More money + Less Power = Better?

Moto Guzzi has been going crazy with its V7 Classic.

So far they've added the Cafe Classic, a Racer version for Europe only (what a shocker, there) and now they've shown a scrambler concept based on the V7.  Looks like Guzzi wants to sit at the modern classic table and have a piece of Triumph's pie.

Not so fast, though.

The V7 does a very good job at recalling the original V7 that Guzzi started selling in the late sixties.  The V7 Cafe is an almost spot-on homage to the V7 Sport, gracefully recalling the Sport's basic profile, design and color.  In all, they look very good.

The problem I have with the V7 is two-fold, however.  Not only is it more expensive than the Triumph Bonneville it aims to compete with, it's a lot less powerful, too.  Now, math was never my subject, but I don't think more money plus less power equals better.

The V7 is built around Guzzi's venerable "small-block" V-twin.  The small-block engines were a way for Guzzi to make smaller models in the seventies and eighties to help increase production and reduce weight.  Sizes of the engines ranged from 750cc to 350cc. 

Nestled between the frame rails of the V7 is a 750cc version of the small-block twin churning out 48 horsepower.  Here's where the problem starts.  I'm not one to get mesmerized by numbers (well...) but that is 18 less than the Bonneville and frankly, not enough.

I'm not going to pretend a Bonneville is on par with a Suzuki GSXR-1000 when it comes to performance, but 18 horsepower is a lot.  If you add 18 ponies to a stock Bonneville's 66, you end up with 84 very healthy horsepowers.  Hmm, maybe I can do math.  Anyway, if you are going to charge more than your competition, the smart idea would be to have more than your competition.  I know people are going to talk about weight, torque and balance but the fact remains, the Bonneville offers more for less.

The V7 does have Triumph beat in a few areas.  It weighs a lot less at 400lbs dry, the front disc is larger and clamped by four-piston calipers, and the rear shocks are adjustable for rebound and preload.  Those aren't bad specs for any bike.

But the V7 is still style over substance.  Guzzi could have wrung Triumph's neck with the V7 but instead chose to build a pretty bike and not a real competitor.  The choice to equip the V7 with an engine that was inadequate way back in the eighties hurts the bikes chances to be anything more than a pretty face.

Again, I'm not going to pretend a Bonneville is superbike fast, but it gets along very well.  There is also the ability to mod the Bonneville that you don't get with the V7 and its small-block twin.  Plus, you have to pay more to start with Guzzi and then dump cash into it just to match the performance of the cheaper, bog-standard Triumph.  I'm sorry but that doesn't work for me.

I really want to love the V7, and the Cafe especially, because I love the old V7 Sport and I love Moto Guzzi but I just can't do it.  For modern classics, you have to go Triumph because the bang for the buck is better.

I mean, the Bonneville range is gorgeous anyway, so it's not like you're losing out.