Good evening and thanks for stopping by and saved the best until last? Well, I totally agree with you there! Really good to know you’re enjoying the bike and that’s a lovely colour you’ve got 😀 All the best, cheers, Phil.

Thanks Mr Glideman - really appreciate your kind comments and yes, I'm kinda on a roll now so more videos coming soon (best not hold your breath though) and riding next year feels as it could be on the cards! Hope all is good where you are, cheers, Phil.

Hey Dan, great to hear from you! That's some record of bike experience and ownership you've got there - very impressive! Great to know you're enjoying the V7III though - they do have something very special about them don't they? Looks, sound, handling plus the need to think about how to get the best from (and that they don't like hasty downshifting) is just the perfect combination. I've now got a V7II and wow, it's brilliant! All the best, thanks for stopping by, cheers, Phil.

Morning Ben, Only you would be able to recognise and separate out the sound of the oil pressure rising on switching the ignition on! I remain suitably and continuously impressed Ben! As always, many thanks for stopping by and I have to say....I'm longing for the mountains of the Bernese Oberland, a cold glass of Rugenbräu (Dunkel probably) and a few pieces of Ovomaltine dark chocolate :-) Hope all is well and that you're having a good start to the week Ben, cheers, Phil.

Thanks and good to hear from you! Glad you enjoyed the video and yes, it's exactly about the smile on your face. Underseat storage for biscuits always helps though. Hope you're well, cheers, Phil.

Good afternoon Chris, hope all is well with you and it's very good to hear from you again. A moment of fame? Ha ha - a very brief and select moment of fame I think - then again, perhaps those are the best kind! Thanks for your best wishes, contribution to the video and have a great day, Cheers, Phil.

Thanks Nick and good to hear from you again, hope you’re doing OK. After a couple of dodgy weeks, things are much improved now and I’m even thinking about plans for next year. Onwards….Cheers, Phil.

@@80eightReviews Good to hear from you, Phil.

Likewise Nick! Cheers, Phil.

Hey Paul, thanks for stopping by and for leaving such a nice comment - it's really appreciated. What? You don't have jammie dodgers over in Australia? Good grief - that's it, I'm not emigrating now.... Anyway, good to hear you're enjoying your V7 - if you get McVities Dark Chocolate digestives over there, then those will be a good substitute. Enjoy! Cheers, Phil.

Evening Bilal, great to hear from you again, hope all is well with you. And thanks - let’s see how far I get! I know I said a million in the video but a hundred or so miles would do quite nicely at the moment, still, ambition is a great motivator 😀 Cheers, Phil.

Hello! Great to hear from you again. As always, comments about the video, quality and content are always much welcome and appreciated. I keep trying to improve things and/or make them a little different so it’s good to know they are kinda going in the right direction. And yes, it was good to be in the garage….I was having a good day that day so it’s probably just as well I didn’t take my keys with me 😀 Hope all is good with you, cheers, Phil.

Good afternoon Mr Lawson and how are you today? Well, I hope. Thanks for your note and yep, I'll take getting back in the saddle and/or office chair any day! Great you enjoyed the video and as always, thanks for taking the time to stop by, All the best, cheers, Phil.

Good morning and thank you very much! Great to know you enjoyed the video, hope all is well with you, cheers, Phil.

Good evening Thomas and great to hear from you again! I’m very glad you enjoyed the review and I’ve now realised I didn’t include your comments in the review! Arghghghgh! My apologies! I can only say that trawling through the YT comment threads is a little arduous. Although if you sent them in through email….Well, er, I hold my hands up 😬 I’ll find them and include them in the comments! It was very nice to get back in the (very messy) garage and see the bike again. I was tempted to try and sit on it but I probably would have got stuck and needed to be rescued 😀 Maybe next time! In reality with winter a few months away and where I am at the moment I’m figuring it will be next May before I can (if I can) ride the bike again which will make it a year from the accident. That’s quite something, but OK. It was very nice to read about your visit to the Piaggio museum - I must admit, that while I’ve never ridden one, Vespas do have a lovely style and the old Art Deco styled ones had some lovely colours. I do also have a thing about the smell of two strokes also 😀 Anyway, hope all is well in the Mosel, the grape harvest is going well and the rivers are not too low. As always, thanks for your support Thomas, talk soon, cheers, Phil.

Ha ha Good afternoon! A video without biscuits, beer or cheese (hmmm I haven't done one of those for while) just isn't a proper review! I don't often scoff jammie dodgers but I must admit they are a lot better than I remember them. Thanks for the best wishes - I really think a corner has been turned and I'm looking forward to next year very much :-) Even if that does involve a scooter :-) Hope all is well where you are, thanks for stopping by, cheers, Phil.

Thank you very much Hugh. I must admit that having not eaten a jammie dodger since around the age of seven, they weren’t half as bad as I remember. Perhaps things do improve even as wagon wheels get ever smaller. Now where’s my Raleigh Grifter? Must dash and good evening to you! Cheers, Phil.

@@80eightReviews I knew a kid called 'Shiner' who had a Raleigh Grifter. He could wheelie that bike for 100 yards, no problem.

@@mrsilbo6499 100 yards? My god, the lad must have been superhuman. So, more importantly, why “shiner” ? A permanent black eye ?

@@80eightReviews Sadly it was a more mundane reason - his surname was Shine. My brother bought his Fizzie, as I recall, after he flogged the Gilera Roadster we built together, out of a box of bits.

@@mrsilbo6499 Ah! Oh well, the prosaic always wins out I guess. Still a 100 yard Grifter wheelie! Get in. Fizzies and Gilera’s…I can smell the fumes now…sigh 😀

Thank you very much Mr Neutral, glad you enjoyed it. It is beautiful and I am gonna be on it, you’re right! All the best, cheers, Phil.

Hello again...Harveys Best....Hmmm never heard of that so let me look it up...Ahh..Sussex...That will be why..Still I'm liking the sound of "superbly balanced bitter with prominent hop character. Using a blend of four local hops, water filtered through the Sussex Downs over 30 years" Oooh...There's an online shop (gets credit card out). I'll let you know what I think! But yes, you're so right about the V7 - it doesn't make any sense really - and while the 850 is step to a more normal bike, it's still much more er, 'eccentric' than more mainstream bikes. I love it and will keep looking at it at regular intervals as suggested. All the best and a pint of Hexhamshire ESB to you! Cheers, Phil.

Evening Mike, hope you’re doing well. You know what, your avatar reminds me of someone I used to work with! Anyway, thanks for stopping by and fingers crossed the excitement doesn’t wane when you do watch the review - it’s a little different this time as I didn’t have any riding or GoPro shots. Let me know what you think. Cheers, Phil.

@@80eightReviews As luck would have it, I am recovering from my own injuries. I came off of my BMW GSA a couple of weeks ago on gravel, and am recovering from a separated shoulder and three broken ribs. There is a video on my channel, if you care to share the pain :-) I did not realize when I left my prior comment that you had been injured, yourself. I’m sorry to see that. But I’m glad to know that you are itching, just like I am, to get back on the bike! Yes, the video is not your usual style, but it is your usual quality. I enjoyed the B roll footage of your bike, and hearing others’ comments on Moto Guzzi in general, and the V7 in particular. I still want one, but I have a very nice Indian FTR to ride in the meantime, which I class somewhat like the V7 in at least semi-classic beauty, as well as the GSA, and a Suzuki DRZ400S. Not hurting for motorcycles here :-) I hope you mend very quickly and are back on the road as soon as possible!

Thanks very much! I’m feeling loads better I have to say. And also, I hope you are well and thriving - it’s good to hear from you again. All the best, cheers, Phil.

Hello Johnnyd5005! Thanks for stopping by again and very happy you saw your name scrolling by in a semi star wars kinda way! That sounds like a totally cracking trip and glad to hear the pannier setup works - who needs rails, brackets and fixings and all that stuff. Simple is best which perhaps also sums up the Guzzi perfectly. And yes, things are getting back to normal thanks and again, thanks for contributing to the review. Hope all is well where you are, cheers, Phil.

Hello again Ben! 24KM...you're doing well I have to say. Ahhh..The Alps....Stopping of somewhere nice for a gemischter salat on a warm sunny day with a gently ticking Moto Guzzi nearby is a definition of sheer bliss I think. I've said to the Soup Dragon I wouldn't do any long trips from now on but I might be changing my mind ha ha. I didn't know you had a side hustle (as hipsters call it) selling/buying bikes and for the Guzzi to stick, after riding lots of different bikes, must mean something I think. Like you, I tend to enjoy ANY bike (providing it isn't dangerous) as there is so much to be gained by simply being on two wheels and outside just 'feeling' the world. Really glad you enjoyed the video Ben and you can put it into words so well. Enjoy your day off in The Alps, cheers, Phil.

Good afternoon Mr Slash502 - how are you doing? You know what... You're exactly right...Bikes can get you through anything and everything! They never let you down. Thanks for the best wishes and kind words about the videos - much appreciated, cheers, Phil.

Thanks!

Thanks you so much Jose! That is definitely the plan…Hope all is well with you, cheers, Phil.

Good afternoon and many thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. Glad you enjoyed the video! As for the screen - it's actually the Dart Classic. It's a very well made and easy to fit screen and to be honest I fitted it mainly for aesthetic purposes and to keep the clocks and cables free of flies - which of course it does perfectly. It possibly reduces wind blast to your shoulders a little (it's hardly noticeable though) but having said that I find that sustaining motorway speeds for a long periods on the bike is perfectly comfortable. One thing you will notice with most fly screens is that wind noise increases - probably because they direct the wind upwards. If you normally ride with earplugs though, it's not a problem. Hope that helps - and overall, I'd definitely recommend the Dart screen. The recovery is going well - thanks for asking :-) Cheers, Phil.

Hey Stuart - thanks and great to see you back also! Personally, I would say a hallway is the PERFECT place for a Guzzi. If I had my way, etc, etc. If you need further justification though - just call :-) Hope you're well, cheers, Phil.

Good morning! I'm not sure if a pouch containing a mainly pointless tool could be described a 'kit' but it's sounds one up on your hex key! Maybe we could combine each others and create the ultimate V7 Tool kit :-) Apologies for the mispronunciation, I'll get it right next time! Thanks for stopping by and hope all is well where you are, cheers, Phil.

Merci beaucoup Jean-luc. Je suis très heureux que vous ayez apprécié la vidéo et merci beaucoup pour le soutien - c'est très apprécié. J'espère que tout va bien là où vous êtes, bravo, Phil.

Hello again! Thanks very much for your best best wishes and support - it means a lot. And yes, that's the intention but given the proximity of winter and the need to build up some strength I'm looking at 2023 now...Still, I'm on it! Cheers, Phil.

Morning Peter, good to hear from you again and hope you're doing well. Thanks for your comments about the video and recovery - and of course, thinking about another Guzzi is an entirely fabulous idea. I am biased though, so best ignore me. I've no idea about the Guzzi clocks question though - presumably it's the same wiring loom but I'd imagine the price of (new) replacements would make a person physically ill as they handed over their credit card, while s/h would be in short supply? Dunno, I'm no expert on such matters but I'm sure other folk out there will know much more! Cheers, Phil.

@@80eightReviews Thank you for your reply Phil. We are just about to go off to Asian part of Turkey (from York), me on a BMW f700gs and my mate on a Guzzi 850 TT ( I'll be dreaming of getting another V7!). Best wishes, Peter

Hey Peter...Oooh very jealous of that!! Have you been to Turkey before on a bike Peter? I've ridden through Turkey quite a lot and not only is it ginormous it's brilliant also - you'll have a fantastic time! Let me know how you get on and would love to see some photo's. Good choice of bikes also and as for dreaming of V7's....Just sleep walk into the nearest dealership with your wallet and you'll be fine! Hope you have a truly fantastic and safe journey, cheers, Phil.

Yes, we went to Turkey ten years ago (from York). I rode my V7 11 and my mate was on some sort of Bonnie (!). It was a hell of a journey - we got lost in a Bulgarian forest, found a motorway with no traffic which ended without an exit (but nevertheless was guarded by two armed and unfriendly cops), eventually found Greece along a road replete with suicidal tortoises, joined a three mile long queue to cross the border into Turkey, and we were so knackered after surviving the traffic heading for Istanbul we didn't get to cross into Asia (our goal this time via Moldova - if the Russians haven't got there first). I've just come back from a trip on a Himalayan going from Tanzania to Kenya to Uganda back to Tanzania and the traffic is even worse there (in towns). Why do we do it? My mate says it's similar to banging your head against a wall - it's great when it stops. He's never explained why he bangs his head against a brick wall in the first place. Is it a Triumph thing? Best wishes, Peter

@@petermorrall8337 Hey Peter, blimey you get around! But yeah, it is very similar to banging your head against a wall - but very addictive! You've got my wanderlust going again now and I was supposed to be giving that up. Hold on, the wife want's to speak to you 🙂 Best go. Have a great journey Peter, let me know how you get on, cheers, Phil.

Mr ManMadeClub - you know what? I really couldn't have put it better! Perfect! Thanks for stopping by, cheers, Phil.

Hello again Dave, no biscuit? Really? I’m shocked. And it’s the special, so I would have expected a proper chunk of biscotti or something. Great, insightful comments though - I concur completely, you phrase it much better than I. When / if I finally get back out on the road and get the opportunity to do another video, expect some plagiarism Dave 😀 Hope all is well where you are, cheers, Phil.

Good morning….Also…It may have been fitted with universally awful Pirelli demon tyres…Handling wise the bike is lovely and neutral on good tyres but as you say, it could be the pressures also. It’s worth a second go I think! Thanks for stopping by, let me know how you get on, cheers, Phil.

Good evening Paul, thanks for stopping by and that’s very nice of you to say, hope all is well where you are, cheers, Phil.

Hello Mr. Spudflap, many thanks for stopping by and best wishes - it's really very much appreciated, I can tell you. A jammy codger? Yeah, I think I'll settle for that also :-) As for the gear change...It's way to early for me to make any sort of informed comment given I've only done 837 miles. Certainly the only thing I can say about the gearbox is that it's sludgy and needs a firm shove through gears 2- 4 only when it's cold - after say five minutes or so it's just fine. A couple of other viewers have also mentioned something similar but no-one has mentioned an outright refusal to shift. On my V7III, on which I did a ton more miles, I had no problems at all, but I do remember the mechanic saying to watch the clutch adjustment or rather the actuating arm / cam as it could cause stiction and adjustment problems - but that was mainly because it lived right behind the engine above the swingarm and would get covered in crud and grime. Since then they've changed the design on the 850. Ben, Gwen and a few other folk who contributed to the video have done a ton more miles on the V7 than me so if you're reading Ben/Gwen/Anyone else, if you have any gearbox comments, please leave them here for Mr Spudflap if you get chance, thanks. Aside from that..Hope all is well, cheers, Phil.

Good evening! An excuse for a getaway? Who needs an excuse 😀 Hey, but great to hear from you and many thanks for the kind offer! I’d love to however as you’re probably aware I need to get my dodgy leg sorted out plus I’m probably only going to be able to ride bikes with feet forward controls from now on. Despite that the lure of the Tenerife sunshine, especially at this time of the year in the UK is very strong…I might just come over drink beer and look at bikes…. I might be persuading myself here 😀 Just had a look at your website - that’s a great choice of machines you’ve got and what a location! Sigh… Anyway, thanks for taking the time to stop by and I hope all is well in Tenerife, cheers, Phil.

@@80eightReviews your very welcome, we enjoy your channel ! And the 1200XL sportster with forwards awaits you 😂😂😎✌️🏍

Oooh! Checking flights now 😁

@@80eightReviews lol...I hope you can make it, you will not be disappointed, Tenerife is the biker's paradise we have all been searching for...If you can say after visiting us that you truly didn't like it, we will pay for your flights!

Ha ha - I think you have a VERY safe bet there! Even the wife is bugging me now! Cheers, Phil.

Hey Rob, good to hear from you again and hope you are well and thriving - especially after your own accident. Also, thanks for your comments on the video, it was a little different this time but as you say it’s good to get lots of different views and opinions. Now if you’ve been longing, for Guzzi’s then based on entirely empirical and scientific evidence, I don’t think that longing will ever really go away…So a trip to your local dealer, whenever you are able to is much advised. Take your drivers licence and credit card though - you never know they might have a ready to go demonstrator they’ll let you have to take home. Very sorry to hear about your accident though Rob, these things are never good and if you’ve been unable to ride for a year, well, I can only imagine how that feels both from an emotional perspective and whatever you’ve had to go through these past 12 months. I really hope you are throughly on the mend Rob. Nothing in life compares to the feeling of riding a motorcycle…I think I’d agree with that! And next year isn’t too far away. At least that’s what I keep telling myself combined with November through to March being rubbish riding here in the UK anyway. Drop me a note when you manage to go out properly - would be great to know how you feel and whether your approach to riding is any different to what it was before. I guess taking your dog with you is a new thing though? That’s just brilliant! What are you thinking - special tank bag for the pooch? Top box, trailer? Helmet and goggles? Photos please! Anyway, all the best and keep in touch, cheers, Phil.

Hey Dave, how are you doing? Hope all is good, and yes! Lots of progress recently 👍 Cheers, Phil.

Hello, thanks for stopping by. The screen is a Dart Flyscreen - Classic. It’s very well made, a good price and easy to fit. Highly recommended! Hope that helps, cheers, Phil.

Good morning Uncle Vanya, thanks for stopping by and yes! Recovery and movement is improving day by day thanks. More importantly the Garibaldi is a fabulous biscuit but I must admit to not having one for ages...Are they endangered? I can't really remember seeing any on the shelves recently. Perhaps I'm not paying attention. A stock take from your local biscuitry would be welcome. Must dash, I suddenly feel like a snack or two....Hope you're well and thanks for stopping by - great to hear from you again, cheers, Phil.

I was on crutches for four months.

@@user-sw2lv3zp6o Luckily I’ve never broken a bone. Hope I never do………4 months. OMG!

@@JLOSTAFF1 open fracture. Lucky I kept my foot.

Very similar to mine then Nick. I'm now at 3 months and a week, allowed to 70% weight bear and hopefully moving of crutches to a stick next week. My leg is weak as a chip though! You probably know exactly what I mean! Cheers, Phil.

Hey Jon, mostly back in the game - full service will be resumed next year now , whether it's a scooter (non mobility one before you ask!) or the Guzzi..or a Z650 (ha ha ha). As for the crutches...yeah...Like Mr. 1990 I had an open fracture, the femur snapped, exited out of my knee, meanwhile the knee itself is in 15 pieces and/or dust so I've got a load of Screw-Fix self-tappers holding it together and a piece of metal running from hip to knee holding the femur together. Not sure if there are any rawl-plugs involved though so perhaps I got off lightly :-) The IPA was absolutely brilliant to be honest. Z650? What Z650? Never heard of it? Anyway, as alway, great to hear from you Jon - more coming soon! Cheers, Phil.

Hello again Ian, perhaps it’s a reaction to all the bad (and sometimes continuing) bad press about quality decades ago? Or a lot of surplus tins of yellow paint…or…maybe there is a special robot with a glitch in its programming?

Hey Joseph, thanks for stopping by. I'm sure someone else will step in also but in answer to your questions - 1) The frame is unique to the V7 2) The V7 engine while the same in terms of bore/stroke is in a different state of tune than the V85 and I think the rev ceiling is lower on the V7, so it peaks at 65HP, whereas the V85 peaks at 80HP. So yes, they are very different bikes for different purposes - hope that helps, cheers, Phil.

I asked the dealer if it is right that is now a bigger motorcycle. He said that the V7 is now based on the V9 frame

@@RuBBerNNeKK Hmmm...I think the rake might be a bit different?

Good morning Mr Dyson, thanks for stopping by. Er..yes, I'm afraid so - 4 months ago, trashed the Z900RS and ended up with a compound fracture of the femur, smashed knee and broken collarbone + lots of new metalwork! Well on the mend now and just about to get off crutches...I hope! All the best, cheers, Phil.

Good afternoon, thanks for stopping by - and oh yes, a packet of jammy dodgers, a cup of tea and a newspaper - bliss! Hope you're well, cheers, Phil.

Well, both preferably - just 24 hours apart. Thanks for stopping by, cheers, Phil.

Evening Hugh, oh no! That’s a really sad ‘n’ bad story. On the surface the actual issue just sounds like a gremlin but the situation with the dealer is awful. I’m sure I read somewhere in the comic that Moto Corsa had resurfaced under different ownership with one of the old mechanics buying the name. From memory he was maintaining his distance from the old place. Piaggio do have a bad rep on parts supply though I’ve never had to experience it myself plus Motech in Newcastle have been around for ages and are a very good bunch. I think as some other folk have said, I might think twice if there was no dealer nearby. Maybe 🫣 Still love the bikes though. 😍 Oh, first day of retirement today. And it was alright! Must dash, video planning underway! Hope all is good and er, up The Don’s! Cheers, Phil.

@@80eightReviews Enjoy your retirement, Phil! 🍾🎉

@@mrsilbo6499 Thanks Hugh, I shall refer to you for any tips and suggestions 🙂

Ha ha I'm from Manchester you see - best sense of humour going :-) Apologies to everyone else in the UK who no doubt feels the same! Anyway, thanks for stopping by and hope all is well where you are, cheers, Phil.

Morning, I love a good balloon me. Just sure about scary clowns though - especially those that live in drains…..Sleep well, all the best, cheers, Phil.