2012 Moto Guzzi V7

Moto Guzzi was expected to unveil its new heavy gun, the California V 1400, at the EICMA show inMilan, but CEO Roberto Colaninno spurred his men to do better than what was previewed last year. So, the V7 carried the flag once again!

For the first time in years, the “small-block” Moto Guzzi V-Twin has been extensively refurbished to produce more-adequate power and torque. The internal changes are immediately apparent via the engine’s largely revised exterior. New valve covers and, most important, vastly extended finning on heads and cylinders improve cooling in response to an increase in compression from 9.2:1 to 10.2:1.

Since the V7 engine uses a Heron- type combustion chamber, new pistons were adopted featuring a revised design on their dished-out crowns. The pistons also are lighter and stronger. In addition, the V7 now breathes through larger valves and a revised induction system that uses a single Y-shaped 38mm throttle body that splits into two 36mm runners where the individual injectors are located.

As a result of these changes, claimed output has increased to 51 horsepower at 6200 rpm and 42.8 foot-pounds of torque at 5000 rpm. Throttle response from low revs is vastly improved, thanks to the ram effect of the aforementioned longer manifold and cooler air inhaled by the relocated airbox.

The upgraded 750cc Twin powers three models: V7, V7 Special and V7 Racer. All three machines are based on the previous version but feature new graphics. The rolling gear remains unchanged, but the overall quality of the bikes shows some meaningful improvements.