2016 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone 2 Motorcycle Review

So back in the day, before hyper specialization, your typical motorcycle was supposed to serve as a platform for riding around down, touring across the country, maybe doing a little racing and in some cases, off roading too. That is certainly the spirit behind this machine – the moto guzzi V7 Stone 2. Established back in 1921, Moto Guzzi is one of the oldest motorcycle manufacturers in Europe. And their iconic, air cooled, 90 degree v-twin engines, with the longitudinal crank shafts, are certainly one of the most unique feeling motors to ever hang from a frame. The updated seven hundred and fifty CC version used in the V7 stone 2 is said to produce 50 horsepower and forty foot pounds of torque and the weber merreli fuel injection certainly helps to deliver smooth power all the way up to 6000 rpm. Suspension bits are fairly plane Jane up front. You’ll find a 14mm fork there while out back a pair of pre-adjustable shocks help to soak up the bumps. The V7 Stone 2 is certainly a retro runner all the ay. It can pull off running errands around town and with some soft luggage would be perfect for a weekend getaway. Don’t have to take my word for it. Let’s hear it from this week’s guest road tester, Peter Gomes.

 

Dave

So Peter, what was your first impression when you pulled into the parking lot this morning?

 

Peter

I thought the Guzzi looked really classic, you’ve got the gators, you’ve got a very café looking bike but for a new bike it’s got a very vintage feel, very retro feel to it, but handles a lot better.

 

Dave

So did you like the look of the bike?

 

Peter

Yeah definitely. The matte silver finish looks great, the pipes look great, like I said, the seat really suites the bike, and I find that it’s very versatile in the fact that you can modify it and still not completely change it.

 

Dave

What did you think of the engine when we fired it up this morning. What did you think of the sound, the mechanical sound of the engine? What did you think?

 

Peter

I definitely notice it’s got a distinct sound – it almost bubbles or percolates – very unique which is something you like so it’s got it’s own flavor to it. So it was very different. I was expecting something different. But it was a bubbling percolating sound which is unique to the bike, yeah. I found that it had a lot of power first and second and it seemed like the gears never ended. Having six gears, it was very smooth at times. I found that switching gears sometimes I wasn’t quite sure if I was in gear, it just kept going. But definitely off the front, off the beginning, it had a lot of torque to it and you get it up to four thousand, five thousand and it’s still pulling. It feels great.

 

Dave

Yeah. Did you find the suspension was okay for you? We were on a lot of bumpy back roads today and that was for a reason. Did you like the suspension set up? Were you getting bounced around?

 

Peter

You know, at times, you can feel it in the back end as you’re opening up the throttle but there’s a nice sweet spot that the bike sort of levels out at and everything comes together and it’s a really smooth ride.

 

Dave

Yeah.

 

Dave

Tell me about the fit an finish of this bike, you’re used to riding a vintage bike, you hand around with guys that ride vintage bikes, what do you think of the finish of this bike?

 

Peter

I think they’ve got a really nice classic look. You know, you’ve got matte pieces here, and you’ve got a nice silver tank which also compliments the matte black. I think for a new bike that’s coming from a classic look they’ve done a really good job of keeping the parts that were really great about the Guzzi’s back then. I think everything works really well and the colour palette’s really great.

 

Dave

So who would you recommend this bike to, what’s it best for?

 

Peter

I think anyone who’s looking for a classic bike that isn’t just for the city. I think this is a great bike to sort of do long distance, to explore windy roads – to get out there and get out of the city. It’s got a great seat for a secondary passenger so you don’t have to do it alone. It’s a bike that I think you can take an adventure with and not just putter around town and look cool on. So I would recommend it for anyone that’s looking for an overall bike that’s reliable and can take you places.

 

Dave

Excellent. Well, I hope you had fun today?

 

Peter

I had tons of fun.

 

Dave

Great, great job.

 

Peter

Thankyou so much.

 

Dave

Thank-you man, that was great.