How much more "flickable" does the V7iii feel than the V7ii?

[Juan1]

Short Question: I rode a V7ii and didn't think it cornered as well as I expected. I thought the V9 actually feels better when leaned over. Is the V7iii at least on par with the V9 in the cornering department?

Long Question: This weekend I test rode a V7ii Stone. I was hoping the littlest Guzzi would compensate for its low power with amazing cornering. I wasn't expecting the thing to feel like a Ohlins equipped Ducati in turns, but I had hoped it would feel planted, like it was egging me on in turns. Instead, I remember the Griso and V9 Roamer as feeling more confidence inspiring. It wasn't the bump compliance that bothered me, it was more that the bike just didn't feel communicative in the turns.

All of this leads me to my question: Should I bother driving a couple of hours to check out a V7iii on Craigslist? If throwing a grand into suspension parts will transform the V7iii into something that makes cornering fun I'll make the trek. Ultimately I'm trying to replace a long line of middleweight commuters I've owned (FZ6, GSX650f, SV650, and Versys) with something that is slower, handles nearly as well, and is bellissima. Thanks!

 

[Vagrant]

barking up the wrong tree. the III is only slightly different because of it's geometry and it is a bit more stable at high speed than the II. Both perform much better when you put the Conti attack III radials and the dropping of the forks 10MM makes it better yet and that can be done right a way. it will never be a Ninja but it will be totally satisfying for 95% of experienced riders.

 

[Bill Hagan]

barking up the wrong tree. the III is only slightly different because of it's geometry and it is a bit more stable at high speed than the II. Both perform much better when you put the Conti attack III radials and the dropping of the forks 10MM makes it better yet and that can be done right a way. it will never be a Ninja but it will be totally satisfying for 95% of experienced riders.

I have a II & III.

Concur with Steve on nearly all of that.

I was surprised to find the OEM tires on the III better than most reviews. I am not, however, Rossi!

I also found the stock suspension on the III to be much better than that on the Stornello, a II.

That said, if you have a grand to play with, and are a MotoGP contender, new suspenders would no doubt transform OK into WOW!

Bill

 

[Juan1]

I'm not pretending to be Rossi, but when friends visit I want to be able to put them on my modded Ducati Monster and then keep up with them on a V7. Handling is king in the hills, not power. Then again, perhaps I should be looking at a heavily discounted SV650x instead for my commuting and occasional canyon trips.

 

[Poppe]

I'm not pretending to be Rossi, but when friends visit I want to be able to put them on my modded Ducati Monster and then keep up with them on a V7. Handling is king in the hills, not power. Then again, perhaps I should be looking at a heavily discounted SV650x instead for my commuting and occasional canyon trips.

Guzzitech put one size down on my front tire with those Conti RA 3's and that was a huge difference in cornering, but a suspension tweak on these bikes would be the biggest fix to that from everything I've read on the forums.

 

[Godfrey]

I live near the hills too and love the wiggle through them. In the past, I've had young racer-wannabes on their race-reps tell me that my old Guzzi 850T was a slow truck, and then have happily ridden past them easily through all the corners and roads with the Olde Lumpkin on its narrow Touring Elite IIs with its earth-shattering 49 HP. "It ain't the meat, it's the motion, baby!"

Racer is just right now. The combination of the right rear springs, the Matris front suspension, the Conti RA3 tires on those fancy wheels, the small adjustment to front end height (I've slid the tubes up 15mm now, 5mm more than we did when we did the suspension install), and the aftermarket mufflers, SAS/EVAP removal, and customized ECU map allows me to toss it around even more easily than the old 850T. If I weren't so darn old that I just don't care anymore, I'd have fun baiting the squids.

And no: my last name ain't Rossi either. That youngster is just amazingly fast.