Moto Guzzi V7 Stone Special Edition: Back in Black for 2023

[advrider]

Moto Guzzi loves its V7 platform, and even though it’s gone all fancy-pants with the V100 Mandello platform, it knows that many, many riders want the old-school air-cooled transverse V-twin formula. So, behold the 2023 V7 Stone Special Edition: No radiator, and loving it!

The V7 Stone models have always been pretty basic in their hardware, but this Special Edition model carries a bit more flair than most of them, perhaps. Check out the bright red trim (shocks, sidecover badges, tank trim). That’s a bit more flashy than the discreet blacked-out look of previous Stone models, although it’s still a very low-key paint scheme overall.

The V7 Stone is not truthfully the V85 Stone, as it uses an evolved version of the same engine that powers the V85 TT adventure bike. Engine capacity is now 853 cc; previously, the V7 class was around the 750 cc mark, as the name implies. But these are the sort of changes required as regulators push us towards reduce carbons emissions. Engines are becoming larger in size to compensate for power losses brought on by Euro5 regulations. The current-gen V7 Stone makes 65 horsepower,  while the V85 makes about 80 horsepower. The V7 version uses lower-spec internals, which lowers the cost but also lowers the performance. At least the Special Edition gets an Arrow exhaust that adds just a bit more jam, while giving a more stylish look and healthier sound.

Photo: Moto Guzzi

No word yet on North American pricing, and this machine isn’t even on Guzzi’s US website yet—but it’s sure to show up on our shores eventually. If you want a new machine that sticks as close to the old V7 formula as possible, chances are this bike (or something like it from the V7 lineup) may be the last chance to make that happen. Times are changing fast, and air cooling is soooo twenty-first century.

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