• Ciao Guest - You’ve landed at the ultimate Guzzi site. NEW FORUM REGISTRATIONS REQUIRE EMAIL ACTIVATION - CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER - Use the CONTACT above if you need help. New to the forum? For all new members, we require ONE post in the Introductions section at the bottom, in order to post in most of the other sections. ALWAYS TRY A SEARCH BEFORE STARTING A NEW TOPIC - Most questions you may have, have likely been already answered. DON'T BE A DRIVE-BY POSTER: As a common courtesy, check back in and reply within 24 hours, or your post will be deleted. Note there's decades of heavily experienced Guzzi professionals on this site, all whom happily give endless amounts of their VALUABLE time for free; BE COURTEOUS AND RESPECTFUL!
  • There is ZERO tolerance on personal attacks and ANY HYPERLINKS to PRODUCT(S) or other competing website(s), including personal pages, social media or other Forums. This ALSO INCLUDES ECU DIAGnostic software, questions and mapping. We work very hard to offer commercially supported products and to keep info relevant here. First offense is a note, second is a warning, third time will get you banned from the site. We don't have the time to chase repeat (and ignorant) offenders. This is NOT a social media platform; It's an ad-free, privately funded website, in small help with user donations. Be sure to see the GTM STORE link above; ALL product purchases help support the site, or you can upgrade your Forum profile or DONATE via the link above.
  • Be sure to see the GTM STORE link also above for our 700+ product inventory, including OEM parts and many of our 100% Made-in-SoCal-USA GTM products and engine kits. In SoCal? Click the SERVICE tab above for the best in service, tires, tuning and installation of our products or custom work, and don't miss our GT MotoCycles® (not) art on the BUILDS tab above. WE'RE HERE ONLINE ONLY - NO PHONE CALLS MADE OR RECEIVED - DO NOT EMAIL AND ASK QUESTIONS OR ASK TO CALL YOU.
  • Like the new V100, GuzziTech is full throttle into the future! We're now running on an all-new server and we've updated our Forum software. The visual differences are obvious, but hopefully you'll notice the super-fast speed. If you notice any glitches or have any issues, please post on the Site Support section at the bottom. If you haven't yet, please upgrade your account which is covered in the Site Support section or via the DONATE tab above, which gives you full site access including the DOWNLOADS section. We really appreciate every $ and your support to keep this site ad-free. Create an account, sign in, upgrade your account, and enjoy. See you on the road in 2024.

my 2013 V7 Special experience

small_block_man

Just got it firing!
Joined
Mar 12, 2014
Messages
10
Location
Atascadero, CA
@ 210 miles - 2013 Black and Yellow V7 Special, new March 6, 2014. It looks great, it handles very much to my liking/riding style, I find the suspension competent and love the way the V7 transitions left and right on curvy roads. Well balanced is another way I would describe the V7. It delivers power right off of idle, sounds very healthy as it pulls easily through the gears and the brakes are more than adequate. Restricting to one third/half throttle during break in has not been a damper on enjoyable riding at all. Cruise, 4000 RPM equals 65 MPH, is very smooth with steady, clear rear view mirrors. When pulling up a hill or against stiffer winds you can feel power pulses in the foot pegs between 3 and 4,000 RPM, more of a throb than a vibration, not at all unpleasant, just lets you know it is working. We will not see the other side of 5,000 RPM until break in is over so no comment on high RPM vibration that at this time. Gear shifting is smooth up and down, second through fifth gear very good. I get an occasional clunky shift going from second to first as I roll to a stop but I expect this to get better over the break in period. I have been checking engine oil level before and after every ride. So far the V7 isn't using any oil and I am beginning to wonder about the reasons behind the forum posts I have read about V7s oil consumption. Perhaps the fact that I am blessed to have miles and miles of local rural roads that provide quality break in miles explains my experience. I am thinking I will get a center stand, holding the bike up and reaching down to check the engine oil is a bit awkward while balancing the bike. It will make servicing, especially fluid changes easier also. I sold a very nice 1992 BMW R100GS and a sweet 1978 Yamaha SR500 café canyon carver to pay for my new Guzzi, in my opinion the V7 combines the best qualities of both, it is great ride! Cheers!
 
It is a nice bike, isn't it? I haven't had any oil loss, except after high speed (85+mph) runs. Then a top-off is needed.

To check the oil, put a wood block under the sidestand to put the bike upright.

I'd like to hear how you like it after break-in. I'm sure it'll just get better.
 
Welcome aboard, and hope you'll add your info to the Registry; http://guzzitech.com/forum/topic?f=215&t=9108

You are blessed to be in the middle of some of the most idyllic riding in the country (boy do I miss 229 to Creston -- lived in SLO '94-95.5). The 2013+ motor update included many changes to combat oil consumption. Clearly it's working. That said, the sump design hasn't changed, and it really only holds ~1.6L. The factory tried to compensate by raising the full mark on the dipstick to 2.0L, however it tends to spit the excess out into the air box like the big blocks do. The reason I offer the GT-Rx® sump spacer is to get you to a true 2.5L. Just good insurance IMO.

Enjoy the bike, and post often. Hopefully if I make it back up that way with some extra time, we can meet up, or if you ever find your way down here to the Santa Monica's, happy to catch up with you. Do you know Larry Kahn in Santa Margarita? There's also a newer V7S rider in Grover Beach, per the Registry link above.
 
Hi Todd, you know our area. 229, also known as Webster Road to Creston was my first choice for a ride that would bring out the best or the worst in my new V7 Special .... I was not disappointed. 229 is a fun ride because it's basically all curves and swoops, no real straightaways at all, also smooth and tacky thanks to being recently repaved. The V7 is very smooth in transition between turns, it flicks left and right with confidence, the brakes are very good but not used heavily because I prefer to use engine and gear box to ride at a good pace. The V7's torque curve is very wide and flat, short shifting and keeping it under the 5,000 RPM break in limit still results in a very quick ride.
I have been looking at the oil sump extenders, does the added oil capacity also result in lower oil temperatures?
What is your recommendation on center stands? Have you used motorcycle stands (less expensive alternative) under your Moto Guzzi?
Larry Kahn's name doesn't ring a bell, but thanks for your offer to ride down south and I invite you to contact me anytime your are in my neck of the woods.
For sign216, When you say "85+ mph runs," how long a run are talking about and how much oil loss results from that?
Cheers!
 
Often when I'm out on highways that are lightly patrolled, I'll run the bike at 85-100 mph for a couple of miles. Later at home I'll check the oil and it's often low by 200-300 cc. When long distance highway touring I find it uses approximately 500cc / 1,000 miles.
 
Mine certainly doesn't use that much oil. I think I added maybe 100cc in the last 5000 miles. It does see time in that 85-100 mph range. I worry more about the gas it chucks down in those speed ranges than the oil.
Bare
 
I'll add my voice to the "no oil consumption" chorus. Did the initial fluids change myself, drained the hot crankcase overnight, new filter, put in just a bit more than 2 liters (2050 ml) of Castrol 10W-60 synthetic oil, level came to the top of the hatched area of the dipstick (unscrewed, with the bike level), and hasn't measurably dropped from this mark in 4000 miles since the service. Speeds have ranged to around 80 mph (I'm too old and wise to go any faster).
 
Bit late to reply but I'm the V7 owner in Grover Beach. I need to run up there and do 229 soon. If you want to see the sump spacer on the bike I have Todd's on my V7. I'm going to change the rear tire this weekend (just under 4000 miles on the stock one) but the tire I have on hand isn't suited for 229 I'd guess as it is a Heidenau K60 Scout that I want to check out longevity on as I may take the bike down to South America and the trip would include some dirt roads. I think I'll grab another street orientated rear tire for riding around before the trip.

In addition to the sump spacer I have Gazi shocks, RaceTech fork emulators and Todd's lower foot pegs on the bike as well.
 
@ 391 miles and counting.

Hello Zinfan - I would be delighted to talk to a near by V7 rider!

Very interested in your modifications. I have a center stand on order but I will probably wait until break in is over and I have lived with the V7 long enough to know what the best changes are for me. You could keep me out of trouble with your advice. Do you do your own maintenance? One of the reasons I bought the Special is that I feel it would be easy to do so.
The Special is a very competent motorcycle, everything I want in a ride. Still hasn't used any oil - if it hasn't used oil at this point I think that it isn't going to be an issue going forward. I am thinking the earlier posts here and my experience confirm that Moto Guzzi updates to the V7 were very effective. The normal due diligence will do just fine. Well pleased with the way the V7 delivers power, it is an easy motorcycle to ride. It's nice to have strangers stop a moment to be complimentary on the V7's classic styling when I refuel too. Based on my reading of the forum, I have been using Shell 91 octane V-Power and notice that the pump doesn't indicate it contains ethanol. Shell wouldn't be putting me on would they? My mileage per gallon has been right at 50. Refueling required 3.9 and 4.1 gallons about 20 miles after the low fuel light came on, so looks like I have approximately 1.5 gallons reserve or nearly 75 miles if needed at that point.

Sent a "private message" invitation earlier, please do get in touch so we can take a ride out 229 to Creston.
Cheers!
 
Hmm didn't get the message so not sure what happened. I only have just under 4k miles on mine and had the first service done down in Thousand Oaks as I wanted the first service to be done in a shop, plan on doing subsequent tasks myself. In fact today (hope you are out riding, what a day!) I have the rear wheel off doing a tire change and forgot to get a suitable grease for the splines in the final drive, they have some grease on them but it seems they could use more, I'm researching to see what would be a good type to get at the moment. We should get together some Sat/Sun for a ride!
 
588 miles
April 16, 2014 Filled tank with Shell 91 octane V-Power, 3.8 gallons/208 miles = 55 miles per gallon. On fill up 1.7 gallons, a long 75 miles, still in reserve. After a lot of reading on Guzzitech forum and finding locally available products, decided on Amsoil 75W140 GL-5 Synthetic Extreme Pressure Lubricant for the Bevel Gear, Motul Gear 300 75W90 Synthetic GL-5 for the Gear box and Motul 7100 10W60 4T full synthetic engine oil. Returned home after a warm up ride and did 600 mile fluid change plus oil filter (Moto Guzzi part #27.15.30.85). There was no metal on the magnetic drain plugs, a very good sign. Obvious Guzzi used Moly in Bevel gear oil, the drained lube was black. Filled Bevel gear housing until oil flowed out oil level check hole. Filled gear box with 1 liter 75W90 which just came to the oil level check hole. Two liters Motul 10W60 engine oil. When starting, engine oil light went out in just a second. Time required to change fluids about one and a half hours, all drain and fill plugs easily accessible, the hardest part is avoiding hot exhaust pipes and oil. I put a 12 inch clear neoprene gas line on the end of the Motul gear oil bottle to fill the gear box and used a small funnel to fill bevel gear via its vent, engine oil using a long necked funnel.

Short ride to check for any leaks and do a hot engine oil check. Immediately noticed that the Motul 75W90 gear oil makes shifting smoother, especially when shifting from second down to 1st and gear whine is reduced also. Engine oil level hot is spot on. No leaks detected, good to go. The V7 went the full 588 miles before fluid changes without having to add engine oil, it refused to budge off the full mark. I will be checking how it goes with the Motul 10W60. My plan is to check cylinder head torque and valve clearances when dead cold after we visit family for Easter holiday.

597 miles
April 22, 2014 Today I pulled cylinder head covers, removed and gapped spark plugs, re-torqued the cylinder head bolts and completed all safety checks. After much reading on Guzzitech and other forums, I used sign216's excellent guide - https://www.flickr.com/photos/sign216/sets/ Loosen one quarter turn, then re-torque the two 17mm nuts and hex's to 31 foot pounds, the single 10 mm bolt to 22 foot pounds using standard crossing pattern. After re-torquing both heads did valve adjustment. Found TDC, both valves closed, by putting bike in 5th gear and rotating rear wheel, watching a plastic straw rise to highest point after intake valve closing on compression stroke. Marked the straw with a permanent marker to make finding TDC on second cylinder a little easier. Set valves to Guzzi specification, intake valves .006 thousands (.008 no go) and exhausts to .008 thousands (.010 no go). Did not need to replace cylinder head cover gaskets, they popped off cleanly with a gentle nudge from a rubber hammer and the gaskets showed no sign of damage. Checked spark plug gap, set it to .026, middle of recommended range, and applied anti-seize paste. Engine start was very quick, idle steady at 1400 RPM, valve noise normal or a little quieter. After short warm up, I felt the engine pulled smoother from a stop, the clutch is an easy squeeze and engages without chatter, it pulled strong through all gears to my new 6,000 RPM limit on a 20 mile check ride. I think careful setting of the valve clearances resulted in less engine vibration at 3,500 RPM, while not objectionable prior I think it is noticeably reduced. The Guzzi has always been very smooth @ 4,000+ RPM, and I continue to enjoy smoother shifts in all gears, especially between 1st and 2nd gear plus hear less gear whine. Total time for re-torque and setting valves about 1 and a half hours. Very pleased on completing an uncomplicated, easy 600 mile service. Setting the valves on the Guzzi is easier than my 1992 BMW R100GS, the "V" engine presents the valves for adjustment and did not drip a single drop of oil. Future service points are going to be even easier. One more reason for buying my V7 Special confirmed.

617 miles
My riding experience with the V7 Special continues to be excellent. The Guzzi V7 Special is an easy ride, the stock suspension is competent, the motorcycle tracks straight and true and transitions left to right without drama even when pressing the pace. Acceleration is good, power delivered over a wonderfully flat, broad range. The suspension is firm and cruising at highway speeds, 65 - 70 MPH is, for lack of a better term, relaxed. My assessment so far is that the V7 Special is well sorted out, competent and best of all light, maneuverable motorcycle that meets all my requirements for being accessible and ready to ride. Its also a great looking motorcycle and I have been surprised by the complements it gets from passers by. I think I can live with that.
 
761 miles
May 13, 2014 - Installed AF1's OEM Moto Guzzi Center Stand Kit - #983164. I had read that the center stand could be installed while the bike was on its side stand but decided to fully support the motorcycle so it was vertical, allowing easy access from both sides. Laid out all the kit parts and checked their fit. The center stand cross over pin could not be put through the center stand due to the thickness of the OEM powder coating. A 31/64ths drill bit fit nicely and safely removed the excess powder coating for an excellent fit.

I initially assembled the center stand with springs installed. The right side exhaust was completely removed. The left side exhaust did not require loosening or removal for installation because the cross over support bolt is removed and installed from the right side, the center stand cross over pin was pre-installed. The 17mm factory cross over support bolt and 10mm bolts were removed and the stock cross over frame brace set aside. The assembled center stand was inserted in its place. I found that I couldn't quite get all the bolt holes to align because the installed center stand springs caused a slight miss-alignment. This might not always be an issue.

With the center stand springs removed, the 17mm factory cross over support bolt and the two smaller 10mm bolts and 13mm nuts easily went together. After tightening all bolts I reinstalled the center stand springs using a heavy duty automotive brake spring pick. When reinstalling the right side exhaust, the half shell exhaust spacers can be held in place on the exhaust pipe by wrapping a thin rubber band around them. The right side exhaust was lifted back in place on the right side exhaust hanger, and connected to the exhaust balancer pipe. Before the exhaust ring nut was fully tightened, I used a small crochet hook to retrieve the rubber band. When completed on the right side, I removed the left side factory exhaust hanger and installed the new hanger/center stand stop supplied with the kit. Done.

I had a helper for this job, while it could be done solo, the extra set of hands are very valuable for holding wrenches and helping align parts as they go together. Using the factory stock (US) side stand with the OEM center stand kit is not a problem. I have always been in the habit of lowering the side stand before putting my motorcycles on their center stands. The motorcycle rolls up onto the center stand easily and when ready to ride, the factory (US) side stand swings well up and out of the way against the center stand. I am confident this center stand installation experience would be identical on a Stone and perhaps also the Racer.
 
I add here that the use of the stock side stand is a personal choice made after I was discouraged by the price of the shorter "Euro" side stand. While I am comfortable with my choice, everyone should be aware that the "Euro" side stand is the recommended side stand for this kit.

Here are the actual measurements (greatest distance from the exhaust) on my V7 Special after installing the side stand kit - the stock factory side stand folds to within 2 1/4" inches of the exhaust on its own; when folding up against the center stand it folds to within 2 5/8" inches of the exhaust pipe - a difference of 3/8ths of an inch. You can decide if that represents a decrease in real world road clearance that you can live with or not. The shorter Euro side stand folds up just inside the center stand lifting pedal and gives you back that 3/8ths of an inch.
 
May 19, 2014 Riding observations on using the US stock side stand with a center stand kit.

Monday morning ride with a friend. We went to Shandon on Hwy 41, out Hwy 46 and Cholame Road to Parkfield then over the hills to San Miguel on Vineyard Canyon Road and lunch at a Deli there. Beautiful scenery, wonderful motorcycle friendly roads. We rode back to Atascadero on the east side of the Salinas River to complete a nice day of curvy roads.

While on the ride I had an opportunity to observe real world cornering clearance using the stock side stand with the new center stand. First my riding partner followed and said he observed adequate cornering clearance. We switched motorcycles so I could follow and observe cornering clearance first hand. My observation was that one up, under normal riding conditions - adequate. To my critical eye, I think that under extreme riding conditions, for two up riding, or with extra weight of baggage, cornering clearance might become marginal. I have to decide to shorten my stock US side stand to get it up inside the center stand pedal or purchase the euro side stand.

Some more measuring - The US side stand measures 13 inches from center of pivot bolt to the end of the side stand pad. The euro side stand measures 9 inches. When the US stand is shortened approximately 1 - 1/2 to 1 - 3/4 inches it will just fold up inside the center stand pedal and be about 2 - 1/4 inches longer. How would a shortened but still longer 11 - 1/4 inch US side stand impact lean angle? My Special leans over 16 degrees on the stock side stand. I approximated a shorter stock side stand by rolling the motorcycle wheels up on to a 2X4 and measured lean at 22 degrees, 6 degrees more.

On an earlier ride with a friend that has a euro side stand we noted that his euro equipped Stone leaned over a bit further than my Special and I read on another forum that a rider wanted to put a pad on his euro stand (there is plenty of room for that) to make his Guzzi stand up a bit straighter. Unfortunately I don't have a euro equipped Guzzi handy to measure its lean angle for comparison My observation and memory from the earlier ride is that a shortened US side stand on my bike would lean over about the same, perhaps slightly more, than if it were equipped with a euro side stand. An extra step, heating and bending the stock side stand to make it straighter would mean that it would have to be shorter because of the space restrictions, but with some careful set up, could be made to duplicate either stance. Less expensive, but I do not have a welding setup; this is where I would be testing the patience of the welder at the muffler shop that has accommodated me in the past. It would work in all the riding conditions I normally encounter and the rest is purely subjective.

On my friend's Stone the shorter, straighter euro side stand tucks away much tighter than I think a shortened stock side stand would and has a very compact, clean look.
The Virgo in me likes that. Last night I ordered the euro side stand.
 
May 29, 2014 Received and installed my AF1 Euro Side Stand # B063086.

Put the Guzzi on its center stand. Loosened left side exhaust ring, cross over pipe clamp and took the rear exhaust bracket bolt/nuts off to allow access to the side stand mounting bolt. AF1 points out that the stock bracket used with the US side stand can be removed and the stock side stand bolt was used. Everything went together as advertised. Now that I have the Euro side stand installed I measured the motorcycle lean angle when on the Euro side stand - 16 degrees - identical to the stock US side stand on my 2013 V7 Special. Any difference we might have seen on an earlier ride, the difference in looking at a Special with the US side stand sitting next to a Stone with the Euro side stand might be explained by a difference in their setup, the Stone had a different sized rear tire.

Summing up my experience with this issue, in order of my results with the center stand kit - First, using the stock US side stand works but has some possible safety issues because it does decrease cornering clearance a bit; Second, shortening the US side stand is better and would result in about 6 degrees more lean, it could be lived with - a shortened, heated and bent US side stand could be made to equal stock lean angle of 16 degrees when on the side stand, but requires what they call some work - both alternatives saving $$$$; and Third, the euro side stand is the recommended solution because it is the cleanest, safest combination with the side stand kit.
 
1000 Mile Report

June 10, 2014 Today I went on an afternoon ride. Hwy 101 to Vineyard, across Hwy 46 still on Vineyard to Willow Creek Road. Willow Creek is narrow but reasonably paved, a good curvy ride to Peachy Canyon Road which is a bit better and went into Paso Robles. Vine St. to Hwy 101 and off at Main Street, Templeton. River Road back to Atascadero. My Guzzi is getting smoother as I build up the miles. It has such a broad, torquey power band that it is very easy and to ride when the emphasis is on being smooth and precise, proper gear selection keeping the motor in its sweet spot (3,500 to 5,000 RPM), what Nick Ienatch calls riding at "The Pace."

From Nick Ienatch's excellent article on The Pace for Motorcycle Magazine http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/flash ... _ienatsch/

"The Pace focuses on bike control and de-emphasizes outright speed. Full-throttle acceleration and last minute braking aren't part of the program, effectively eliminating the two most common single-bike accident scenarios in sport riding. Cornering momentum is the name of the game, stressing strong, forceful inputs at the handlebar to place the bike correctly at the entrance of the turn and get it flicked in with little wasted time and distance. Since the throttle wasn't slammed open at the exit of the last corner, the next corner doesn't require much, if any, braking. It isn't uncommon to ride with our group and not see a brake light flash all morning."

"If the brakes are required, the front lever gets squeezed smoothly, quickly and with a good deal of force to set entrance speed in minimum time. Running in on the brakes is tantamount to running off the road, a confession that you're pushing too hard and not getting your entrance speed set early enough because you stayed on the gas too long. Running The Pace decreases your reliance on the throttle and brakes, the two easiest controls to abuse, and hones your ability to judge cornering speed, which is the most thrilling aspect of performance street riding."

Those who say the V7 Special isn't a racer are correct, but of all the motorcycles I have owned over the years, I find that it is particularly well suited to "The Pace" style of riding. The V7 can be ridden very quickly with minimum throttle and brake inputs. Mechanically my V7 has been flawless, reports of excessive vibration and oil consumption have proven to be false, my V7 refuses to use oil. I love having a "turn key" motorcycle. The V7 Special is a nice, all round ride. A most satisfying motorcycle on which to enjoy our California central coast roads.. Just get on and go.
 
small_block_man said:
Those who say the V7 Special isn't a racer are correct, but of all the motorcycles I have owned over the years, I find that it is particularly well suited to "The Pace" style of riding. The V7 can be ridden very quickly with minimum throttle and brake inputs.
Fun report, thanks for posting. I know Nick well, worked with him on a few gigs at Cycle World Mag.

My well sorted V7 here in the Malibu Hills;
 
Back
Top