2014-2017 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone review - the retro does a lot of things well, but nothing brilliantly.

The original V7 was a straightforward, retro-styled roadster with unintimidating proportions that particularly suited novices or women riders. With an old-fashioned tubular steel, twin shock chassis and around 50bhp it’s no sports bike but it handles easily and pleasantly and the updates into VII trim have improved things subtly.

You immediately notice the roomier riding position while the upright rider's stance on the Special and Stone is very natural. The wide bars, low centre of gravity, light clutch and small turning circle also make it a doddle around town. I can immediately see why inexperienced riders like it so much. The V7 may appear heavy but it only tops the scales at 189kg, lighter than a Suzuki SV650.

I was worried the lowered pegs would hinder ground clearance but it turns out it isn’t that bad. The 18-inch front and 17-inch rear makes the handling stable and predictable, but certainly not sharp. You roll into corners more traditionally rather than dive towards the apex.

The suspension is fairly basic but generally up to the job – conventional, fairly spindly, non-adjustable telescopics up front with preload-only adjustable twin shocks at the rear. Some owners complain the rear units are underdamped and recommend swapping them for the better units from the Racer version but our biggest gripe handling wise was the traditional looking Pirelli Demon tyres, which felt hard and took too long to warm up.

Front end feel is also improved on the Racer, you’re automatically thrown over the front wheel as the bars are lower. This gives you more confidence as you have more feel from the front. The Racer also has more adjustment on the twin rear shocks (only pre-load on the Stone and Special) and the ride feels firmer, sportier, again encouraging you to push a little more.

On all, braking is taken care of by a single 320mm disc at the front grasped by a decent quality, four-piston Brembo caliper assisted by a similar but smaller unit at the rear. Neither are hugely powerful but for a smaller, retro-style bike such as the V7, are more than sufficient. ABS also debuted on this version.

As before, the VII is powered by Guzzi’s classic, ‘small block’, 744cc, air-cooled, transversely mounted V-twin with shaft final drive. It’s essentially an old, fairly crude design dated back to the 1970s complete with pushrod valve-actuation and just two valves per cylinder – which is largely why it only produces around 48bhp.

This VII version has had some internal revisions but power and torque remain the same at just under 50bhp. Instead, the most significant change is the addition of an extra gear, making it a six-speed gearbox unlike the old five. This means there’s less spacing between the ratios and the revs won’t drop as dramatically between changes.

• Related: Complete the look with MCN's top Retro Kit picks.

The experience, however, is largely unchanged and, although not especially fast, is flexible, rich and evocative. You know you are riding a motorcycle on the V7. It’s a joy to twist the throttle and feel the torque reaction from the shaft drive gently rocking the bike to the right. There are vibrations but that’s what you get with an air-cooled transverse V twin and is part of the fun.

If were to be really critical the fuelling isn’t perfect, especially when the engine is cold and the ECU gives it an automatic fast idle. It just feels a little snatchy at low rpm in the first few gears. the six-speed gearbox gives the impression the V7 has more zip about it, even though power and torque remain the same as the previous model.

Moto Guzzi has a reputation as being something of an Italian version of Harley-Davidson, being a revered brand devoted to a traditional engine layout (in Guzzi’s case an air-cooled, transversely-mounted V-twin with shaft drive that dates back to the late 1960s) and for producing slightly ‘old school’ style bikes with comparatively crude engineering, lacking modern features and with all the concerns for unreliability, dodgy Italian electrics and poor build quality all of that brought with it.

However, since the historic firm’s takeover by Italian scooter giant Piaggio in 2005, improved funding and resources have led to significant modernisation and improved build quality, reliability and dealer back up so much so that those fears are now largely a thing of the past.

The 2009 V7 was one of the first new Guzzis launched after Piaggio’s takeover and the improvements are clear. Although the original’s engine was still fairly crude, its build quality, finish and reliability were much improved. The engine was also refined further for this II version with even better reliability a result – even though performance was unchanged. V7 II owners report few problems and we’ve no record of major mechanical issues, especially if maintained properly, although it is worth mentioning that Moto Guzzi’s UK dealer network, even under Piaggio ownership, is still nowhere near as comprehensive as the likes of the major Japanese brands, BMW or Triumph.

However, although the V7 II’s cosmetics, paint and finishes are now pretty much as good as any, being an exposed, retro-style roadster with plenty of chrome (although the base ‘Stone’ version does without most of that to save costs) means it needs looking after, especially if ridden on salted British winter roads. For the most part this shouldn’t be a problem simply because the style of the V7 means most are used only as summer toys. But if viewing older, higher mileage examples perhaps used by inexperienced riders, close examination of the cosmetics and finishes is recommended.

Our owners' reviews reflect the quality, with the only comment being that the rear shock isn't really up to the task. A swap to an item from the V7 Racer is a useful modification, according to our readers.

When the original V7 was launched in 2009 it was refreshingly affordable, being priced similarly to the corresponding Triumph Bonneville. The same is true with the updated V7 II version while the Stone, being the base model in the range, was the most affordable of all, starting at just over £7000 when new.

This is born about by used values, too. A decent, used V7 II can today be had for between £3500 and £6000, depending on model and mileage. The blacked-out, more basic Stone is the cheapest of all and, although spartan in standard trim, many owners tend to fit accessories and cosmetic add-ons which can be a bonus when buying used.

Generally the V7 II is a fairly affordable bike to run, too. Fuel consumption can be as high as 70mpg if ridden gently, as most are. Insurance, due to its meagre performance, is cheap, too and its hunger for consumables such as brake pads and tyres (chain and sprockets don’t apply as it’s shaft drive) is insignificant as well. Owners report annual servicing costs of around £150 although this can rise quite substantially when the shaft drive and valves need attention.

The most obvious rivals to the V7 II are the pre-2016, air-cooled Triumph Bonneville 800, which also comes in a variety of guises including the café racer-styled Thruxton, and the Harley 883 Sportster, which also comes in different shapes and sizes. The Triumph offers slightly better performance and specification but, to some tastes, less authenticity and character. The Harley has very similar performance and character, albeit with an American twist, but its even more diminutive proportions may put off larger riders. A decent, 2015 V7 II Stone undercut both of bikes on price when new and can now be had for around £3500 when a comparable Triumph or Harley is around £4500 upwards.

Being a retro-styled roadster that is based on an old engine and chassis meant that Moto Guzzi’s V7 II was never going to be lavished with modern equipment or lavish luxuries and this is even more true of the base Stone version with its cast wheels and blacked out finish.

And while mechanically updated and cosmetically improved all of the above was also just as true of the second generation V7 II version, with the base-level Stone still designed as a fairly basic, intentionally affordable bike.

That said, V7 II is better than the original and there are still some nice touches. Adding traction control to an air-cooled bike with less than 50bhp may initially have appeared rather pointless – but consider the natural environment for the V7: the sometimes cobbled city streets of Paris or Milan. Add some wet weather into the mix and you actually have to question instead why more learner-friendly or A2-compliant bikes don’t have it.

The twin dials, though simple, are clean and classy, absolutely right for a bike of this type and come with a digital display with all relevant info.

Besides, if you want equipment and luxuries, the Stone isn’t where you should be looking in the first place with other versions of the V7 II being better equipped.

If you do want more there are over 60 official Moto Guzzi accessories for you to personalise your bike further including the likes of cosmetic accessories and useful items such as engine protector bars. There are plenty more aftermarket options as well, so much so, in fact, that a non-accessorised, standard used Stone is a very rare bike indeed. On top of that Guzzi have also created some custom accessory kits to modify the standard V7 into something special. You pays your money…