Moto Guzzi V7 Sport 1971 HD Wallpapers, Price, Brakes

                           Moto Guzzi V7 Sport

                                          This immaculate, 1973 model V7 Sport was one of the last of fewer than 4000 that were built before production was stopped towards the end of that year. All had the model’s distinctive lime green paintwork and big twin­leading-shoe front drum brake. Neat details included an inspection light, under the seat, that came on when the seat was raised.

                                 The stylish, charismatic and impressively rapid V7 Sport was the bike with which Moto Guzzi established a reputation for performance that would last through the 1970s and beyond. The lime green Sport had a capacity of 748cc and was aptly named, as it was the first truly sporting model to be built using Guzzi’s distinctive 90-degree transverse V-twin engine.

                                  Guzzi’s air-cooled, pushrod-operated V-twin motor had unlikely origins, as it had been developed for the Italian military in the late 1950s to power a tractor-like machine called the 3x3. The shaft-drive engine had then been adapted to power Guzzi’s first V-twin bike, the 704cc V7 tourer, which had been launched in 1967. Two year later the engine had been enlarged to 757cc and used for the V7 Special, known as the Ambassador in America.

                                    This model, too, was a softly tuned tourer but Guzzi’s management could see its potential. In 1969, tuned and lightened V7s were ridden to a string of world speed records at Monza racetrack, including hour and 100km records at over 135mph (217km/h). Encouraged by this, the firm from Mandello del Lario began development of a purpose-built sportster.

Powerful engine

                                   The V7’s 757cc engine was reduced in capacity to 748cc, to allow entry in 750cc races, and tuned with a hotter camshaft, increased compression ratio, lighter valvegear and conrods, new ignition system and unfiltered 30mm Dell’Orto carburettors. With a peak output at the crankshaft of 70bhp at 7000rpm (52bhp at the rear wheel), the Sport motor was among motorcycling’s most powerful, as well as considerably lighter than the old engine.

                                  Another important change was the new engine’s alternator on the front end of the crankshaft, replacing the old generator in the Vee. This enabled Guzzi engineer Lino Tonti to design a lower frame with a steel backbone between the cylinders. On the first batch of about 150 Sports, assembled in Guzzi’s race department, the frame was painted red. Cycle parts were of high quality, including Guzzi forks with sealed damper units, Koni shocks plus a big twin-leading-shoe front drum brake.

                                    The result was a stunning machine that combined aggressive looks with taut handling and a thrilling turn of speed - so much so that in the two years following its launch in 1971, the V7 Sport was arguably the world’s fastest production motorcycle. In 1972 Italian magazine Motociclismo timed the Sport at I25mph (201 km/h), faster than rivals including the Honda CB750, Kawasaki 750 H2, Laverda 750 SF and Ducati GT750. The magazine’s testers also lapped Monza quickest on the Guzzi.

                                      On the road the Sport cruised smoothly and effortlessly at 90mph (I45km/h), and accelerated strongly from 4500rpm, although the motor lacked punch below that figure. High-speed stability was excellent, and cornering ability very good, with little adverse effect from the shaft final drive. The Sport was also raced successfully, finishing third in a 500km event at Monza on its debut in 1971, and also third at that year’s Bol d'Or at Le Mans. Moto Guzzi had arrived as a superbike manufacturer.

Updated Twin: the 750S3

                                             Guzzi produced the V7 Sport until 1975, by which time it had been joined by alternative 750cc models. The 750S of 1974 was essentially a Sport with twin disc front brakes, plus black paintwork with diagonal stripes in red, orange or green. A year later came the 750S3, which combined similar styling with Guzzi's new brake system, which linked the two front and single rear discs. Although it looked superb and produced a claimed 72bhp, the S3 was slightly slower than the Sport, due to modifications including a milder camshaft and smaller carbs.

Updated Twin: the 750S3

                                          Guzzi produced the V7 Sport until 1975, by which time it had been joined by alternative 750cc models. The 750S of 1974 was essentially a Sport with twin disc front brakes, plus black paintwork with diagonal stripes in red, orange or green. A year later came the 750S3, which combined similar styling with Guzzi's new brake system, which linked the two front and single rear discs. Although it looked superb and produced a claimed 72bhp, the S3 was slightly slower than the Sport, due to modifications including a milder camshaft and smaller carbs.

                                         Guzzi’s transverse V-twin cylinders give a unique view from the front. ‘Swan-neck’clip-on handlebars could be slid up the forks to give a more upright riding position.

                                  The Sport motor had reduced 748cc capacity tuned internals and a ne’w five-speed gearbox, plu s a Bosch alternator at the front of the crankshaft.

                           Moto Guzzi V7 Sport                                                          1971

• Engine Longitudinally mounted 748 cc
• Transmission 5 speed, shaft drive
• Tyre front 3.25-18 with WM2 aluminium rim
• Oil Capacity 6 Imperial pints (approx 3.3 litres) 
• Suspentuion Front: telescopic forks Rear: twin shocks adjustable for preload

Moto Guzzi Le Mans (1976) Weight, Color, HD Wallpapers

                          Moto Guzzi Le Mans

                                   The Le Mans' lop speed of about 130mph (209km/h) made it one of the fastest bikes on the road in the mid-1970s, and that performance was delivered with a relaxed feel that encouraged fast cruising.

                             So too did the Guzzi’s excellent high-speed handling, aided by firm and well-damped suspension.

                                  Essentially the Le Mans look was similar to that of previous sporting Guzzis. But the addition of a bikini fairing, plus a new dual seat whose front section covered the rear of the fuel tank, combined with the Italian firm’s trademark engine layout to produce one of the most glamorous and distinctive of superbikes.

                                      Long, lean and unmistakable, with its tiny headlamp fairing and muscular transverse mmmm V-twin engine, the Le Mans was arguably the most stylish superbike of the mid-1970s. Much more than that, it was fast, handled superbly and had excellent brakes. Guzzi's flagship was a hard- charging roadburner that could cruise effortlessly at lOOmph (161km/h), carve through corners at a rapid pace, and generally keep up with the best of its rivals from Italy or Japan.

                                    Moto Guzzi, based on the banks of Lake Como, had a long history of racing success and innovative bikes including the exotic 500cc V8 racer of the 1950s. Although still best known for its long- running singles, Guzzi was having increasing success with its distinctive transverse V-twins. But it was the Le Mans, introduced in 1976. that put the old firm back in the spotlight.

                                     The Le Mans was based on the 750 S3, itself a striking and deceptively rapid unfaired roadster that had been developed from the earlier V7 Sport, Guzzi's first high-performance V-twin. The new bike's most obvious innovation was its striking styling, which combined the headlamp fairing with a curvaceous fuel tank and angular seat.

                                       In search of more power. Guzzi enlarged the S3's 748cc engine to 844cc. and increased compression ratio from 9.8:1 to 10.2:1. They also fitted unfiltered 36mm DelLOrto carburettors plus a new, free-breathing exhaust system. The shaft-drive V-tw'in was still a fairly old-fashioned device with pushrod valve operation and a slow-shifting five- speed gearbox. But it now produced 80bhp at 7300rpm, an increase of 8bhp, and had plenty of mid-range punch, which the smaller S3 motor had rather disappointingly lacked.

                                     That extra power was enough for a top speed of 130mph (209km/h), impressive at the time. The big motor was lumpy at low speed, but smoothed out as the revs rose, and pulled hard through the mid­range. Where the Guzzi really scored was with its uniquely long-legged feel which, in combination with the leant-forward riding position and protection from the flyscreen, enabled the Le Mans' rider to keep up those speeds for long periods without discomfort.

Fine handling

                                     A rigid steel frame gave fine handling despite the occasionally unsettling effect of the shaft final drive. The Le Mans wasn’t the lightest or most manoeuvrable of bikes but its high-speed stability was immense, thanks partly to typically stiff suspension. At speeds that would have the riders of rival Japanese superbikes weaving, the Guzzi rumbled on without a twitch, its rider tucked down at the clip-ons behind that neat flyscreen.

                                       Guzzi’s brake set-up of three linked, cast iron Brembo discs was far superior to most rival systems, too, especially in the wet. The handlebar lever operated one front disc; the foot pedal the other plus the rear. By Italian standards the Guzzi was well built and reliable, too, although it suffered from typically poor electrics.

                                      The Le Mans’ high price ensured that it was never going to sell in huge numbers, but it gained a cult following, opened many riders’ eyes to Guzzi’s quirky V-twins, and remained in production for 19 years, through a series of updates. Unfortunately its performance did not improve with age.

                                     On the contrary, the Le Mans Mk2 version of 1979 was slightly slower, though it at least gave its rider the benefit of an angular full fairing. The 1982 model Mk3 regained some power, but Guzzi made things worse in 1985 with the 949cc Le Mans Mk4, whose 16-inch front wheel gave unreliable handling. By this time, the stability and competitive speed of the 1976 model were just a fond memory. In the case of the Moto Guzzi Le Mans, original was definitely best.

                                        Apart from its transverse V-twin motor's protruding cylinders, the Le Mans was a slim and compact hike. Its frame and front forks came from the earlier S3 model. Guzzi s linked braking system used the foot pedal to operate one front disc plus the rear disc, while the other front disc was worked by the handlebar lever.

          Specification Moto Guzzi Le Mans 850                                           (1976)

• Engine Air-cooled ohv four-valve pushrod 90-degree transverse V-twin
• Capacity 844cc (83 x 78mm)
• Maximum power 80bhp @ 7300rpm
• Transmission Five-speed, shaft final drive
• Frame Steel spine
• Suspension Telescopic front; twin shocks rear
• Brakes Twin discs front; single disc rear
• Weight 476lb (216kg) wet
• Top speed 130mph (209km/h)

Moto Guzzi Daytona (1992) Colors, Specification, Vintage collection

                       Moto Guzzi Daytona

                           The Daytona’s 992cc engine produced 95bhp and brought a new level of refinement to Guzzi’s traditional transverse V-twin layout.

                          Guzzi’s flagship was a sportster in the finest Italian tradition, with sleek sc arlet bodywork, a big air­cooled V-twin engine and a high quality chassis.

                        V-twin cylinders jutting up and out from beneath a bright red fuel tank, the Daytona 1000 was unmistakably a Moto Guzzi. But this was a Guzzi with a difference: a faster, sharper­handling. more sophisticated sportster that arrived in 1992 to re-establish the famous old firm from Mandello del Lario in northern Italy as a serious superbike manufacturer.

                               Guzzi had been in the doldrums for years, its air-cooled, pushrod-operated V-twins becoming increasingly uncompetitive. Then Guzzi boss Alejandro de Tomaso hired Dr John Wittner to develop a roadgoing version of the Guzzi-powered racebikc with which the American engineer and former dentist had been having spectacular success in twin-cylinder racing. After three years' work at the Mandello del Lario factory, Wittner had the Daytona 1000 ready for production.

New generation V-twin

                               Its 992cc ‘high-cam’ powerplant was Guzzi's most advanced roadgoing V-twin yet. Each cylinder's belt-driven camshaft was located on the inside of the 90-degree Vee. from where it worked the valves via a pair of rocker-arms. The bottom-end was a revised version of the old Le Mans unit, with lightened By wheel and straight-cut gears. A Weber- Marelli fuel-injection system contributed to a peak output of 95bhp at BOOOrpm.

                                Guzzi’s traditional transverse V-twin layout was well suited to a spine frame. The Daytona used a rectangular steel tube running through the middle of the Vee, from the steering-head to aluminium sections that held the swingarm and footrests. The rear end comprised a steel cantilever swingarm acting directly on a diagonally-placed shock unit.

                           A parallelogram linkage, developed by Wittner, combated shaft-drive reaction.

                     The Daytona was notably revvier, more responsive and faster than its predecessors, with the trade-off that it lacked a little of their trademark bottom-end torque. Even so the Daytona pulled cleanly from as low as 20()0rpm - below 40mph (64km/h) - in top gear. At around 4000rpm it breathed more deeply. giving strong acceleration towards a top speed of 145mph (233km/h).

                         Handling combined old-style Guzzi stability with a more modem feel. Thanks to the parallelogram swingarm linkage there was little of the traditional shaft-drive reaction when the throttle was open or closed in mid-turn. At 4521b (205kg) the Daytona was respectably light and manoeuvrable. Its suspension consisted of 41mm Marzocchi forks and a Koni rear unit. Brembo's brake system dispensed with the linked discs of previous Guzzis, and gave efficient, if not outstanding, stopping power.

Essential Guzzi: the 1100 Sport

                           In 1994, two years after launching the Daytona, Guzzi added to the range with simpler new model along similar lines. The 1100 Sport combined a Daytona-based chassis with an old-style 1064cc pushrod V-twin engine that used carburettors instead of fuel-injection. The result was a bike that produced 90bhp, 5bhp down on the Daytona, and was a fair bit cheaper and almost as fast.

                                       Two years later Guzzi created the 1100 Sport Injection (pictured) by giving the Sport a Daytona- style fuel-injection system. Peak power was unchanged, but the low-rev response was much improved. At the same time the eight-valve model was uprated with the new Daytona RS. Its 992cc engine featured higher compression ratio, hotter camshaft, forged pistons, Carrillo conrods and a lightened crankshaft. The RS produced 102bhp and was good for 150mph (241 km/h).

                            For all its advances over the Le Mans, the days when Guzzi’s finest could show a pack of production racers the way around a circuit were gone. Despite its racy name and competition background, the Daytona excelled in traditional fashion: as a sporty, long-legged roadster that provided performance in its own unique way. It was modern, but not that modern. Above all, the Daytona 1000 was still every bit a Moto Guzzi.

          Specification Moto Guzzi Daytona 1000                                        (1992)

• Engine Air-cooled high-cam eight-valve 90-degree transverse V-twin
• Capacity 992cc (90 x 78mm)
• Maximum power 95bhp @ 8000rpm
• Transmission Five-speed, shaft final drive
• Frame Steel spine with aluminium plates
• Suspension Telescopic front; monoshock rear
• Brakes Twin discs front; disc rear
• Weight 452lb (205kg)
• Top speed 145mph (233km/h)