Moto Guzzi V7 Sport (2025) – Technical Review

While Moto Guzzi is forever seen as a leftfield choice thanks to that signature V-twin engine layout with a pot poking out on either side the company’s most successful model – at least in sales terms – is also its most conventional: the V7.

Instead of falling into a particular niche the V7 is very much the essence of a motorcycle boiled down to its simplest form, and that lack of pretension gives it a retro appeal without the trying-too-hard-to-be-old-fashioned element that often plagues bikes that fall squarely into the ‘retro’ category. The V7 isn’t too fast, it isn’t super light, it isn’t frighteningly powerful, and by avoiding those extremes it gains an easy-going appeal of its own.

In the recent past the long-running V7 lineup has grown a confusing array of models, all very similar to one another – the Stone, the Stone Ten, the Corsa, the Special, the Special Edition – sharing near-identical specs and prices.

For 2025 the whole lineup has been revamped and reshuffled into a simple three-bike array: the V7 Stone is the entry level machine, the V7 Special is the mid-range version and the new V7 Sport tops the line.  

Pros & Cons

2025 Moto Guzzi V7 - Price

The new, range-topping V7 Sport is the only version of the 2025 bike to have its price announced at the time of writing, and at £9700 it’s more expensive than any of the 2024 models by some margin. When the updated bikes filter through to dealers we’d expect the Stone and Special to be cheaper: their predecessors had RRPs of £8350 and £8750 respectively, and the 2025 versions are likely to be in a similar ballpark.

2025 Moto Guzzi V7 - Engine & Performance

Moto Guzzi’s signature V-twins have been an intrinsic element of the firm’s bikes for decades, and like BMW’s boxer twins they’re appealing in part for the different experience they offer when compared to more conventional rivals. Sure, the longitudinal crank means you get a sideways torque reaction when blipping the throttle, as you do on a BMW boxer, but that’s character rather than criticism: Guzzi owners are famously brand-loyal and embrace the quirks that come with the company’s bikes.

As on the previous generation, the engine itself is an 853cc, air-cooled design that prioritises a useable spread of power and torque instead of chasing big numbers. The maximum power of 67.3hp at 6900rpm isn’t about to make any headlines, but it’s 4% up on the 2024 bike’s 65hp despite revisions to meet the latest Euro5+ emissions rules.

A relatively square bore and stroke of 84mm x 77mm, combined with a low-revving character courtesy of a single throttle body and just two valves per cylinder, sees peak torque of 79Nm (58.3 lb-ft) arrive at only 4400rpm. What’s more, Guzzi claims that 95% of that torque (so, at least 55.4 lb-ft) is available from 3500rpm.

Changes for 2025 include the introduction of ride-by-wire, a mere 19 years after Yamaha’s 2006 R6 debuted the technology, finally opening the door to the introduction of familiar ideas like riding modes and traction control. It’s also behind the power boost, allowing Guzzi to use a more aggressive camshaft while the mapped throttle compensates for any unevenness in the torque curve that might have resulted if they’d stuck with a purely mechanical setup.

More updates include a larger airbox, 27% bigger than before, and better piston cooling via a jet of oil squirted onto the underside of the pistons, while the exhaust is also revised to gain the extra oxygen sensor required for Euro5+’s emissions monitoring capabilities.

The addition of riding modes doesn’t mean buyers will suddenly be mired in a confusing mess of sub-menus and variable settings, though: the Stone and Special simply have ‘Road’ and ‘Rain’ options, while the Sport gets a ‘Sport’ mode as well. In ‘Road’ the traction control is set to a medium setting, with progressive throttle response, while ‘Rain’ softens the response and allows the traction control to cut in earlier. The ‘Sport’ mode on the V7 Sport minimises traction control intervention and sharpens the throttle, but importantly the Sport also gains a six-axis IMU, so the traction control is lean-sensitive for much better performance in corners.

As before, the engine drives through a dry clutch to a six-speed box and a shaft final drive.

2025 Moto Guzzi V7 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

Moto Guzzi has largely left the chassis alone when it comes to the carryover Stone and Special models – retaining the existing 40mm, right-way-up forks and twin, preload-adjustable shocks as before, as well as the traditional double cradle frame. As in the past, the Special is more upfront playing its ‘retro’ card, with wire spoked wheels, while the Stone uses cast alloys, but in each case there’s the same combination of 18-inch front and 17-inch rear, with modest 100-section front and 150-section rear rubber.

The new V7 Sport is a different matter, though, and gets 41mm upside-down forks, adjustable for preload, instead of the other models’ right-way-up, non-adjustable design. The Sport also gains its own design of alloy wheel, 1.8kg lighter than the Stone’s, to reduce unsprung and rotating mass.

There’s a similar story when it comes to the brakes, with the Stone and Special retaining the single 320mm disc and four-piston Brembo caliper of the previous models, allied to a 260mm rear disc and two-pot stopper, while the Sport goes for a much-improved setup with twin 320mm front discs and a pair of Brembo monobloc radial four-pots. Thanks to its IMU, the Sport also gets cornering ABS instead of the more basic variety of the Stone and Special.

The base Stone is the lightest version, coming in at 218kg with a 90% full tank of fuel. That rises to 220kg for the Sport and 223kg for the Special.

2025 Moto Guzzi V7- Comfort & Economy

All three models offer a similar rider triangle when it comes to comfort, with an identical 780mm seat height and the same relationship between the seat, bars and pegs, although the seat design and stitching differs between each version of the V7.

It’s a very conventional riding position, with wide bars and easy-to-reach pegs, so it should be comfortable for most riders, but the lack of any form of wind protection means long, fast rides will lead to inevitable wind-battering.

With the same engine and aerodynamics, and near-identical weights, the three bikes have the same fuel economy, with each quoting 57.6mpg. A large, 21-litre fuel tank means a theoretical range of 266 miles.

2025 Moto Guzzi V7 - Equipment

The addition of ride-by-wire means that all three versions of the V7 get standard cruise control for 2025, and while the rest of the equipment levels are fairly basic you still get a set of circular, LCD instruments and full LED lighting.

To up the spec, there’s a full accessory range including hard or soft panniers, the hard ones offering 42 litres of capacity, as well as purpose-made tank and tail bags. You can also add optional seats to improve comfort, as well as heated grips. On the V7 Sport, there’s also the option of tyre pressure monitoring.

2025 Moto Guzzi V7 - Rivals

While the Guzzi V7 is dropping straight into a popular and growing segment of the market that also means it’s head-to-head with some spectacularly tough competitors that offer – on paper at least – a more compelling argument. What they largely lack, though, is the Guzzi’s quirkiness, and for some that will be reason enough to buy the Mandello offering. Alternatively, you might consider:

Triumph Speed Twin 900 | Price: £9195

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Power/Torque

64bhp/59lb-ft

Weight

216kg

Kawasaki Z650RS | Price: £7799

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Power/Torque

67.3bhp/47.2lb-ft

Weight

187kg

Ducati Scrambler Icon Dark | Price: £9495

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Power/Torque

73bhp/48.1lb-ft

Weight

176kg

2025 Moto Guzzi V7 - Verdict

This sub-10-grand retro range blends a dash of timeless design with traditional engineering, and enough modern day tech to keep everything in check. It also stands alone with an appealing individual style and engine character too.

The dealer network might not be as plentiful as Triumph, Kawasaki or Ducati and that could be off-putting especially if it’s a trek to your nearest Guzzi outlet. However, given its sturdy build and no-frills approach to motorcycling, as well as huge fuel tank, the V7 range could be a gem of a purchase as one of those tick-box bikes that we should all own at some point.

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2025 Moto Guzzi V7 - Technical Specification

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

• An ignition immobiliser system

• A vehicle marking system

• An alarm system

• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.