Moto Guzzi carries its “Special” into 2020 after the introduction of the V7 III family in 2017 that brought in a new engine and all-new frame. This is the third generation of 'Guzzi's venerable V7 line, and the Special has DNA that goes all the way back to the V750 S3 of '75 in a conspicuous display of its deep roots but keeps things purely modern where it counts. A new V-twin delivers ample ponies with that distinctive rumble and transverse orientation you'd expect, along with a traction control feature to help you keep it under control while accelerating. ABS overwatch for safe braking makes the Special suitable for entry-level riders and fun for experienced ones.

Moto Guzzi V7 III Special Design

MG starts out in the right direction on the V7 III Special with a set of laced rims that makes a strong statement. Sure, we still see plenty of spokes off-road, but most streetbikes are rocking some sort of cast-alloy rims nowadays so the wire wheels really stand out. Blackout treatment starts out early, as well, with darkened hubs and fork sliders to match the powerplant, tripletree, instrumentation, headlight can, and rear fender for a nod to the custom culture.

Twin round instrument cans carry an analog speedo and tach with an LCD screen and a handful of indicator lamps for everything else. Additionally, the Special comes with Bluetooth connectivity so you can turn your smartphone into a ride computer that monitors a plethora o' parameters for instantaneous feedback underway and post-ride analysis later.

The 5.54-gallon fuel tank has the usual shed roof on each side to sort of visually shelter the protruding jugs and form a knee pocket for the rider with a screw-in, lockable fuel cap rather than the flush-mount, aircraft-style closure. A faux tuck-and-roll bench seat takes over from there all the way back to the chrome passenger grab rail for even more seventies spice to go with the period striping on the side fairings. A bold, two-tone graphic runs from front to back along the top of the tank, no matter which base color you choose.

An all-in-one, tag/tail/turn unit finishes off the rearward gear with a period oval taillight over a blackout rear fender and kicked-up mufflers for a sporty finish. Although the details are subtle, I still get a sense of nostalgia just looking at the Special, so I'd say that the designers were on-point with this one.

Moto Guzzi V7 III Special Chassis

This new generation of V7 rides on an all-new frame that sees some reinforcement added to the front end of the traditional, dismountable double-cradle frame. Steel-tubing members make up the detachable double-cradle structure on the V7 III Special with a 46-54 weight split that keeps the front end light and responsive. A 26.4-degree rake angle and 4.17 inches of trail takes full advantage of it with a cast-alloy swingarm to finish off the standing structure and push the wheelbase out to 57.59 inches.

Seat height was lowered to a manageable 30.3 inches off the ground, and the passenger's triangle was also tweaked for comfort, as well, with a new position for the subframe-mount pegs to leave more legroom for your riding partner.

A single, 320 mm disc and four-pot Brembo anchor takes care of hauling down the front end with a 260 mm disc and two-piston caliper to slow the rear with ABS to help you keep it dirty-side down if you do get a little overenthusiastic with the brake levers.

Non-adjustable, 40 mm forks float the front end on 5.11 inches of travel and the dual, coil-over rear shocks give up 3.66 inches of travel with naught but the obligatory spring-preload adjustment for ride quality tweaks. In other words; pure-D vanilla. Asymmetrical hoops round out the rolling chassis with a 100/90-18 and 130/80-17 on the front and rear, respectively.

Moto Guzzi V7 III Special Drivetrain

The V7 III Special's revised powerplant is pretty hard to miss as its V-twin construction and transverse-mount arrangement leaves both of the new aluminum heads sticking out from under the fuel tank. Yeah, it's unusual looking, but that's 'Guzzi for you. A pair of 80 mm bores and a 74 mm stroke gives the engine a total displacement of 744 cc to put it in the lower-mid displacement range and bolster its entry-level suitability. The power numbers bear that out with 52 horsepower on tap at 6,200 rpm backed up by 44 pound-feet at 4,900 rpm: fun, but manageable.

In a bid to help you keep it under control, the factory chucked on its proprietary traction-control system that monitors wheel-speed differential and intervenes by reducing power until traction is reestablished. Of course, if you feel like you'd like to break the ass-end loose and have the necessary skillset to handle it, you can switch it off entirely and go full raw. Yee-haw!

The valvetrain for the duo-valve heads is a simple pushrod-and-rocker system that keeps the cam down low and the rocker box relatively compact. A single-disc dry clutch couples engine power to the six-speed transmission with straight-up raw operation. It has nothing of a slipper- or over-running clutch to prevent excessive backtorque from breaking the rear end loose on an aggressive downshift, but the factory touts an easy-pull clutch lever that is meant to be new-rider friendly. 'Cause ya' know, not everyone starts out with chiseled forearms...

Moto Guzzi V7 III Special Price

MSRP on the V7 III Special is $8,990 for 2020. Colorways from last year -- Nero Onice (black) or Griggio Cristallo (gray) – carry over this year

Moto Guzzi V7 III Special Competitors

Kinda' sporty, kinda' cool, and kinda' classy, the Special covers a lot of territory for an entry-level bike, but Harley-Davidson has something equally as fresh in its Street 750. The Street doesn't reach for a specific model quite the same way the Special does, but instead cleaves to the café racer look with a bullet fairing that makes a connection to the old-school racers.

Surprisingly wide, the Street is a real chuck between the legs, even moreso than the 'Guzzi, but the laden seat height rides at a mere 25.7 inches off the ground for a definite edge amongst the vertically-challenged crowd. The Mustang-like seat on the H-D tapers off at the pillion, and while it technically qualifies as a p-pad, the MG provides much greater comfort for your passenger. Sure, it looks cool, but your date is gonna' hate it.

Suspension is vanilla across the board with nothing gained by either bike, but H-D takes a hit at the brakes for not offering a stock ABS, and hitting buyers that want it for another 8 bills. Of course, the traction control feature puts 'Guzzi way ahead of H-D's engine management, and the MoCo has no answer for that tech here.

Like MG, Harley uses a V-twin powerplant that just barely outpulls the MG mill with 749 cc and 44.5 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. Not much of a difference, but there it is. Harley manages to score a win at the checkout with a price range that runs from the basic black at $7,599 and the two-tone pallete at $8,049. Is it enough to offset the lack of traction control? It depends on how much you depend on such features.

He Said

“The Special really has a nice look, and the chrome is kept to a tasteful level, something I'm always glad to see. It does manage to stand out from the V7 III crowd a bit, and offers a bit of class to buyers who're looking for something to show some taste.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “The engine, if I'm not mistaken, was designed for the V9, but with a little smaller displacement and a skosh more output. Add on some electronic fandanglery that the V7 II didn't have and you've got a nice little bike. It feels well balanced and I like the results of the chassis and suspension updates.”

Moto Guzzi V7 III Special Specifications

Further Reading

Harley-Davidson Street 500 / 750

See our review of the Harley-Davidson Street 500 / 750.

Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber & Roamer

See our review of the Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber & Roamer.

Moto Guzzi V7 II

See our review of the Moto Guzzi V7 II.

Moto Guzzi

Read more Moto Guzzi news.