![]() ![]() The V7 is one of those motorcycles that gives you permission to relax, to take your time and really savor the moment. Although the new V7 has a larger 853cc engine, variations of which are found in the V9 and V85 TT, output remains modest - 65 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 54 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm, measured at the crank. The V7 Stone brought me back to the simple pleasure of motorcycling - the feel of the wind against my body, the engine’s vibrations felt through various touch points, the exhilaration of thrust. It’s a visceral, engaging, rhythmic experience. Each was unique, but all shared the distinctive cah-chugga-chugga sound when their V-twins fired up and the gentle rocking to the right side when their throttles were blipped at idle. I’ve ridden a variety of Moto Guzzis over the years - the Norge sport-tourer (named after the Norge GT 500, which Giuseppe Guzzi rode to the Arctic Circle in 1928), the carbon-fiber-clad MGX-21 Flying Fortress hard bagger, the classic California 1400 Touring, and the red-framed, chrome-tanked V7 Racer, among others. The V7 Special (left) brightens things up with gloss, chrome, and spoked wheels. She dedicated her mind, body, and spirit to learning to ride, doing her own maintenance, and enduring long hours in the saddle through stifling heat, bitter cold, and drenching rain. She fell under the spell of the Italian V-twin’s syncopated beat. Like any true love, Pierson’s passion for Moto Guzzi ran deep and transcended appearance. When searching for her first motorcycle, it was love at first sight: “a 500cc V-twin Moto Guzzi, red-and-black, a workhorse, and I thought it was beautiful.” Woven throughout Pierson’s book, arguably one of the best ever written about motorcycling, is a romance between the author and Moto Guzzi. ![]() When we find joy, we hold it close and nurture it. ![]() Melissa Holbrook Pierson, The Perfect Vehicle: What It Is About Motorcycles It concentrates its aural energies in your upper chest, ringing through your bones. ![]() “I would know the sound of a big Guzzi in my sleep. Updates for 2021 to Moto Guzzi’s V7 Stone and V7 Special include a larger engine and a revised chassis. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2023
Categories |