2017–2020 · Retro Classic · Buyer's Guide
Italian Soul, Stripped Bare
The Stone is the plainest reading of the V7 III idea, and that is exactly the point. A 744 cc air-cooled 90° V-twin sits across the frame, making 52 hp at 6,200 rpm and 44 lb-ft at 4,900 rpm, then sends drive back through a six-speed box and a shaft. Matte paint, cast wheels, round headlight, one clean line from tank to tail. Underneath all of it, ABS and traction control do their work quietly and stay out of the picture. In a class where retro often slides into costume, this one reads as a motorcycle first and a style statement second.
It rides the way it looks: unhurried, mechanical, willing. A 30.3 in seat and 461 lb wet make it easy to place in a parking lot or in town, and the shaft drive plus 48 mpg keep the cost of ownership low over years, not just over a season. This is a bike for the rider who wants a relationship with a machine rather than a stopwatch. The honest caveat: 52 hp covers back roads and moderate highway work, not hurrying two-up across a state line. Buy it for the character. It will not out-muscle anything.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 52 hp (38 kW) @ 6,200 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 44 lb-ft (60 Nm) @ 4,900 rpm |
| Displacement | 744 cc |
| Engine | 90° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Shaft |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 100/90-18 |
| Rear tire | 130/80-17 |
| Wheelbase | 57.6 in (1463 mm) |
| Seat height | 30.3 in (770 mm) |
| Wet weight | 461 lb (209 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.5 gal (21 L) |
| Fuel economy | 48 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Connectivity
Safety
Thumb the starter and the whole bike gives a small shrug to the right before it settles into a low, offbeat idle. You feel the engine through the pegs and the tank more than through the bars, a steady mechanical pulse that smooths out once you are rolling and never goes numb. The bars sit wide and close, the pegs land under you, your back stays upright, and two hours of county road pass without stiffness in your neck or wrists. Your fingers fall onto simple levers and switches you never have to think about. At 55 to 65 mph the exhaust note settles into a rhythm you can hear over the wind, and with nothing in front of you the air lands square on your chest. It is a loud, physical, honest way to cover a road.
Front ABS brake hose abrasion (recall 17V380000)
The front ABS brake hose can rub against the engine's secondary air system connection, potentially causing a brake fluid leak. This affects 2016-2017 V7 III models. Recall repair involves securing or replacing the hose.
Where this Moto Guzzi V7 III Stone pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the V7 III Stone is actually built for.
This is your bike for slow days on the Kancamagus or through Vermont. The 5.5 gal tank and 48 mpg give you real range between stops, and the pace suits the scenery. Luggage is an option, so budget for it.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
You get the identity, the noise and the mechanical ritual, all of it genuine. What you do not get is cruiser bulk or bagger comfort, so ride it to the rally as the lean, individual choice in the lot.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
Light, upright and happy through the Hill Country's flowing curves. If the weekend is about the route, the stop and the company, it fits. If you want to chase the fast group, it will not keep up.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Moto Guzzi V7 III Stone. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Successor · 2022–2025
Pure Guzzi Soul, Accessible
Competitor · 2019–2020
Classic Bones, Real Pull
Competitor · 2020–2022
The Big-Bore Italian Purist
Roughly $4,700 pricier used than this bike at 6 yr
Competitor · 2019–2020
Dark Style, Zero Compromise
~$1,000 pricier used than this bike at 6 yr
Same Platform · 2020
750 Units of Pure Guzzi
Roughly $600 cheaper used than this bike at 6 yr