Motoguzzi 750-Cc Ambassador
MOTOGUZZI 750-cc AMBASSADOR
Moto Guzzi's Answer To Getting There In A Big Way, Ponderously, But Oh So Comfortably.
IF ROMAN GODS rode motorcycles, the Moto Guzzi would surely be the choice of Bacchus. It oozes pleasure and fleshy affluence. It is a big, stylish and strong road machine that reeks of luxurious plenty; a genuine ultra-bike. The new Moto Guzzi is a good deal faster than last year's offering, but retains the plushiness necessary to a heavyweight, high speed tourer. Its strength lies in its quality and bigness. At rest, it seems to exude from every line and casting the quiet confidence that it will prevail.
This latest V-7 has been hopped up considerably. The bore is 3 mm larger, while intake and exhaust valves are larger too, measuring 1 .57 and 1 .37 in. diameter, respectively. Also, a new type of square-slide Dellorto carburetor is used; the choke sizes are the same, 29 mm. The carburetors use accelerator pumps, giving snap to throttle response, but you must be careful when starting, as the engine can now be flooded by inordinate throttle turning.
These changes have appreciably increased horsepower, and the bike moves very well for one of such weight. Also, the rev limit has been raised 500 rpm to 6500 which seems relatively tight for a luxury touring Twin. But design wise, this is actually a reasonable rate, as the very oversquare (83-mm by 70-mm) bore and stroke dimensions allow a piston speed in the region of only 3000 ft./min. at top rpm. This moderate speed is another factor ensuring reliability plus extended piston and ring life.
Our test bike’s brakes are good; the rear unit can be locked almost at will, but is not unduly sensitive, while the front binder could benefit from more authority. It’s strong when cold but tends to fade a bit when worked hard. The calculated brake loading figure of 8.0 lb./sq. in. would be strong enough for a substantially lighter machine, but for a bike scaling in at 559 lb. it’s nothing spectacular. This is because brake swept area requirements don’t vary in direct proportion to vehicle weight. Theoretically, of two motorcycles with the same brake loading figures, the lighter one should generally stop quicker.
Curious is the torquing effect exerted by the longitudinal crankshaft. It tends to lean the bike to the right as the throttle is blipped. The sensation doesn’t bother the machine when in motion, although slight movement is perceptible at speed. But at a stop it is quite noticeable and possibly unnerving to the unfamiliar. Accentuating this is the generous heft of the twin disc dry clutch. It is actually more of an automobile type of assembly and adds considerably to the flywheel effect. But owners of BMWs, Indian Fours, Sunbeam Twins and others are not strangers to this phenomenon, and it all but disappears with familiarity.
Kicking over an engine this large could be rather trying for lighter riders. Fortunately, the factory has given the machine a 12-V, 0.7-bhp electric starter which never fails to light it off promptly. Apparently this is a faithful unit as there is no kick lever. Have no fear of overtaxing the battery, however, as the generator is a belt-driven 25-ampere, 300-watt Minarelli charger. Incidentally, the battery is rated at 32 amp/hours and weighs more than 28 lb., well up to almost any contingency. If your Guzzi were fitted with a windshield, it would even be feasible to power a set of wipers for wet touring. Egad!
The crankshaft is a one-piece forged steel unit, the connecting rods sharing a common big end journal. The rear end of the crankshaft rides in a mammoth 2.124-in. plain bearing. The front main measures somewhat smaller, at 1.495 in. These are impressive dimensions, even for an engine of this displacement. It’s obviously built to last. Interesting is the crankcase design. It is of a one-piece configuration, with the crankshaft accessible from the rear. Beside the benefits of facilitating teardowns and service, oil leakage has been minimized with the elimination of seams.
The alloy cylinders, rather than incorporating iron liners, have chromed bores. Along with cooling advantages, the chromed bores are extremely hard, giving very good wear characteristics. Cooling is aided because the heat has to travel through a fraction of an inch of chrome, rather than a thick, iron liner. Nor is there a boundary between a liner and cylinder for the heat to cross. The chrome bore also allows piston-to-wall clearances a good deal closer than iron cylinders. Moto Guzzi literature indicates that the pistons should be fitted with just .0021-.0025 clearance. Leaving the pistons such little room to rattle around greatly enhances engine life and keeps down noise.
Connecting rods are a conventional steel two-piece pattern, but the pistons are unusual for motorcycle components as they mount four rings. Two are for compression and two for oil control, with the bottom ring shortly above the lower edge of the skirt. Although four rings are seldom seen in modern motorcycles, the factory opted to maximize oil control and longevity and minimize piston rocking in the bores.
Acceleration for a machine this size is excellent. Our test machine, with fully suited test rider, weighed a grand total of 725 lb. The V 7 didn’t mind this at all, going through the Lions Drag Strip clocks at 91.88 mph in 14.74 seconds! Power output is rated at 60 bhp and test results bear this out as a totally honest figure. Engine torque is abundant, and the flywheel effect is fierce! Second gear shifts brought almost a foot of daylight between front tire and pavement while third gear chirped the rear tire. Quarter-mile starting technique called for full rpm at the line and unceremoniously dumping the clutch. This consistently resulted in loud protests of the tire as it burned 30 feet or more out of the chute, but the big Moto Guzzi just did its thing, imperturbably, time after time. The twin disc dry clutch became a bit fragrant after a while, which is understandable, but it never slipped.
Throughout the test, CW riders missed not one shift. Going through the gears particularly at lower speeds, the transmission “clunks” quite definitely. But gear finding was never difficult, even in drag race haste. Shift lever action was reasonably smooth and lever travel not excessive.
While discussing the shift lever, we should mention that Moto Guzzi dealers offer conversion kits to allow right-side shifting and braking on the left, instead of the standard arrangement. The ratio spacing between first and second gears is not so noticeable when upshifting, but the second-to-first downshift should be made at speeds less than 5 mph because the rear wheel tends to skid under the sudden compression braking. We suspect that the real villain is all that flywheel effect which prevents the engine from gaining revs quickly.
As discovered earlier, the machine’s appearance belies its capabilities, and handling is no exception. It’s no lightweight and doesn’t lend itself to being stuffed into a corner, but it is very nimble for its size. At low speeds it is clumsy, but once the bike is underway clumsiness fades away and it feels quite agile. Upward of 30 mph, the V 7 seemingly loses about 200 lb., and at freeway speeds it is even better. Vibration at low rpm is prominent, similar to sitting on a large water buffalo with a grumbling stomach, but smooths out as the machine gets underway.
It is very easy to swing the bike up on its centerstand, free from hernial repercussion. In fact, it’s less trouble than many 250s we’ve come across. There’s nothing gimmicky about the centerstand, only that proper effort has gone into the design of a part all too often overlooked on other bikes.
The handlebar/seat/footpeg layout is comfortable enough for all-day touring and, together with the Moto Guzzi’s high speed handling virtues, make this one of the most desirable touring mounts we’ve ever encountered. Two-up riding is also very accommodating, particularly in the 60-70 mph range where the V 7 is extremely smooth with much more muscle still on tap.
With the introduction of such a large, durable and powerful motorcycle it’s only natural that many police departments throughout the country would be greatly interested. Indeed, many of them are. In fact, it was the interest of the LAPD that gave the impetus for the 750 Moto Guzzi. When the first V 7s debuted in 1967 the Traffic Division tested several for freeway duty. The final consensus was that the bikes needed more steam to cope with the weight of all that extra equipment. Thus the hot new 750, of which the LAPD is currently evaluating 10 units.
Understandably, for CW staffers, this has been a pleasant test to conduct. The machine proved always willing to take its rider almost anywhere at a moment’s notice, and do it right smartly. It is a powerful and elegant, if somewhat bulbously styled, high-speed cruiser made for wide open spaces. [o]
MOTO-GUZZI 750-cc AMBASSADOR
$1554
