Fun to ride
Much to my surprise, this little Italian number is most enjoyable to ride. The farther you go, the more you come to appreciate the smooth engine, the stiff the frame, the effective suspension and brakes, and the excellent standard equipment tires.

These qualities, combined with a non-menacing personality, encourage you to go a little crazy and have some fun in corners, where the bike excels thanks to easy-to-live-with old-school chassis geometry. The bike leans into corners easily, to the point that it requires some getting used to before you can become as precise as you would be on a more modern steed. At the end of the day, the reassuring corner bite reminds some older riders of the sport bikes of yore.

(Photo: Philippe Champoux/Moto123.com)

Under full acceleration, the Mandello V-twin propels you smoothly and easily from 1,500 to 5,000 rpm. The V7’s nimbleness is much appreciated in town, where it laughs in the face of traffic jams and deftly zips between cars… oh, sorry officer, you’re absolutely right, we are not in Rome…

This Italian sport bike features nostalgic styling, combining the flair of the Nevadas and Brevas sold in Europe with the classic V7 engine look and typical Guzzi feel – modernized to current standards of course!

While keeping one wheel in the present and the other in the past, the V7 Café Classic offers a distinctive and unique charm.

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Charismatic engine
Charming looks
Interesting finish
Respectable frame

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Not enough suspension travel in back
Slow, old school transmission