For successful vehicles such as the Moto Guzzi V7 Special model upgrades are always a tricky business. It should be better, but not fundamentally different. As such the manufacturers of the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special made just a few minor retouches. Or not so much?
The little one is the greatest. Although within the Guzzi range it is marked at the lower end of the engine capacity scale, the Moto Guzzi V7 Special is right out in front in terms of being a fan favourite. Or perhaps precisely on account of its smaller capacity? Ultimately, no other Moto Guzzi model so fittingly embodies the traditional line of the V2 from Mandello, combining charm and sufficient power. And because it is offered at an appealing price, plus the fact that it is A1 driver’s licence compatible thanks to its 47 HP, in the past year it has sold an even two and a half times as many as the second most successful Guzzi, the Cali 1400.
The successful Moto Guzzi V7 Special has now been rejuvenated. Of course this is not for free. 8,935 Euros means a price increase of 500 Euros for the new Moto Guzzi V7 II Special. But those who see new and old alongside one another will be rubbing their eyes in amazement. Differences? At first glance there is barely anything between them. Perhaps it’s a sham? There is only one thing for it: climb on and try them out. The southern French sun shines down. Ignition on. Two control lights in the cockpit of the new model provide evidence of innovation. For one, the long overdue ABS is now on board. What’s more, there is also traction control. With 47 HP is it certainly not the most pressingly required feature, but hey: it can’t do any harm.
- The old Moto Guzzi V7 Special. Credit: fact
- One noticeable feature is the engine, which is tilted four degrees further in an upward direction. Credit: fact
- So what has changed in the transition from the Moto Guzzi V7 Special … Credit: fact
- … to the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special? Credit: fact
- … new mufflers. Credit: fact
- All in all, the new model has a more pleasing appearance on account of the lower engine, the modified manifold combination and… Credit: fact
The seat upholstery now seems firmer
After two or three turns of the crank shaft the predecessor bubbles away satisfactorily in idle state. The starter motor of the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special cranks for a little longer, then joins in the concert of bass. Although when stationary your eyes and ears will struggle to identify any changes: once moving the first differences quickly become evident.
The seat padding now seems firmer – the driver doesn’t sink in as far. Together with the footrests, which are positioned a good 20 mm lower, the result is a much more relaxed knee angle, which makes the sitting position on the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special on the whole more harmonious and relaxed. The more finely dosing clutch is in keeping with this. Thus, the charming twin endears itself to its driver in no time at all. Granted, the little Guzzi could always do this, but now even better. The V2 in particular, with all of its character, remains practically untouched. It still blubbering and thudding to its heart’s desire, only now it extends its power further towards the cardan, via the six-speed transmission.
- Granted the old model has more comfortable suspension, yet… Credit: fact
- … the sitting position on the new model is more consistent and relaxed. Credit: fact
The days of incredibly long, doughy shifting are a thing of the past
As such the days of incredibly long, doughy gearshift travel are finally in the past. The driver can switch crisply between the gears on the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special on account of the accordingly short shifting travel. Thus – with practically the same overall ratio – the lower three gears are spaced slightly closer together. And between the final two unchanged gear steps, an additional gear has been added. This layout, with three widely spaced lower gears and three closely spaced gears is certainly, let’s say, unusual. However, this effectively shelves the big jump between the last two gears.
And at that we are already down to business. For contrary to first impressions, the changes in comparison to the Moto Guzzi V7 Special are much more multifaceted and profound that it first seemed. Not only is the transmission new, but so too is the frame. This is something that the driver initially noticed in direct comparison when taxiing, since the turning circle of the new model has increased by 25 cm. But not to worry, as otherwise the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special is still the well-natured and entertaining pal for relaxed tours, weaving its way through the winding streets as relaxed as ever. In spite of its slightly longer wheelbase, it hurls itself into the corners with minimal effort as usual, still impressing with its harmonious handling.
The engine in the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special is now installed horizontally
The reason for the new chassis must have been the repositioning of the engine. It is no longer slightly tilted towards the back, but instead is practically installed horizontally. This not only makes the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special visually more consistent. This minor tweak also offers the driver more legroom. In conjunction with the lower transmission output of the new gearbox, the swing arm is not flatter with a smaller pivoting angle of the cardan joint. Good when it comes to wear. And those who spur on the V2 will notice not only the slightly less defined cardan reactions, but also the fact that the two-valve engine is still in good voice. In this regard, when laden it now has a slightly harder, more robust tone from the middle of the rev range. However, it doesn’t follow the full-bodied tones up with the corresponding deeds.
In terms of drive performance, it doesn’t manage to pull away from its predecessor, even losing a few tenths when accelerating. The reason for this presumably lies in the interplay of new end mufflers, the changed intake snorkel, which is determined by the installation position of the new engine, and the eight kilograms of additional weight. For at under 4,000 rpm the V7 Duc generates slightly less pressure, slightly surpassing the old model once beyond this engine speed. As such, the domain of the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special is still enjoyable cruising, accentuated by the flattering roar of the V2, which can be enjoyed with even greater relaxation thanks to the more harmonious sitting position. At least provided the Guzzi has well-maintained road surfaces beneath its narrow wheels. If there are bumps in the asphalt, the new suspension struts, of which the spring deflection is more than seven millimetres shorter, react rather stubbornly. In contrast, the simple telescopic fork deals with the inadequacies of the road surface much more sensitively and comfortably.
- The old cockpit in the Moto Guzzi V7 Special is now supplemented with… Credit: fact
- …control lights for the ABS and traction control in the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special. Credit: fact
- Where on the Moto Guzzi V7 Special there were still some rather careless weld seams to be found on the gusset plate, … Credit: fact
- … the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special scores points with its clean weld marks. Credit: fact
- In the previous model the transmission output was further up. Credit: fact
- For the new model the clutch activation on the transmission was changed. Credit: fact
- The braking system and front wheel of the Moto Guzzi V7 Special in comparison to… Credit: fact
- … those on the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special. Credit: fact
- Steering head of the Moto Guzzi V7 Special … Credit: fact
- … and the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special. Credit: fact
- Are both really special? The Moto Guzzi V7 Special and … Credit: fact
- … who would have thought it: the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special. Credit: fact
The most important new addition is concealed between the horns
However, perhaps the most important innovation is concealed between the two horns. There lies the pressure modulator of the ABS. Inspite of the four-piston fixed callipers, until now stong delay has not been one of the primary virtues of the individual discs in the front wheel. And neither have dosing and feedback when anchoring with the tyres worn down to the rim. Therefore the ABS is a real win, which is particularly evident in direct comparison when flying over a small, dreamy pass. The brakes of the Moto Guzzi V7 Special in particular, re-tuned with changed brake pads, had noticeably increased in effectiveness after a few sharp braking manoeuvres.
And where the old Moto Guzzi V7 Special with its woody pressure point only managed a moderate deceleration value of 8.2 m/s², the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special decelerates art a reasonable 9.0 m/s². Or to put it another way: at the point where the new model comes to a stop when decelerating from 100 km/h, the ABS-less predecessor flies past at 30 km/h and only comes to a stop four metres later. The increase in braking performance will not only delight old hands, but will also make it more beginner-friendly. So has it got better? Aside from the bony suspension struts, the more refined sitting position, the crisper gear changes and most of all the ABS-equipped brakes all argue in favour of the new model. Fans should have no difficulty getting over the slightly weaker acceleration. And in any case, it is a simply beautiful motorcycle.
Technical data and measured values
Engine
Moto Guzzi V7 II Special Moto Guzzi V7 Special
Design Two-cylinder – four-stroke –
90-degree V engine Two-cylinder – four-stroke –
90-degree V engine
Injection 2x Ø 38 mm 2x Ø 38 mm
Clutch Single-disc
Dry clutch Single-disc dry clutch
Bore x Stroke 80.0 x 74.0 mm 80.0 x 74.0 mm
Engine capacity 744 cm³ 744 cm³
Compression 10.5:1 10.5:1
Power 35.0 kW (47 HP)
at 6,250 rpm 37.0 kW (49 HP)
at 6,200 rpm
Torque 58 Nm at 3000 rpm 58 Nm at 5000 rpm
Chassis
Moto Guzzi V7 II Special
Moto Guzzi V7 Special
Frame Dual cradle frame
made from steel Dual cradle frame
made from steel
Fork Telescopic fork, Ø 40 mm Telescopic fork, Ø 40 mm
Brakes front/back Ø 320/260 mm Ø 320/260 mm
Assistance systems ABS, traction control –
Wheels 2.50 x 18; 3.50 x 17 2.50 x 18; 3.50 x 17
Tyres 100/90 18; 130/80 17 100/90 18; 130/80 17
Tyres Pirelli Sport Demon Pirelli Sport Demon
Dimensions + Weight
Moto Guzzi V7 II Special Moto Guzzi V7 Special
Wheelbase 1,450 mm 1435 mm
Steering head angle 62.5 degrees 62.5 degrees
Backlash 117 mm 109 mm
Spring deflection front/back 130/111 mm 130/118 mm
Seat height¹ 790 mm 790 mm
Weight when fully fuelled¹ 207 kg 199 kg
Load capacity¹ 194 kg 202 kg
Fuel capacity/reserve 21.0/4.0 litres 21.0/4.0 litres
Service intervals 10,000 km 10,000 km
Price 8,935 Euros 8,435 Euros
Auxiliary costs 255 Euros 255 Euros
MOTORRAD measurement values
Moto Guzzi V7 II Special Moto Guzzi V7 Special
Top speed* 160 km/h 160 km/h
Acceleration
0–100 km/h 6.0 secs 5.9 secs
0–140 km/h 12.5 secs 12.2 secs
Acceleration
60–100 km/h 5.6 secs 5.2 secs
100–140 km/h 9.7 secs 8.8 secs
Consumption on country roads/100 km 4.5 litres 4.4 litres
Range on country roads 467 km 477 km
*Manufacturer’s specifications; ¹MOTORRAD measurements
Power measurement
Below 4,000 rpm, the new Moto Guzzi V7 II Special forfeits some of its power, which together with the eight kilos of additional weight makes it somewhat more restrained when accelerating. Then is followed by a sharper increase in engine speed and it surpasses its predecessor, which, thanks to the more finely dosable clutch, also helps it achieve the better acceleration values. The fact that it doesn’t turn quite so energetically over the last 500 rpm is, by contrast, of less importance out in the wild.
Transmission ratio range
Until now (left) the five gears were very evenly spread out, whereby the jump from fourth into fifth in practice seemed huge. Now the new transmission (right) in the Moto Guzzi V7 II Special combines three widely spread out lower gears with three closely spaced upper gears.