2020 Moto Guzzi V7 III

Although Guzzi positions the V7s as “entry-level models,” the series is far more accomplished than that title would suggest. Every V7 is powered by the third evolution of Guzzi’s traditional, 744cc transverse “small block” twin, which was overhauled in 2017 with entirely new cylinder heads, pistons, and cylinder cases, though bore, stroke, and displacement remain unchanged. The newer bikes still sport basic suspension and single rotor brakes, but the 5.5-gallon tank makes for decent range between fill-ups, plus ABS is standard. The entire package doles out more than enough power and rides on a well-balanced chassis, with retro-Italian styling cues that give it instant appeal.

Guzzi is constantly revising and evolving the V7 lineup, and for 2020 it gets just minor updates, with the V7 III Racer, Carbon, Rough, and Special returning this year along with a couple of limited-edition and anniversary models. All variants are pretty much the same under the sheet metal; they just sport different graphics, tires, seats, and the like. We called it a “friendly, comfortable daily runabout with a smooth, reliable engine…that looks clean and elegant” during the course of a 2018 review.

Competition? It’s hard to find a true apples-to-apples comparison for the Guzzi V7 IIIs, but we’ve seen Triumph’s Street Twin and Yamaha’s XSR700 mentioned as being in the same ballpark, though the Guzzi is pretty much its own thing.

For 2020, the V7 lineup includes the base-model V7 III Stone and up-spec S, the scrambler-ish Rough, the V7 III Special, as well as a special 10th anniversary edition of the classic V7 III Racer, along with a couple of other limited and anniversary models. MSRP starts at $8,490.