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Top) The V7 Stone is aimed at value conscience motorcyclists with its $8390 price tag. (
Bottom) The Racer continues to offer flashy café racer styling with a more powerful engine and larger fuel tank.
Europe’s classic motorcycling brand, Moto Guzzi, has released information on its updated V7 line of street bikes. Three flavors will be available in the U.S. including the Stone, Racer and Special—these motorcycles offer distinct styling with more contemporary road performance.
All three models share the same powertrain, frame, suspension and brakes. The motorcycles are powered by a more powerful air-cooled 744cc V-Twin engine fed from a generous 5.8 gallon fuel tank (1.4 gallons larger than the '11 model) which will equate to a useable range in excess of 250 miles. In contrast to other brands, Moto Guzzi mounts the engine in a traverse position which adds character and makes Moto Guzzi motorcycles so charismatic to ride. The engine is fuel-injected and employs a conventional manual-style five-speed transmission and shaft final drive.
The engine is hung in a cradle-style steel frame with a non-adjustable hydraulic fork and twin shocks damping road bumps. All three bikes also share the same Brembo braking components including a single 320mm rotor pinched by four-piston caliper at the front and a single 260mm disc and double piston caliper mounted rearward. No ABS option is available at this time.
The Stone ($8390) is aimed at value conscience riders. It rolls on 12-spoke cast aluminum wheels shod with
Pirelli tires in sizes 100/90-18 (front) and 130/80-17 (rear) and is claimed to weigh just 395 pounds ready to ride. The Stone is finished in a Matte Black colorway.
As the name implies the Racer ($9900) gets an in-you-face café racer style paint job with a red frame, swingarm and wheel hubs. It also deletes passenger accomodations and adds spoked wheels wrapped with the same sized Pirelli tires as the Stone and Special versions.
The Special ($8990) edition offers a more understated look with your choice of a two-tone red/white or yellow/black paint job and spoke wheels. All V7 models are backed by a two-year warranty and one-year of roadside assistance. Bikes should be arriving to U.S. dealers this fall.
