Moto Guzzi rolls into 2021 with a next-generation V7 family in the classy “Stone” and the classic “Special” models. The ground-up rebuild maintains the established panache -- even as it touches on nearly every aspect of the build -- to present a familiar visage to the world. To mark this newest version, the factory dropped the Roman numerals from the platform for a cleaner moniker and billed it simply as the V7.

2021 Moto Guzzi V7: First Look

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Moto Guzzi V7 Design

- Full LED lighting (Stone) - New two-tier saddle - Dual-dial analogue instrument cluster (Special) - New digital instrument cluster (Stone) - Revamped styling

Sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same, and the look of MG's new-yet-venerable V7 is certainly a worthy example with its familiar stance and classic design references that fetch back over 50 years of MG production. These two rides come with radically different trim packages, but they share the same overarching look that starts with a minimal front fender between blackout fork lowers.

A cyclops headlight splits the night from within a round housing with LED technology that ensures good two-way visibility, but the Stone flexes up front with an eagle-shaped, LED DRL feature. Small LED turn signals ride on either side of the headlight where they are up out of harm's way. As for instrumentation, the Stone rolls with but a single digital gauge to cover the minimal bases while the Special has two analog gauges. Both have lots of info packed into a small package.

The front of the flyline is likewise familiar due to the old-school tank. It carries the tool-shed bump outs visually fairing off the engine elements that stick out each side with the eagle badging for a final historical connection. Behind the tank, the flyline departs from history with a bi-level saddle that lofts your passenger slightly as opposed to the old bench-style seats.

The rider's triangle provides for a relaxed, upright riding position with your heels under your butt so you can shift a bit for some English in the corners if you like, and the new rider footpegs are designed for comfort. Additionally, the fold-up passenger pegs mount to the frame proper for a smoother pillion experience than they'd get with a set of swingarm-mount pegs. Your riding partner will appreciate that, especially over the long run.

The factory chopped down the rear fender somewhat and the side covers were reworked to give the rear end a decidedly different finish than its predecessors to mark this newest generation.

Moto Guzzi V7 Chassis

- Evolved frame with steel elements in the headstock - Fatter rear tire - New Kayaba shocks - New rider footpeg support

A tubular frame takes care of business on the V7 with a double-downtube/double-cradle layout that cradles and supports the drivetrain and it comes with steel reinforcement pieces around the steering head for greater strength and rigidity up front.

This year, the rear end was widened a bit to accommodate the wider 150/70 rear tire. That's up from the previous 130/80 hoop and has a significant impact on the visual weight out back as well. New rear shocks deliver a posher ride through a greater travel stroke than before even though they deal with greater inertia generated by the larger rear tire.

Right-way-up front forks look like they come with fixed variables and blackout sliders cross the board though the Stone sports a set of bellow gaiters that provide extra protection for the fork seals. Brembo brakes take care of business with a dual-piston caliper out back opposite a single, four-pot anchor up front and ABS protection all around. Cast-aluminum rims round out the rolling chassis for the Stone model, but in keeping with its old-school bent the Special rocks laced rims instead.

Moto Guzzi V7 Drivetrain

- New 850 cc V-twin engine derived from the V85 TT - 25% more power and 21% more torque than the previous gen - 80% of torque available at 3,000 rpm

The best of the improvements for this newest generation of V7 are found in the drivetrain. It's still the transverse-mount, air-cooled V-twin that longtime fans will expect to see, but it's been punched out from 744 cc up to a smooth 850 cc. That's right sports fans, the output was increased from 52 horsepower up to a total of 65 ponies at 6,800 rpm. It comes with 54 pound-feet of torque that maxes out at 5,000 rpm. Eighty percent of its grunt is available at three grand for a fairly deep torque well and broad band of tractable power. I expect the wider rear tire and beefed up rear suspension has something to do with this 25-percent increase in overall power over the outgoing platform. This new engine is based on the one that was first proven in the globetrotting V85 TT adventure bike.

Moto Guzzi V7 Price

It looks like the new V7 platform will land where it usually does, right below the $10k mark. The Stone rolls in all black and in orange over black with an $8,990 MSRP. There's a $9,490 price tag on the Special, and it rolls in a fetching dark blue with white racing stripes and a 100th anniversary badge on the front fender.

Moto Guzzi V7 Competitors

Without all the hard metrics on the V7, it's hard to do a straight-up comparison. However, there is little mystery as to what this newest MG platform will be competing with, so let me fire a broadside here. The most obvious competitors in the U.S. market would be Harley-Davidson's Street 750 and its Street Rod variant as well as the Sportster Iron 883.

While the Sporty puts out comparable torque, the smaller “750” engine in the Street machines surrenders almost 10 pounds of grunt to the MG mill. An honorable mention goes out to Indian for its Scout Sixty. Too bad it puts itself in a higher displacement bracket with its 1,000 cc powerplant. Ducati earns a mention as well with its streetwise and blacked-out Scrambler Nightshift for its comparable looks and 803 cc V-twin powerplant, but the sticker breaks the $10k mark at $10,995 to make it far prouder than its above competition.

Read our full review of the Harley-Davidson Street 750.

Read our full review of the Harley-Davidson Street Rod.

Read our full review of the Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883.

Read our full review of the Indian Scout Sixty.

Read our full review of the Ducati Scrambler Nightshift.

He Said

It's hard to draw any hard conclusions without all the info, but as fodder for a first look, the new V7 family is interesting indeed. One hopes that said info will include some ride quality- and safety-electronics features. So far we know that it has wheel-speed sensors front and rear and those sensors could also feed a traction-control system. Time will tell, and that right soon.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “The new V7 isn't a huge departure from the V7 III, and while the previous gens had half a dozen iterations, Moto Guzzi is launching only two....for now. I expect to see other V7 models with the new frame and updated engine derived from both the V85 TT and V9 stables. C'mon café race and scrambler versions, yeah?”

Moto Guzzi V7 Specifications

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