Moto Guzzi V7 vs the NC700

[bvogel7475]

A dealership near my house just added Moto Guzzi to their lineup this week. So, they had a demo day. First new Moto Guzzi I have ever seen in my life. I rode the smallest bike they make the V7 Stone. It's a 750 cc motor. I was impressed. That transverse twin is ugly like an English bulldog. A little intimidating at first but friendly once you get it to it. I think Moto Guzzi has a great product. They had 8 different models there and the biggest one had a 1300 cc engine. Yes, I had to a clutch again but I had no trouble of course. I still like my NC better than the V7 but was still surprised at how much the Guzzi grew on me. Take a test ride if they come to your neighborhood.

 

[baxtre]

I've heard horror stories about quirky problems with no solutions. I admit there is a magnetic appeal but I'll take reliability any day.

Sent from my SM-T280 using Tapatalk

 

[Fuzzy]

I have a good friend with a Guzi Norge. His primary attraction was to be different. He loves the bike, but he is also an excellent mechanic having grown up in his father's motorcycle shop.

One issue with Piaggio brands in the U.S. is the scarcity of dealers if you need a dealer's help. The largest Guzi dealer in U.S. was Rider's Hill in Dahlonega, GA. They went out of business last year.

 

[mike5100]

I test rode the 750 in the Uk. I didn't like it as it seemed to recapture all the bad points of the bikes of the 60's - as did the Triumph Thruxton that I rode (apparently the latest one is brilliant).
Apart form the bad vibrations poor suspension and general discomfort, in the UK they suffer from similar dealer problems. Or rather the dealers are OK but the parts supply from Italy is hopeless with people waiting 6 weeks or so for parts when they go wrong.
Mike

 

[drdubb]

Read good things about the Stelvio and i considered it before pulling the trigger on the NC. Followed a forum for awhile to gain insight. I decided it was too heavy and two top heavy for this old man.

 

[tew47]

I had a 1969 V7 that was rebuilt for the first time at 245,000 miles. Great bike and you could still comb you hair in the paint job. Think it had about 40 hp.

 

[Mi_ka]

Have been admiring the big block Guzzies since my teens (now 40+) after gasping over an already old Le Mans III sometime in '92.
The small block Guzzies like the V7 line are essentially a late '70s bike, chassis and engine wise despite the modernization process through the later years.
They were such a complete mechanological package then that they still remain relevant today despite being a 30+ engine and a 40+ year old chassis design.
Too bad the world changed spinning direction when the Japanese factories went WOT in the '80s and such complete packages were sentenced to obscurity.

Having followed a main Guzzi forum for years (in love with the Griso) I can safely say that Piaggio are solidly minded in selling the great Guzzies in the same mantra they sell their scooter products (I had one and interacted with their networks over here).
This mantra is of the "disposable" mentality - sell now,now,now and we shall see about support over the years. This works for scooters you change every 2-3 years in Italy as main commuting vehicle but fails miserably on Guzzies that are bought by love to be long term marriage feelings.
So far it seems that a handful of aficionados provide much bigger service to customers than the Piaggio dealerships and the real thing that keeps Moto Guzzi afloat is the embedded "Exotic" factor that all the Guzzi products posses in lesser or bigger quantities.

 

[HarveyM]

Owned a Vespa for ten years. I did a few 500 mile days on it. Buying a Piaggio product is a mixed bag; I loved the fun of the Vespa and it never let me down, but I had to do some of my own QC (loose seat lock bolts, and a loose rear turn signal bolt). I found it helped to do my own mechanical work. Parts were never quick to arrive, but in recent years delivery times have improved to 'adequate'. I understand there's now a parts warehouse in the US. Fortunately Piaggio's brands (especially Vespa and Guzzi) inspire aficionados, so there's a wealth of experience to lean on.