Moto Guzzi II Racer and Yamaha XV 950 Racer compared

“Coffee Cruisers” (German: Kaffeefahrer = participants on cheap coach trips offered in exchange for sitting through a sales pitch) used to refer mainly to pensioners to whom people attempted to palm off completely overpriced rubbish such as electric blankets in the back rooms of country pubs. Nowadays this is far from the truth – take for example the Moto Guzzi II Racer and Yamaha XV 950 Racer.

Old school promotional trips seem to have died out. Who doesn’t remember the flyers that used to be found in letterboxes on an almost weekly basis, touting trips to one sensational location or another at amazingly low prices. In the small print it was then stated that on the trip there would be the opportunity to take part in a sales event in order to stock up on what were presumably important everyday necessities while you were there. Generally speaking, in addition to the coffee from which the German term took its name, this included various household products, the quality of which was generally diametrically opposed to the quoted price. To get straight to the point: to establish a link between the two protagonists of the story – the “coffee cruiser” and the café racer – at this point would be grossly negligent. And inaccurate to boot.

The target consumer group for these bikes is more likely to be found in the inner districts of big cities. On the promenade or outside trendy bars it is not three-figure HP values or high utility value that are required, but rather style. And this is something that both the Moto Guzzi II Racer and the Yamaha XV 950 Racer have in spades. Both feature the currently very hip look of a café racer. The look finds its origins in England in the 1950s, when the boys removed everything deemed excess to requirement from their Triumphs, Nortons or BSAs – and screwed on a stub handlebar in order to get from one pub to the next as quickly as possible.

Unique soundscape of the Moto Guzzi V2

The Moto Guzzi V7 II Racer embodies this typology almost perfectly: It differs from its civil sister models on account of the single-rider suede seat, including its race-number-adorned hump, a chrome-plated tank and stub handlebar and foot rests that have been shifted backwards, as well as its diminutive cockpit panelling. Extremely firmly tuned, fully adjustable suspension struts by Bitubo and a dazzling makeover in the form of a purple frame complete the metamorphosis. Technically speaking everything remains the same as in the old versions, that is 47 HP, which since 2015 have been delivered to the backwheel via the cardan shaft by a six-speed rather than a five-speed transmission. Since then ABS and traction control have also been added. All so that the slip doesn’t get out of hand.

Such concessions to modernity cannot take away from the archaic character of the Moto Guzzi II Racer. It feels as though the unique soundscape of the V2 has already been described a thousand times – this mixture of sniffing and jolting, clattering and ticking, and all underpinned by a robust, bassy sound that escapes from the pair of stainless steel exhaust pipes. On this early morning start, with its misfiring and spluttering over the first few metres – in spite of all of the injection electronics – the Twin doesn’t want to miss the opportunity to draw to our attention the fact that it feels cold and you might like to hold back a little for the first kilometre or two.

At the end of the day, once you have shut off the ignition, it thanks you with a pop and a hiss and a crackle that any camp fire would be proud of. During the period of time in between, the Moto Guzzi II Racer delights with its light and targeted handling. Assuming a level road surface, it also ticks all the boxes regarding ride comfort, although on bumpy ground the chassis tuning is slightly on the stubborn side, especially at the back. The pretty, suede-covered seat doesn’t help much here. What’s more, if the bike happens to have been left outside on a rainy night, the seat can be sure to leave you with a soaking wet crotch even hours later. The gearbox on this test bike has to be operated with caution, as there are much more precise specimens out there. That said, the Italians do manage to combine the spirit of the good old days with modern day requirements in a highly emotional manner. We will generously overlook the term racer in its title.

A long wheelbase, a flat fork, not much ground clearance

We should probably do the same for the Yamaha XV 950 Racer. For the only things that could allow them to be associated with racing are the stub handlebars mounted beneath the huge matt black fork crown and the playful rally stripes on the tank and tail. And although according to Yamaha it falls under the category of Sport Heritage, its air-cooled, likewise two-cylinder, core makes it a genuine cruiser. The chassis geometry backs this up; it is identical to that of the XV 950 bobber.

A long wheelbase, a flat fork, not much ground clearance – this is the burden that the Yamaha XV 950 Racer has to bear. The fact that the footrests have been shifted back from level with the clutch to level with the independent axle, doesn’t make things any better. Whether when stopping, manoeuvring or folding out the stand. They are in the way. All the time! From just the second trip out you will want to be wearing boots in order to avoid bruised ankles.

To complete the list of gripes, the following must be mentioned: compared to the Moto Guzzi II Racer the handling is annoyingly sluggish, the curves in which the footrests don’t touch the ground in dry conditions are yet to have been found. In wet conditions it is the tyres that impose the limitations. When braking hard the fork bends like wheat in the summer wind, while the ABS also intervenes with crude and irregular intervals. The air filter mounted on the right hand side prevents knee contact with the tank. Last but not least the tonne of information at the cockpit leaves nothing to be desired.

Less engine capacity, more gears. Tough luck.

Anyone who thinks that this author simply wants to put the Yamaha down would be wrong. But if racer expectations are aroused, then general motorcycle requirements should at least be fulfilled. And this is simply not the case. If you view the Yamaha XV 950 Racer as the cruiser that it ultimately is, then the world looks like a quite different place. Then, in addition to appearance, which is, however, viewed entirely subjectively, the engine also counts. And this is where the Yamaha comes into its own. It of course benefits from its additional engine capacity. For the valves of the Moto Guzzi II Racer can chatter away as agitated as they like, but when it really counts on the “show mile”, they have no hope in hell. Less engine capacity, more gears. Tough luck. On the other hand, when it comes to emotion, the Yamaha V2 cannot match the Guzzi, although the Akrapovic cone that comes as part of the standard accessories gives its best shot. It delivers a thumping bass sound, which delights the driver and leaves those standing around in peace. That’s how it should be.

The question remains as to “which bike suits which individual?“ those who don’t have a problem with the ergonomics of the Yamaha and drive mainly in an urban setting or on level ground will be happy with the XV. Those with serious bends lying between their starting point and their destination or who approach café racing from an inclined position, will be better served by the V7.

Conclusion

And you would have bet on them being rubbish. Guzzi beats the Yamaha, that’s what a fair number would have said. And they’d probably be right!. The V7, although it too has its weaknesses, is in this case simply the more coherent, rounded concept Sound, feeling, function – everything fits together. The Yamaha philosophy, to simply stick a stub handlebar onto a cruiser and to set the footrests further back doesn’t really work. Too uncomfortable for cruising, and as for racing – just forget about it. But it is sufficient for on the promenade. The engine, on the other hand, really is good fun.

 

Specifications and measured values

Performance at the crankshaft. Measurements on the Dynojet roller dynamometer 250, corrected as per 95/1/EC, maximum possible deviation ± 5 %

It’s truly remarkable what you can get out of 200 cc and a modern Moto-racing layout. The Yamaha XV 950 Racer – albeit pimped by Akrapovic – presses around 20 Nm more on the crankshaft from idling and just won’t give up this lead. The added power doesn’t make such an impact, as ultimately the Moto Guzzi II Racer has been homologated at 47 HP, while the Yamaha has not. However, its engine has precisely the sense of authority that Guzzi fans have been longing to see in the V7 for years, up until now without any joy. Perhaps it will work out next year.

 

Technical Data	Moto Guzzi V7 II Racer	Yamaha XV 950 Racer
Model year	2015	2016
Motor
Number of cylinders, design	2, V-motor	2, V-motor
Bore / stroke	80.0 / 74.0 mm	85.0 / 83.0 mm
Engine capacity	744 cc	942 cc
Valves per cylinder	Four valves per cylinder	Four valves per cylinder
Compression	10.5	9.0
Output	35.0 kW (46.95 HP) at 6,250 rpm	38.3 kW (51.39 HP) at 5,500 rpm
Max. torque	58 Nm	80 Nm
Number of gears	Six-speed gearbox	Five-speed transmission
Rear-wheel drive	Cardan	Cam belt
Chassis, wheels, brakes
Frame	Double-cradle frame	Double-cradle frame
Front/rear spring deflection	130 mm / 96 mm	135 mm / 110 mm
Tyres	100/90 18, 130/80 17	100/90 19, 150/80 16
Front/rear brake	320 mm four-piston fixed callipers / 260 mm dual-piston floating calliper	298 mm four-piston fixed callipers / 298 mm single-piston floating calliper
ABS	Yes	Yes
Dimensions and weights
Wheel base	1,435 mm	1,570 mm
Steering head angle	62.5°	61.0°
Trail	117 mm	130 mm
Dead weight with a full tank of petrol	198 kg	251 kg
Seat height	790 mm	690 mm
Permissible total weight	401 kg	488 kg
Maximum speed	155 km/h	168 km/h
Price
New price	9,990 euros	9,395 euros