The original Moto Guzzi V7 was long, low and fast. But times move on and the latest Moto Guzzi to wear the V7 name is often classed as the baby Guzzi. Triumph’s Bonneville and Ducati’s Scrambler blitz it on power and sophistication. But hang on a minute – does this matter?
Modern bikes are just like any technology – always chasing the next big thing. More power, better brakes, more safety; it can get relentless. But after spending a day riding the latest reincarnations of Moto Guzzi’s V7 model, I find myself thinking – like the original, we don’t always need it.
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Moto Guzzi is steeped in tradition. The longest surviving European motorcycle manufacturer, Guzzi started making bikes in 1921. Despite many ups and downs through the decades, Guzzi bikes are still all made in Mandello del Lario, a small town on the shores of the beautiful Lake Como in the north of Italy. Despite the terrain – nestled in the south of the Alps – this area is heavy with industry, which allows the factory to source their third-party suppliers from nearby. It’s not a cheap way to make bikes, but heritage and nationalism is important to the Italians.
Read more in the May issue of CBG – on sale now!
