2011 Moto Guzzi V7 Racer Review

[Duken4evr]

This bike does look amazingly cool. Sadly, I am not hip enough to own it. Could never pull it off. Continued made in Japan anonymity for me!

[seruzawa]

I can see how this bike might be appealing to someone who likes to do battle on mountain roads on vintage style bikes like 500 singles and such. For me it's no sweat to average 40mph from the bottom to the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon on my Tiger. On the DR350 it's a difficult feat and strangely more satisfying.

I still maintain that it can be more fun to go fast on a slow bike than to go slow on a fast bike.

[Duken4evr]

seruzawa, your DR3450 exploits sound a bit like my street rides years ago on the '83 Honda XL600. That bike did not have a lot of power either, but it sure was fun to ride the wheels off it. Even a simple right turn at an intersection often resulted in a hang out the rear end and wheelie at the exit, throttle pinned and rider grinning. Had to sell it before they threw me in jail! It was fun to screw around on in an urban environment.

If I ever hit the Lotto, my 'Berg 450 will be joined by a modded FS 570 super motard variant. Oh the trouble one could get into with that bike. Ride the wheels off it personality married to a good stout dose of actual power

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by Duken4evr

If I ever hit the Lotto, my 'Berg 450 will be joined by a modded FS 570 super motard variant. Oh the trouble one could get into with that bike. Ride the wheels off it personality married to a good stout dose of actual power

Or you could get one of these: 2008 Aprilia SXV 5.5 Review

[The Spaceman]

Originally Posted by seruzawa

I still maintain that it can be more fun to go fast on a slow bike than to go slow on a fast bike.

Yes, but it's the most fun to go fast on a fast bike.

[Duken4evr]

Originally Posted by Kevin_Duke

Or you could get one of these: 2008 Aprilia SXV 5.5 Review

Appealing indeed, but as a 'Berg owner, I now officially bleed blue!

A bit of eye candy on that point for you. This 570 has a Thumper Racing 610 big bore kit in it, FMF Ti full system. It has not been on the dyno but it and "goes like mad" per the owner, making his last bike, an HRC power up kitted XR650 feel "slow". Pardon me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard. I submit it is also fun to go fast on a cool bike. One like this and an NCR Duc would do, along with the current 'Berg 450for dirt. One can dream. At least I am partway there

[sarnali2]

I absolutely head over heels love this style of bike, my first street bike at the tender age of 16 was a 250 Bultaco Matador on which I turned the clip-on bars upside down, took the silencer off the expansion chamber and pretty well pissed off everyone in a 5 block radius. While everyone was into Easy Rider and wanting choppers, I was drooling over Tritons and Norviles and dreaming of the Holy Grail: A Cafe`d purple and white Trident...

Fast forward to 5 years ago when I bought a shiny new Triumph Thruxton and found out that middle aged fat guys don't fold up and fit on Cafe` Racers the same as scrawny 16 year old kids do, much to my dissapointment. I'm afraid I'd be in the same boat with this jewel though I think it is the total bees knees.

Funny you mention the front wheel deflecting easily, that was one of the first things I noticed on the Thrux too, not much leverage with a tall and skinny front wheel and low mounted narrow bars. Th Matador was the same way except with a 21 inch Trials Universal added on to make life interesting...

Any rate, cool bike, I'd buy one in a minute if I wasn't so well marbled.

[The_AirHawk]

Originally Posted by The Spaceman

Yes, but it's the most fun to go fast on a fast bike.

However, there are only but a few that can. I am not counted among them.

[sarnali2]

Originally Posted by The_AirHawk

However, there are only but a few that can. I am not counted among them.

Going fast on a slow bike requires smoothness and throttle control, I think it's more fun myself.

Going fast on a fast bike takes more skill than I have so I wouldn't know, going slow on a fast bike is pretty boring in my experiance.

[Duken4evr]

I think the intangible phenomonenon of it being fun to go fast on a slower bike has to do with loading the chassis by maintaining corner speed and the exciting sensations that creates. Knowing that the motor won't overwhelm with power, the rider can focus on what the tires and chassis are doing, and ride them closer to the edge to attain "fast" speeds.

That is my main beef with street ridden supersport bikes. It is not possible (in a remotely sane way) to generate enough speed on the street to "load" them. On the other end of the spectrum, a dual sport with a pair of trail wing tires on it, ridden hard on a tight canyon road, wriggling here, sliding there, but always predicitible, is great fun.

I like my street bike for the liquid rush of speed it can generate, but after awhile that can grow a bit old. Scary as it sounds, as I age, I am beginning to understand cruiser guys! The idea of a bike like a Duc Multistrada or even a big Vic bagger (with engine mods) is starting to appeal to me more than my FZ1 right now, to be honest. A bike that rumbles and has character when it is not on the cam and rippin'. The FZ1 has character, but it needs to be tempting me to go to jail speeds to fully display it, and one can't venture there for too long off the racetrack. Wish I had a track close by...

No matter what, there will always be high perf dirt bike in my garage. A fast 4 stroke dirt bike that handles well is a joy indeed, like nothing riding the street alone can give, and there are no rules off road. Dirt biking brings out the moto child in me, and that is priceless as geezerdom closes in. Gonna keep hittin' the gym, taking fish oil and praying my vitality holds out. The speeds may eventually drop, but I plan to ride off road to the point that people are shocked by it. Malcolm Smith, well, he is my freakin; hero