks valley before opening up as we headed out west. This is my mind is an upright cruiser and with the weather being on my side I stayed out longer than normal and pretty much did a full island tour and I liked what I saw, both with the bike and the scenery.
This is a great bike for cruising around the island and light and easy for commuting. Whilst it offers no wind or weather protection, at the right time of year a tour away to France would have to be on the cards. Inmotion have a demo in store just waiting for you to take out and explore the island and see what this great bike has to offer.
