Last week we had to pick up our Guzzi California from the dealership after servicing. After making that trip once on the Tube, we decided even if the Honda is unreliable and spraying coolant all over the place, it’s still less painful than being stuck inside an underground toothpaste tube. So off we went, in the midst of weekend traffic, through South West London. To be honest, two people riding the Honda in bright sunny weather, through hellish traffic conditions, was a situation less than ideal. So indeed by the time we reached Corsa Italiana in Colliers Wood, the Honda was making puddles of coolant.

Having time to spare (to let the poor thing cool down!) we kept ourselves entertained by looking at the new bikes they had on display. I particularly loved the V7 Café 750 Classic standing inside their showroom. What a good looking bike! Especially since I have a weakness for retro looks, and the combination of matte Yellow paint with the chrome spoke wheels etc. just totally works!

Though they didn’t have a demo bike for that model available, they did have the normal V7 Classic. The only difference between both is mainly cosmetic; different handlebar and seat, rest is pretty much the same.

So off I went taking it for a little ride. It’s a fairly small and light bike, doesn’t really feel like a 750. It took a little while getting used to the gears and clutch. Everything is so new and smooth, you don’t even notice the gears changing – quite a big difference after being used to the Honda which in comparison sounds and feels like a tractor changing gears. The clutch travel is minute, way less than I expected, so my start was not particularly smooth, until I got my head around where the biting point is.

Now it does say it’s a 750, V-Twin - but it doesn’t really go like a 750. Both my husband and I are spoilt with the Honda’s acceleration, and although the spec says the Guzzi has 10 less bhp, it feels like way less than that. For exactly that reason, my husband didn’t like the bike at all. I on the other hand was more influenced by the looks of it. It may sound very, very wrong but the whole bike just seemed endearing. Compare it to a lion cub, it’s really cute and at the same time demands respect - A small V twin with a tiny little roar to go with it when you rev it a bit. Possibly changing the exhaust to louder ones will make it more impressive but I was overwhelmed by the cuteness of it all. (Men will hate this remark I’m sure!). One thing I did note on my little ride around the neighbourhood was that other bikers seem to inherently respect you on that bike more than on a Japanese one. I got a few nods and looks, which NEVER happens on the Honda.

All in all I think the bike is quite nice, perhaps a bit girly. I’d prefer the Café version of course, and a louder exhaust system. However, for the same price or less I could get a small Harley… which is also very tempting. I couldn’t really fault the bike, it has its own charm and quite different looks, however the main thing that would make me think twice is servicing costs. After being presented with the bill for our California this point was emphasized even more, shelling out 400-500 quid for a simple service just feels so wrong – there wasn’t even anything broken on the bike! Imagine getting it repaired when it does break down; Ouch!