On the move: Moto Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic

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On the move: Moto Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic
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On the move with the Moto Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic

Yellow-green, air-cooled and spartan

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The Guzzi eagle has offspring. Yellow-green, air-cooled and spartan, the V7 Cafe Classic rolls on glittering wire-spoke wheels.

Inheritance well all well (part1)

D.he yellow-green Guzzi V7 Sport was a matter for the boss. The boss’s name was Werner Hiller, he was one of the first Moto Guzzi dealers in Germany, my boss and I his mechanic. And when the boss turned the key in the workshop door on Saturday afternoon, he lashed the Harro tank bag onto the tank of the V7 Sport and thundered away. But if the boss ran out of time, he gave me the keys and a twenty for the fuel. Because Hiller was one of those bosses who didn’t do anything for themselves, but everything for the cause.

Our thing was Guzzis in the early 1970s: California, Ambassador, V7 Spezial, V7 Sport – simply everything that had the big 90-degree V2 between the wheels. With the small difference that the V7 Sport fueled our passion like no other. You drove the burgeoning Japanese motorcycle community into the ground with it. As if nailed down, the V7 Sport slammed through the country road area and ironed the opponents at will during the Sunday free blowing in Hockenheim.

Save the retro wave on Lake Como, the Guzzi factory? Thirty-eight years later, a yellow-green tank blinks at me, underneath it unmistakably a Guzzi-V2 and the whole thing on fancy wire-spoke wheels. The first look is followed by the second and with it the disillusionment. Not the old love, but a retro motorcycle, made in Italy, stands in front of me. The eagle swings over the tank, the side covers trace the symmetrical frame triangle of the venerable V7 Sport, and even the handlebars in the gooseneck look from 1972 were clamped to the stanchions by the Italians.

After the V7 Classic presented in 2008 in the look of the old V7 Spezial, Guzzi is now pushing the V7 Cafe Classic onto the retro bike market. Because old motorcycles also bring the old days to life, both classics are among the best-selling Guzzi models today. This fact should be taken seriously in Mandello del Lario and in the boardrooms of the parent company Piaggio. Because almost all attempts to face the current competition with the old V2 concept of the large Guzzi engines have failed. That’s why the applause goes to the new retro bikes from Mandello.

The numbers on the round instruments of the V7 Cafe Classic are too tiny.

Yesterday’s technology for tomorrow’s classic. Even if the optics are inviting, the comparison of the new with the V7 Sport from 1972 is misleading. Because the technology of the V7 Cafe Classic is derived directly from the V35 and V50 models introduced in 1978.

The drive unit consisting of motor, gearbox and cardan hangs in a double loop frame, the beams of which are screwed like on the large V2 from 1972 onwards. This is the only way to remove and install the engine. As in 1978, the relatively long and low-reaction swingarm is made of cast aluminum and guides the cardan shaft on the right-hand side. In the original model, the brake disc was still mounted between the cardan and the wheel, now it is bolted to the left side of the wheel because of the wider hub. The difference in weight of the new V7 Cafe Classic with 201 to 175 kilograms compared to the 31-year-old V50 is astonishingly large.

The steering head is half a degree steeper at 62.5 degrees, the caster has grown from an original 86.5 to a whopping 109 millimeters. The fork tubes increased from 31.6 to 40 millimeters, and the wheelbase was lengthened from 1410 to 1445 millimeters. All of these measures benefit driving stability.

In contrast to the tunnel housings of the large Guzzi engines, the engine housing is divided horizontally. Due to the parallel arrangement of the two valves operated via needle-bearing rocker arms, the current 750, like the V50, has Heron combustion chambers in the piston heads. When it was launched on the market in 1978, the closely spaced ducts caused problems due to torn webs and loose valve seat inserts. Defective head gaskets and pistons also brought V35 and V50 customers many visits to the workshop. Moto Guzzi should have overcome this issue today.


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The instruments of the V7 Sport from 1972 were still suitable for far-sighted people.

The increase in displacement results primarily from a 17 mm longer stroke. The pistons now move back 74 instead of 57 mm. The bore increased from 74 to 80 mm. In addition to the increase in displacement, the diameter of the throttle valves in particular grew to 36 mm compared to the tiny throttle valves of the 24-inch Dell’Orto carburettors of the V50.

And how does the new old Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic drive?? Anyone who is now waiting for the entry to the driving report to begin with acoustic impressions of the rough mechanical starting procedure of the Guzzi engines will be disappointed. How, you want to read it that way because every Guzzi story starts with that? Well then, here you go: “The electric starter grabs the toothing of the flywheel with a crash, the engine shakes like a wet dog, picks up speed and roars off.” In fact, the 750 V2 only sounds in cool weather when the “choke” is on left handlebar grip is thrown. However, it does not activate a cold start enrichment, but a mechanical idle gas increase of the injection.

The shift paths are typically Guzzi long; Nevertheless, the aisles can be sorted smoothly and quickly. This behavior is by no means new; During the double test of the Moto Guzzi V35 and V50 in MOTORRAD 4/1978, test editor Peter Limmert confirmed that the switch box was “precise gear changes with long gearshifts that take getting used to”. The single-disc dry clutch shines with impeccable controllability and requires pleasantly little manual force.

With all the concessions to emissions and noise regulations, the small Guzzi engine is and will remain typical Guzzi. The snorkeling and banging of the 90-degree V2 and the snotty spurting out of the two chrome-plated silencers when closing the throttle valves just sound great. The Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic interprets the term “motorcycle” in the best possible sense.

Inheritance well all well (part2)


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The designers went to great lengths to create the V7 Cafe Classic, except for details. Subject to pure function, the 1972 V7 Sport was a model athlete.

Demanding modern riders may despair of the nominally 48 hp, people with the muse and experience from many years of motorcycling will find their way around with it very well, because the lethargy of the old V50 engines has largely been forgotten in the 750 injection. The two-valve engine marches through the rev range without hanging or choking, reacts spontaneously to commands on the throttle and inspires with its civilized appearance. Speaking of the throttle: Anyone who has ever found out how two Dell’Orto carburettors with rectangular slides can resist opening will be delighted with the progress made in modern, smooth-running throttle valves.

The bumper motor is still unavailable for rabid speed orgies. Equipped with plenty of torque at the bottom and in the middle for the enjoyable country road ride, the engine clamps the power over 7000 revolutions. But it doesn’t matter because this type of motorcycle has nothing to do with sportiness and agitation. That’s why swift wagging around bends is by no means on the red list. On the contrary, if you get involved in a lively driving style, the smug grin under the helmet is carved on the face.

This is mainly due to the quality of the chassis. Peter Limmert summed it up in MOTORRAD 1978 as follows: “All testers were of one opinion: the engines can never succeed in showing the limits of this chassis, let alone exceeding them.” As the current test drive with the Cafe Classic confirms, even he can do that significantly more powerful 750 engine.

What is left is a handy, stable motorcycle. Although the reactions of the cardan drive are noticeable, they do not really cause the driver any distress. Even the rear wheel brake stamping only occurs when the driver threshes down the gears with a coarse engine and simultaneously applies the rear brake.

Floating 320 disc, four-piston caliper.

Even if the front brake disc doesn’t come up with a grim bite, it is up to the weight and performance of the V7 Cafe Classic. This also applies to the Metzeler tires in the format 110 / 90-18 and 130 / 80-17, which do their work with proper liability and feedback. The fork only rumbles violently over the asphalt when there are bumps in rapid succession or frost breaks. The too hard tire carcass of the Metzeler Lasertec cannot filter out such bumps well enough.

The seating position turned out to be a bit ambiguous because the handlebars are angled a hand’s breadth too low in contrast to the otherwise rather relaxed position. But why was the clever idea of ​​the gooseneck construction from 1972 designed in such a way that the steel stubs cannot be pushed up any further? There would be enough space and the length of the trains, lines and cables could be adjusted accordingly. In return, the knee angle, notch position and seat height are tailored to fit on longer tours or crouched down on the motorway.

There is a pleasant surprise at the gas station. Thanks to the low road consumption of 4.1 liters and the tank capacity of 17 liters, you rarely see them. The range is almost heavenly for motorcycles these days.

The performance characteristics of the new drive also meet the expectations of a conventional two-valve engine. Simple manners paired with a classic look make the Guzzi a pleasant companion. In the design alone, a little less would have been more in some places. The sporty seat hump may even look more elegant than the two-man bench of the original. The black fenders, the steel rims and the superfluous covers on the silencers cannot compete with the classy parts of the V7 Sport and its classic overall appearance.

Technical specifications


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The basis for the V35 and V50 was provided by the horizontally divided engine housing and the cylinder heads with parallel valves and Heron combustion chambers. A chain drove the central camshaft. The engine of the V7 Cafe Classic has all these characteristics.

Moto Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic

ENGINE
Design: Air-cooled two-cylinder 90-degree V-engine, a central camshaft, two valves per cylinder, operated via bumpers and rocker arms
Bore: 80 mm
Stroke: 74 mm
Displacement: 744 cm³
Compression: 9.6: 1
Output: 48 hp at 6800 rpm
Torque: 55 Nm at 3600 rpm
Mixture preparation: intake manifold injection, Ø 36 mm

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Starter: E-starter
Battery: 12 V / 14 Ah
Ignition: electronic ignition, engine management
Alternator: three-phase current 330 W.

POWER TRANSFER
Clutch: single-plate dry clutch
Transmission: five-speed, claw shift
Secondary drive: cardan

LANDING GEAR
Frame design: Double loop frame made of tubular steel with screwed beams
Front wheel guide: telescopic fork, Ø 40 mm
Rear wheel guide: two-arm swing arm made of cast aluminum, two spring struts
Suspension travel front / rear: 130/118 mm
Wheels: wire spoke wheels, steel rims
Front tires: 110/90 – 18
Rear tire: 130/80 – 17
Front brake: single-disc brake, Ø 320 mm, four-piston fixed calliper
Rear brake: disc brake, Ø 260 mm, double-piston floating caliper

MASS AND WEIGHT
Wheelbase: 1445 mm
Trail: 109 mm
Seat height: 810 mm
Weight with a full tank: 201 kg
Tank capacity / reserve: 17 / 2.5 liters

DRIVING PERFORMANCE
Top speed 170 km / h

PRICE / ADDITIONAL COSTS
8245/255 euros

MANUFACTURER
Moto Guzzi S.p.A., Mandello del Lario, Italy

Conclusion

The basis for the V35 and V50 were the horizontally split engine housing and the cylinder heads with parallel valves and Heron combustion chambers. A chain drove the central camshaft. The engine of the V7 Cafe Classic has all these characteristics.

Classic for driving
This Guzzi is a motorcycle that doesn’t hide its idiosyncratic character, but is friendly to even less experienced motorcyclists when it comes to drivability. If you are looking for indulgence without regrets, you will find it at the V7 Cafe Classic. Even the advocates of the pure theory of the classic motorcycle can be weak. Because riding a motorcycle without a screwdriver on a pretty retro bike with a classic look is a lot of fun. And that without filling the tank bag with tools and the obligatory spare parts. The Cafe Classic lacks in some points the attention to detail alone.

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