Modern Vespa

Certainly nice looking machines.

http://powersportsbusiness.com/top-stories/2017/02/15/2017-moto-guzzi-v7iii-range-makes-u-s-debut/

They are lovely aren't they. I do miss my Guzzi's. I'd much rather have one of those to a Bonnie. No contest in my eyes.

I tend to agree, Andy. Funny enough I'm suffering severe opposition to my plans to buy a new Vespa (the wife considers them effeminate,or something) but I could have a Bonnie or aV7 without question! Funny old world, eh?

I had a Bonnie, T100 in two tone black and cream, it looked gorgeous. I sold it as it had a seat on it that was so hard it was criminal. The cheeky sods at triumph wanted lots more folding to change it to a 'comfort seat' That imho is really extracting the urine. And, in retrospect, they are a bit naff. I know I'll be rubbished by lots of people for thinking this but I reckon Bonnies are fake. At least Moto Guzzi have remained true to form with the V7. I will never buy another Triumph because of the seat on the Bonnie. I'm that sort of person. Incidentally I recently read a review of another triumph and the reviewer was moaning about the hardness of the seat and mentioned that Triumph can fit a comfy one for even more money. I'm sure they can but the twats won't be selling me one any time soon. Rant over, I feel so much better now, nurse where's the pills. I need a lay down.........

They are beautiful and i like the red one. Blows my mind that our top of the line (regular) vespa's don't cost much less than a Guzzi.

Don't let my daughter see these. She visited Vespa Sherman Oaks and fell in love. All she has talked about is buying one. I tried to explain the whole "Mod vs. Rocker" thing but she brushed it off....

God grief!! Really?! Here the top of the range 300 GTS Super is £5299 and the V7 Anniversario is £8999. Which is about right I suppose.

I think the V7III is one sexy bike!

I was reading about it the other day; they made some slight changes to the engine that I think will prove to be good for the potential owners.

I'd not mind having one in yellow.

Beautiful machines and the best damned knee warmers on the market.

I agree 100%. I reckon the Bonneville is a bit contrived - a thoroughly modern bike trying to look old. Lamb dressed as mutton. Although the Guzzi V7 tips it's hat to the past, it's more of a natural evolution of what Guzzi have always done.

And now, the contra view....

If the Guzzis are true to their roots (you better hope not) you'll be wrenching more than riding.

Bonnies are certainly not posers. Triumph has been doing them since..well, a very long time ago. They're for sure not jumping on the retro bandwagon. The newer years are sweet, smooth, reliable, lots of torque and great fit and finish. I recently sold a Guzzi and now own two Bonnies. Hope they have sorted the dangerous steering on the Guzzis. Thoroughly test ride one before you buy.

We now return our readers to the Guzzi love fest....

I kind of like both Guzzi and Triumph but I've owned lots of Guzzis. Apart from a very old Le Mans they were all very reliable. What exactly went wrong with your bike? did you buy it new? handling was also one of the strong points of all Guzzis so it confuses me a bit when you say it was dangerous - what went wrong? Obviously you're allowed to have your opinions but it would be nice to have the whole story.

I like the V7 myself but it seems odd that they sell for the price they do as there's no technology or development gone into the bike. I also love the new street twin but it just feels a bit too small for me - shame as the MPG and servicing are better than the GTS.

Always liked the Guzzi bikes but I'd steer clear as I think parts availability would be sketchy as they age. Also add the Italian postal system to the ownership picture. I've also just wrapped 14 years crouching over my Ducati.

I posted it before, that my new 2014 California Touring had quite excessive turn-in. On every turn, no matter if it was a sweeper or a hard turn, it would want to keep turning in so much that I'd be fighting that tendency. And I do mean fighting. I'm no stranger to big bikes, I've owned every big BMW and a Harley police bike, and I'm not a 98 lb weaklng either. After a half day riding I'd be nearly exhausted from fighting it.

Whatever forum I post that comment on, two or three more people comment they had the same problem and also sold their bikes. So far I've heard this from other California owners and also V7 owners, the latter surprised me a little. Maybe that's why there's plenty of two and three year old Californias with only a thousand miles on them in the various classifieds.

Never had that problem with my V7. They are a bit agricultural and pretty quirky but that's their charm. There's no doubt Triumph makes great bikes but Guzzis are unique.

I love my Norge.

Guzzis are not made for me, but I do like their strange, sorry, unique looks.

My own unique combination of hight, length of legs, arms etc. makes the riding position in a Guzzi, or V9 at least, a bit uncomfortable.

What I don't get is that why the V7 is still so popular now that the V9 is also around? At least here V9 is not that much more expensive. I've only sat on a V7 and made a short test trip with the V9, but based on this, V9 would be the more interesting model to me.

I really like those Guzzi's. Unfortunately, there isn't a dealership near me. I would want one nearby for service and support.

The new Triumph T120 certainly has my eye.

SIMON A 300 here OTD will cost you over $8000. A Guzzi will probably cost more over here but if you were to get the Guzzi sent from the mainland and bought the 300 here it would only be a couple of thousand less.

There are more then plenty source for parts in USA;
- http://www.mgcycle.com/
- http://www.harpermoto.com/
and if you add network of dealers I think you will be able to obtain anything you want. Try Wildguzzi forums and see how many of them manage to keep their 40 years old bikes running :)

As far as postal system is concern, I placed couple orders in last month from Italy, it took only 2 days to get to Canada and about 7 days to clear Canadian Custom :( Please have a look this is a third order in process, despise the delay caused by CC it still is very acceptable delivery time frame:

Since Kawasaki showed them how to make a reliable motorcycle.

One thing I do like about them is that they had a clean slate, and while they do make the Bonneville, which is about as much a Bonneville as the company that makes Triumph motorcycles is the company that came up with the Bonneville in the first place, they have ventured out and made some nice modern bikes as well. Moto Guzzi somehow got defined by the V Twin, which is a relatively recent part of their history, and has nothing to do with the motorcycles that made them famous after WW2. The air cooled anything gives up a lot of power and efficiency in the name of heritage or economy. BMW understood that they have a diehard market that only wants an opposed twin, and found a way to modernize the engine without losing that base, while branching out and attracting new customers. When Aprilia bought MG, they came up with a 75 degree liquid cooled V Twin that supposedly made all sorts of horsepower, but never got into production. It would be neat to see Piaggio come out with some more modern bikes that aren't quite Aprilia cutting edge, under the Moto Guzzi name. Maybe a liquid cooled Falcone. What I don't like about that idea is that if they did that, Piaggio would probably buy something in China and slap Moto Guzzi decals on the tank.

bro just picked a newish V7II... so i'm thinking ANNIVERSARIO will be mine in '19.

Triumph Bonnies are top heavy, and if a beginning rider drops them, some expensive piece of chromed plastic (my least favorite thing) will crack. My wife had a modern Bonnie, and I had a collection of cracked mirrors and clutch levers -- cheap pot metal -- on the garage wall. It took me a while to stop buying the expensive stock Triumph lever and find an aftermarket version that was better quality, wouldn't break if you looked at it, and cheaper ($70 stock, $20 aftermarket).

Then she got the V7, which carries its lighter weight much lower and is more stable all around. The V7 fueling is flawless and efficient, it always starts with a touch of the button even after long sitting. I can't say enough about what great, fun, turn-key bikes the V7 range are. Super easy to maintain on your own, too. Easiest valve adjustment ever -- and familiar, the same Piaggio screw and locknut valves as modern Vespas. Parts availability has been identical to Vespa. If you can get Vespa parts, you can get modern Guzzi parts. Piaggio is good like that.

When she got the Vespa Primavera 150 though, she rode it so much we thought about selling her V7. Decided to keep it, because it's such a fun, capable bike. I sure like riding it too, on a summer day on backroads. Plus, the V7 is a better bike than the 150 Primavera for long trips. But we're riding our 150's on back roads to Amerivespa this year from Portland to Seattle! Hope to see a bunch of you all there!

Triumph reliability, fit and finish are leaps ahead of what it was some years ago. Try a new one and you'll see its even better than the MG bikes.

Don't know how things go at that side of the pond, but at least here those buying Guzzis could not care less whether they have the latest engine technology or not. Personally, if there would be a model without those pointy cylinder heads, I might find it more confortable - but, then it would not look like Guzzi and I would probably buy something else...

There are more people buying Guzzis, but it's still a very small, botique market. Look how well making a motorcycle that didn't look like a BMW worked out for BMW. Aprilia is fairly well marketed as the Italian sportsbike that's not a Ducati, and in the Oilhead times, MG was considered as an alternative to BMW. If they marketed MG as an alternative to BMW again, and made bikes that competed in the categories BMW does, they could grow the market beyond everyone who wants one because that's what Grandpa had and the good old days were really good. Right now, they seem to be marketing to a fad, and we know what happens to fads.