This bike was just insanely awesome, I should have never sold it.
But as with so many of my other bikes that I owned during my studies, the lack of storage space during winter and a chronically low budget was always a problem.
After my first motorbike accident I had bought a BMW R25/2 with the idea to drive more responsibly. But very quickly I was again craving for a bigger bike with more power. I found one in the printed classifieds, sold by a young couple living in a remote farm house. It was actually two bikes, the one in the picture, and a second one in parts, although incomplete and quite rotten. I bought the hole lot on September 5, 1981 for 2,300 Deutschmarks.
The V7 was a dinosaur. The effect on onlookers was just fantastic. I loved it. For me it was clear that in the future I always would ride a Guzzi. I even went to Italy twice with a some of friends to look for another V7.
Italo style armatures
However, somehow I got stuck with BMW and so I never had enough time to pursue another V7.
I sold the Guzzi because I was very short of cash and I did not have a garage to keep it in. The BMW R25/2 was small enough to fit in my parent’s garage next to their car, the Guzzi was just too big, besides, I still had the BMW. So the Guzzi ended up sitting around outside in winter, which took a big toll on all the parts. After all, the finish was Italian, well known for rusting like hell.
Photo of a similar but nicely mantained V7 by Bayernernst (my photos are of poor quality)
Underutilized
I did not take the buffalo on a long trip, only short distance. While it never had failed me, I never trusted it fully, and always thought I would take it apart and restore in once I have a bit of money left.
After its condition did not get better when I left it outside during the winter of 1980/81, I sold it to Markus V. on September 5, 1981.