Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The Moto Guzzi V7 Sport was, in the seventies, the flagship touring-sports motorcycle model of the Mandello company. Popularly known by the nickname "Dachshund", it was produced in the "V7 Sport 750", "750 S" and "750-S3" versions. The new motorcycle was presented to the public during the Milan cycle and motorcycle show in November 1971, arousing great interest among industry workers and simple enthusiasts. Finally put on sale in January 1972, the "V7 Sport" immediately became the reference model for world production in the sector of motorcycles dedicated to sports tourism, thanks to its characteristics of stability, speed and robustness, decidedly superior to the models of competing manufacturers. of those years. In 1972 the magazine Motociclismo organized a comparative test for the six maxi-bike models considered the most representative of the moment, in strictly series configuration, (Ducati 750 GT, Honda CB 750 Four, Kawasaki 750 Mach IV, Laverda 750 SF, Suzuki GT 750). During the tests, which took place under the control of Franco Marchesani, dean of the FMI sports commissioners, the Moto Guzzi V7 Sport completed the complete lap of the Monza circuit, stopping the clocks at a time of 2′ 02″47 which was, by far, the best of the session. Particularly significant was the abysmal gap, of over 11 seconds per lap, inflicted on the Kawasaki 750 Mach IV which, at the time, was popularly considered the ne plus ultra in terms of performance. Again in Monza, in 1974, Abbondio Sciaresa took the "V7 Sport" to victory, after having won some important races, including that of Misano, in the same year, where he also won the fastest lap, competing against the fierce Laverda 750s SFC, Kawasaki 750 H2R and Norton 750 Commando PR. However, some criticisms were leveled at the cost-saving choices that characterized the production of the "V7 Sport", accused of not being up to par with the Japanese competition. The flaws were concentrated in the external appearance, i.e. in the poor quality of the secondary components and controls, as well as in the adoption of the front drum brake, which was actually very advanced and efficient, but aesthetically obsolete. Moto Guzzi took action by putting on sale a kit, created in collaboration with Brembo, for the transformation of the front brake from drum to double disc which, despite the cost of 120,000 lire, sold out in a few months. Most of the "V7 Sport" for the US market were equipped with the same kit starting from 1973. The real reason that prevented the "V7 Sport" from reaching the sales numbers it deserved, depended on the limited production potential of the Moto Guzzi. The new company management, in the meantime assumed by Alejandro De Tomaso, was taken by surprise by the success of the model and preferred to direct the product towards the elite motorcycle market, rather than expand the production lines. In the autumn of 1972, in fact, the delivery times for the "V7 Sport" exceeded three months and the list price was 1,480,000 lire: partially justified by the high technical and qualitative contents, but equally exorbitant compared to the twin-cylinder models of equal volume, Italian and foreign, offered by competing manufacturers. For example, the most requested model on the Italian market, the Laverda 750 SF, was on sale for 1,020,000 lire. Nonetheless, in just over two years, 3,541 examples of the "V7 Sport" were built and delivered, in addition to the 150 pre-series examples.
The Moto Guzzi V7 Sport was, in the seventies, the flagship touring-sports motorcycle model of the Mandello company. Popularly known by the nickname "Dachshund", it was produced in the "V7 Sport 750", "750 S" and "750-S3" versions. The new motorcycle was presented to the public during the Milan cycle and motorcycle show in November 1971, arousing great interest among industry workers and simple enthusiasts. Finally put on sale in January 1972, the "V7 Sport" immediately became the reference model for world production in the sector of motorcycles dedicated to sports tourism, thanks to its characteristics of stability, speed and robustness, decidedly superior to the models of competing manufacturers. of those years. In 1972 the magazine Motociclismo organized a comparative test for the six maxi-bike models considered the most representative of the moment, in strictly series configuration, (Ducati 750 GT, Honda CB 750 Four, Kawasaki 750 Mach IV, Laverda 750 SF, Suzuki GT 750). During the tests, which took place under the control of Franco Marchesani, dean of the FMI sports commissioners, the Moto Guzzi V7 Sport completed the complete lap of the Monza circuit, stopping the clocks at a time of 2′ 02″47 which was, by far, the best of the session. Particularly significant was the abysmal gap, of over 11 seconds per lap, inflicted on the Kawasaki 750 Mach IV which, at the time, was popularly considered the ne plus ultra in terms of performance. Again in Monza, in 1974, Abbondio Sciaresa took the "V7 Sport" to victory, after having won some important races, including that of Misano, in the same year, where he also won the fastest lap, competing against the fierce Laverda 750s SFC, Kawasaki 750 H2R and Norton 750 Commando PR. However, some criticisms were leveled at the cost-saving choices that characterized the production of the "V7 Sport", accused of not being up to par with the Japanese competition. The flaws were concentrated in the external appearance, i.e. in the poor quality of the secondary components and controls, as well as in the adoption of the front drum brake, which was actually very advanced and efficient, but aesthetically obsolete. Moto Guzzi took action by putting on sale a kit, created in collaboration with Brembo, for the transformation of the front brake from drum to double disc which, despite the cost of 120,000 lire, sold out in a few months. Most of the "V7 Sport" for the US market were equipped with the same kit starting from 1973. The real reason that prevented the "V7 Sport" from reaching the sales numbers it deserved, depended on the limited production potential of the Moto Guzzi. The new company management, in the meantime assumed by Alejandro De Tomaso, was taken by surprise by the success of the model and preferred to direct the product towards the elite motorcycle market, rather than expand the production lines. In the autumn of 1972, in fact, the delivery times for the "V7 Sport" exceeded three months and the list price was 1,480,000 lire: partially justified by the high technical and qualitative contents, but equally exorbitant compared to the twin-cylinder models of equal volume, Italian and foreign, offered by competing manufacturers. For example, the most requested model on the Italian market, the Laverda 750 SF, was on sale for 1,020,000 lire. Nonetheless, in just over two years, 3,541 examples of the "V7 Sport" were built and delivered, in addition to the 150 pre-series examples.
