Description
Moto Guzzi 1972 ”V7 Sport” 748cc OHV V-twin frame # VK12110 engine # VK31030
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.
The V7 Sport had bore x stroke dimensions of 82.5 x 70.2 mm and sported a five-speed gearbox.
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.
This is a well-restored specimen in excellent condition.