The V7III Racer is well worked out by the factory, for my needs/desires anyway, so unlike most of the motorcycles I’ve owned in the past it really doesn’t require I do much to change or configure it.
Yeah, I know: there are always better brakes, better forks, better tires, more power, more displacement, etc etc. From my perspective, having done that stuff time after time over the past 40 years and some, There is joy in doing it all and seeing the results of your handiwork ... but most of it is usually unnecessary. My old 850T, which was totally stock mechanically except for the addition of Koni rear suspension units, was extremely satisfying to ride regardless of the fact that it had 1975 era forks, brakes, power, etc. I just learned to ride around its minor deficiencies and exploit what it did really well. All of the work I did to it was centered around jetting it correctly, setting up the seating position and controls to suit me properly, and painting it. That was enough: it worked brilliantly.
Racer is in many ways the reincarnation of that old bike but with modern equipment and more power, far better brakes. The seating position is spot on, for me. The controls are just right. The handling is great. The suspension ...
The only flaw I’ve found is that the stock springs are a bit light for my weight. I’m a big guy, I weigh about 260 lbs. I had a friend sit on it the other day and noted that the rear suspension even with his 220 lbs was sagging a bit too much, my additional forty pounds made the rear suspension bottom occasionally. While the right solution is undoubtedly a set of stronger springs (Todd’s working on that), the interim solution is to raise the preload and get the static sag into the right range. I added about 3.5 turns of preload to each rear shock (about 5-6mm if my approximate measurement is any good) so that the rear static sag is now about 35-40mm when I’m sitting on the bike. The soft windings on the springs are not quite coil-bound at this point.
I did a 17 mile test ride and the improvement is nothing short of fantastic. No bottoming, completely stable and flickable, the suspension now feels resilient and compliant with no harshness and tracks well even on bumpy pavement nicely. Man, those Öhlins are good!
I’ve been told the forks are only so-so, but honestly they’re fine for me at present. I’m not racing. Same for the brakes—I’ve put thousands of miles on bikes that had far far worse brakes and poorer forks, and never noticed that it slowed me down at all.
Totally stock, I have to say I have few complaints about the injection map. I know that it can be better, and am going to experiment with Todd’s custom map when my tool arrives, but it’s darn good right out of the box on this bike. That said, I am leaning towards buying a set of Agostini long mufflers (purely for the look and sound, really, although I know they’re much lighter than the stock mufflers and might increase power by a small percentage) so that will take a map upgrade to achieve the right mixtures across the board.
The stock headlight is a bit on the dim side given today’s technology. I mean, really: a 55/60W H4 is a 1970s lighting solution. What I’d really like is the Motodemic Adaptive LED headlight that I fitted to the Scrambler—expensive but awesome lighting!—and am working with Motodemic to make that happen. But in the interim, I bought the LED H4 replacement bulb from Todd and tested it last night. Aside from that I configured it a hair too low, it’s a good upgrade and inexpensive. And it takes all of 20 minutes at most to install, and one screwdriver.
Beyond these things, it’s a matter of personal taste and desires. I prefer bar end mirrors and had a set of the CRG Hindsight Lanesplitters, so I bought the bar end weighted mounts and fitted them. They work perfectly. There’s really nothing else I need for day to day riding and use.
I need a solution for travel luggage, that’s what I’m working on now. The high upswept pipes preclude most panniers, so I’m looking at things that involve mounting to the seat. I’ll let you know when I find what works for me.
There’s really nothing else for me to do other than ride, which is what Racer wants anyway. Get through break-in, do the first service, then rev rev rev! He’s a happy boy; wants me to ride him far and fast. I’m more than willing to comply.
No matter where you go, go there on a Guzzi.
Yeah, I know: there are always better brakes, better forks, better tires, more power, more displacement, etc etc. From my perspective, having done that stuff time after time over the past 40 years and some, There is joy in doing it all and seeing the results of your handiwork ... but most of it is usually unnecessary. My old 850T, which was totally stock mechanically except for the addition of Koni rear suspension units, was extremely satisfying to ride regardless of the fact that it had 1975 era forks, brakes, power, etc. I just learned to ride around its minor deficiencies and exploit what it did really well. All of the work I did to it was centered around jetting it correctly, setting up the seating position and controls to suit me properly, and painting it. That was enough: it worked brilliantly.
Racer is in many ways the reincarnation of that old bike but with modern equipment and more power, far better brakes. The seating position is spot on, for me. The controls are just right. The handling is great. The suspension ...
The only flaw I’ve found is that the stock springs are a bit light for my weight. I’m a big guy, I weigh about 260 lbs. I had a friend sit on it the other day and noted that the rear suspension even with his 220 lbs was sagging a bit too much, my additional forty pounds made the rear suspension bottom occasionally. While the right solution is undoubtedly a set of stronger springs (Todd’s working on that), the interim solution is to raise the preload and get the static sag into the right range. I added about 3.5 turns of preload to each rear shock (about 5-6mm if my approximate measurement is any good) so that the rear static sag is now about 35-40mm when I’m sitting on the bike. The soft windings on the springs are not quite coil-bound at this point.
I did a 17 mile test ride and the improvement is nothing short of fantastic. No bottoming, completely stable and flickable, the suspension now feels resilient and compliant with no harshness and tracks well even on bumpy pavement nicely. Man, those Öhlins are good!
I’ve been told the forks are only so-so, but honestly they’re fine for me at present. I’m not racing. Same for the brakes—I’ve put thousands of miles on bikes that had far far worse brakes and poorer forks, and never noticed that it slowed me down at all.
Totally stock, I have to say I have few complaints about the injection map. I know that it can be better, and am going to experiment with Todd’s custom map when my tool arrives, but it’s darn good right out of the box on this bike. That said, I am leaning towards buying a set of Agostini long mufflers (purely for the look and sound, really, although I know they’re much lighter than the stock mufflers and might increase power by a small percentage) so that will take a map upgrade to achieve the right mixtures across the board.
The stock headlight is a bit on the dim side given today’s technology. I mean, really: a 55/60W H4 is a 1970s lighting solution. What I’d really like is the Motodemic Adaptive LED headlight that I fitted to the Scrambler—expensive but awesome lighting!—and am working with Motodemic to make that happen. But in the interim, I bought the LED H4 replacement bulb from Todd and tested it last night. Aside from that I configured it a hair too low, it’s a good upgrade and inexpensive. And it takes all of 20 minutes at most to install, and one screwdriver.
Beyond these things, it’s a matter of personal taste and desires. I prefer bar end mirrors and had a set of the CRG Hindsight Lanesplitters, so I bought the bar end weighted mounts and fitted them. They work perfectly. There’s really nothing else I need for day to day riding and use.
I need a solution for travel luggage, that’s what I’m working on now. The high upswept pipes preclude most panniers, so I’m looking at things that involve mounting to the seat. I’ll let you know when I find what works for me.
There’s really nothing else for me to do other than ride, which is what Racer wants anyway. Get through break-in, do the first service, then rev rev rev! He’s a happy boy; wants me to ride him far and fast. I’m more than willing to comply.
No matter where you go, go there on a Guzzi.
