Description
Moto Guzzi 1972 ”V7 Sport” 750cc OHV V-twin frame # VK11419 engine # VK30388
The Moto Guzzi V7 Sport was introduced in 1971 as a new and improved version of the standard V7.
For their new superbike the engineers at Moto Guzzi installed the alternator on the crankshaft nose which allowed the engine to be installed lower in a new frame – improving centre of gravity.
The new frame was a significant improvement over its forbear and when combined with the revised 5-speed gearbox and large-diameter drum brakes, the new Moto Guzzi was a revelation.
With 70bhp @7000 rpm and and a top speed of 205 km the V7 Sport could cheerfully take on the Norton Commando, the Triumph Bonneville and anything being produced by BMW or Ducati.
The V-twin and shaft-drive famously used by Moto Guzzi had originally been designed for military applications, where reliability and ease of maintenance are primary concerns.
With a capacity of 748cc the air-cooled V-twin is fed by twin 30mm Dell’Orto carburettors (each with cold-start levers), and it has a factory specified compression ratio of 9.8:1.
With a dry weight of 206kg the Moto Guzzi V7 Sport proved to be a spritely performer and it was highly regarded by reviewers, perhaps the single largest drawback was the not very modest price tag.
Later versions got discs brakes and from engine # 33448 for efficiency reasons internal modifications were made that made the engines cheaper to produce but not necessarily better: one of these modifications was the introduction of chain drive to the valve gear.
This early model has the excellent 220 mm four-leading shoe front brake. She’s number 157 of the first production series and was originally supplied to The Netherlands, the original Dutch registration is still with the bike.
She had a long-time owner and after a four-year dry storage period she has now been recommissioned with electronic ignition.
The engine is a strong runner, free of rattle and smoke.
The paintwork is in original condition and some 8,000 km ago the engine, gearbox and driveline have been overhauled.
Nowadays an early V7 Sport is regarded as one of the most iconic machines of the seventies and one of the most alluring of the classic Moto Guzzi machines.