I'm thinking about getting a V7, and, like most bikes off the showroom floor, it would be horribly underpowered out the door. My general rule of thumb is that the horsepower should be about 10% of the displacement in cc's, so a 750 should generate HP in the 70's, not the 43 or whatever the stock V7 makes.
In the Harley world they talk about paying the "Harley tax", which is the list of standard performance upgrades you need to make in order for your brand-new Harley to have reasonable power. What does the "Guzzi tax" consist of? I assume that right off the bat you need to improve the air intake and exhaust flow; what's the most common way to do this (by that I mean, what are the most common air-cleaner & exhaust replacements)? Is 70 HP a reasonable expectation for a two-valve push-rod 750 Guzzi? What else should be done to a stock Guzzi to bring it up to snuff? Suspension? Electrics?
In the Harley world they talk about paying the "Harley tax", which is the list of standard performance upgrades you need to make in order for your brand-new Harley to have reasonable power. What does the "Guzzi tax" consist of? I assume that right off the bat you need to improve the air intake and exhaust flow; what's the most common way to do this (by that I mean, what are the most common air-cleaner & exhaust replacements)? Is 70 HP a reasonable expectation for a two-valve push-rod 750 Guzzi? What else should be done to a stock Guzzi to bring it up to snuff? Suspension? Electrics?