1973 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport

1973 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport
Registration no. TGC 975L
Frame no. VK13603
Engine no. VK33420
With the death of founders Giorgio Parodi and Carlo Guzzi big changes at Moto Guzzi followed, with the emphasis on larger tourers rather than Guzzi's previous lightweights. Designer Giulio Carcano introduced his 90° V-twin with one eye on the lucrative US market, but always hankered after developing the motor into a lithe sportster: contrary to the oft repeated myth, Carcano's design was only ever intended for motorcycles, although he did fit one into his Fiat 500.

This particular V7 Sport was originally supplied by a Rome dealer, accounting for the all black finish unique to the home market. There are also period upgrades, perhaps some of the last undertaken by Moto Guzzi's race shop. These include Riservato silencers to the same specification as the original Le Mans; polished and balanced conrods; and a shaft drive bevel box of 8:36 as opposed to the standard 8:35.

When the original owner traded this V7 Sport for a Le Mans in 1976 it was brought into the UK by Vincent Marcello of Moto Mecca who sold it to the vendor in 1993. Following a period of modest use, the retired engineer vendor undertook a substantial rebuild including a period crankcase modified for full flow filtration cartridge, with the original included in the sale. Since this work in 2010-2012 the motorcycle has been sparingly used and the odometer reading remains a modest 8161km.