V7 Café Classic (MY2009)

This generation is about looks and feel more than numbers, and it makes no secret of it. At its heart sits Guzzi's transverse 90° V-twin: 744 cc, air-cooled, with the cylinders sticking out into the wind where you can see them. It's paired with a 5-speed gearbox, shaft drive and a steel double-cradle frame. Output is modest at 49 hp and 40 lb-ft, and there are no rider aids at all: no ABS, no traction control, no ride modes. What you do get is some of the most convincing café-racer styling in the retro class, on a bike that looks like it was designed rather than put together from a parts catalog.

On the road it's easy company. At 437 lb (198 kg) fully fueled, it's light and friendly enough for newer riders to feel at home, and it stays settled when you hold a steady highway speed. The engine is where the character is, flexible and torquey rather than fast, so it suits back roads ridden at a relaxed, steady pace. The honest caveat: this is not a quick bike, and it needs looking after as it ages. The steel chrome rims rust if you ignore them, especially in wet climates, and some bikes left the factory with small assembly niggles. Buy it for how it feels, not for its performance figures.