A few months back I was given the opportunity to rip a 2012 V7 Racer. Needless to say, it was a very fun ride. So when I saw pics of the new 2013 V7 with the Record Kit, I was drooling! However, when that call came to have a rip on the stunning machine with new engine upgrades, I couldn’t as I had just smashed and broken my thumb the day before. After a couple of weeks of ice and mending, my clipped wing was finally healed enough to go shred. Believe me it was a long three weeks of waiting my turn again on the V7 Racer.

I went to pick up the V7 the day before Thanksgiving. The plan was to give “Thanks” on the Guzzi for the weekend. Upon my arrival to pick up the V7 Racer, I was pleasantly surprised by how good the new V7 with Record Kit looks. She really is pleasant to look at. The new Chrome tank with leather strap, featherweight style fairing and new seat really make this moto look like a retro weapon to be reckoned with. I loaded her into the truck and we were off to my house near the mountains. I could not wait to get the racer on the road!

A few friends that live close by had been trying to organize a ride up Ortega for a few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. I hadn’t ridden with this crew before, so I was a little apprehensive. I usually prefer to ride by myself, but thought it might to be fun to have a mellow rip up the hill with a few friends on the Holiday. With calls and plans made, we met just before sunrise, fueled up and ready to rock the mountain. Since I had already ridden the V7, I was already familiar with the bike, thus I felt comfortable straight away. I have to say though… that the improvements made to the 2013 V7 are substantial. Most of the engine has been reworked. It has a redesigned cylinder head, pistons, new ECU, intake system, and a single throttle body, giving the 2013 V7 increased ponies and better ride. She’s got other improvements as well, like a new gear box and new lighter aluminum wheels. But what really makes the new V7 pop is the new optional “Record Kit” which includes a featherweight style half fairing and new designed rear seat section inspired by the 1969 V7 Record prototype. Having the featherweight faring up front and removing the headlight and instrument cluster off the forks really improved the handling considerably.

OK… back to ride…

As we approached the bottom of the mountain, and as I hadn’t ridden with this crew before… I took off. I dropped down a gear and proceeded to blast my way up the hill. Ortega is my local, so I know every nook and cranny of the highway. After the 2nd turn into the mountain, my friends were nowhere to be found. And honestly, I don’t wait. I come from the school of “keep up” or “ride alone”. I had nothing but open mountain in front of me and the V7 effortlessly made it’s way through the twisty’s. I pulled into the “The Lookout Roadhouse” at the top of the mountain overlooking Lake Elsinore. It was all smiles after just having just railed the V7 up the mountain to my favorite Breakie spot on such a beautiful day. I shot a few quick pics of the lake and went inside to have a cup of coffee and wait for my boys to arrive. Well… After two cups of Joe and chatting with Barbara (owner of the Lookout), I’m starting to wonder where my friends are?

Just as that thought comes into my head, I get a text saying that one of the boys has gone down. These are the kinds of text’s that you never want to get. I get my helmet on and make my way to where he went down. My friend had indeed gone down but was ok, with a slightly fractured collar bone. Needless to say, we packed it in for the day so we could get down the mountain, stop at the hospital and get him home to eat turkey with his family.

On Sunday I was back on the moto and took another rip up Ortega to show off the V7 to the weekend “Lookout” moto crew. Honestly, everywhere I drove the V7, people would stop, look, and ask questions. I think people genuinely like the way the bike looks, especially with the new Record Kit (optional accessory) and chrome tank, it really gives it that nostalgic Italian Café Racer look. I spent the rest of the day cruising the local mountains putting the V7 through its paces. On the way home, I decided to stop at “Cooks Corner”. It’s the local Harley hangout and I wanted to see what the Hog guys thought of the Italian retro racer. Well, to my surprise, I had like 20+ guys coming up and asking me a million questions and giving the V7 props. I didn’t really think the Hog crowd was gonna dig, but I was proven wrong. Honestly, it’s not the fastest bike. Your not gonna win any races on this bad boy, but you will have a smile on your face the whole time your on it as it’s just such a fun and easy bike to ride. And not mention, it looks like a million bucks!

Monday it rained so I gave the V7 a rest. I’m not much of the all-weather moto guy, plus I don’t like cleaning a bike after you put miles on it in the rain.

Tuesday the rain let up a little in the afternoon, so I went for a cruise through the Santiago Canyon out to Irvine Lake. It’s a pretty nice open road that makes you feel like your way out in the country even though civilization is just over the hill. On the way home, I made a pit stop to see a friend at the Oakley HQ in Foothill Ranch. Once again, it was one of those situations where as soon as I parked, people started crowding around the V7, asking questions and admiring its stylish lines. Moto Guzzi really did something right with the styling of this moto. People just can’t seem to get enough…

On Wednesday, I still had one photo that I wanted to shoot with the moto. I wanted to “olly” over the V7 on my skateboard. I’d been driving around previously for a few days looking for the right spot. And after a few miles on the tach, I thought I’d found the perfect spot. So I called my photographer friend to help me shoot the pic. I woke him up early and we drove to the spot I had picked out. Well, unfortunately, I didn’t do my homework completely, because when we actually got to the spot where I wanted to shoot the photo, the landing was gravel, which made it impossible to shot the pic there. I never actually got off the moto to walk all the way to check the spot up close. Oops…. Even though we didn’t get to shoot the pic, I was still feeling like I wanted to have a roll on the skate. So we moto’d our way to Lake Forest for a quick session at Etnies Skate Park. It’s my local and really fun spot. We got a cool pic, but not the skate pic I wanted with the V7. I’ll shoot that pic “ollying” the V7 on my skateboard as soon as I can get my hands on the moto again!

Stay tuned!

That’s me, Kelli. My husband Michael, is co-founder of Classic Car Club Manhattan. That means, I have a lot of experience driving some of the worlds best cars. I get to drive them on the track, to get the groceries and on one of Michael’s self-induced TT races up to Upstate NY. We’ve come to learn most of the boys in blue on a first name basis throughout the five boroughs. Speed obsessions are nothing new in the family.

But when it comes to bikes, my position is the pillion seat. Growing up, I had my own KD80 dirt bike, so I know a thing or two, but these days, I leave the two-wheeled controls up to him and I enjoy the ride, seeing the scenery from over his shoulder.

When Michael showed up on the V7 Stone, two things were immediately evident: The first was those wheels. The dark color cut-out spokes balance out the white of the tank and fenders, giving the bike a tough look. To me, the Stone looks two parts vintage splendor, one part back alley brawler. The second is the comfortable riding position. Normally, I’m forced to perch up on the back of a super bike like a gargoyle, clinging on for dear life, but the Stone looked perfect for a two-up romp through the city – the kind of bike we can enjoy together.

Gloves on, visors down and we hit the road. It’s worth noting that New York’s roads aren’t glassy and smooth. They’re more like a thoroughfare in Fallujah, riddled with holes, crooked cobblestones and your occasional guy sleeping in the gutter. Michael’s good with finding the smoothest path from A to B, but this is one of the first rides I’ve had where I needn’t get off the seat and use my knees as secondary suspension. The Stone hammered most bumps and unfriendly road surfaces town smooth, making the ride from the back one of the most pleasant.

Heading west on 14th Street brings us through the Meat Packing District. At night, 20-somethings step over the remaining puddles of beef blood in their Louboutins on their way to STK, but on this morning run, we’re heading north on West Street so we can open the taps of that 750 twin to see what’s up. I was able to smell welcoming coffee and pastries wafting out of Pastis – that sort of thing never happens when you’re inside a car. It’s what makes riding so great. With the traffic lights working for us, we take a brisk right-hander onto West.

Heading north, the thin profile of the Stone, even with that transverse mounted V-twin was thin enough to slip right through traffic and put the cages behind us. As Michael rolled the throttle on, the Stone wound up predictably and smoothly to speed. Some bikes are like a kick in the back, some are like the elderly on oxygen, but this bike kind of whooshed us to 70mph the way a Bentley or Roller gets you there – with power but not without all the unstableness. I haven’t bonked my helmet into his yet on this ride.

Next up is the 96th street turnaround. It’s one of Michael’s favorites because if you get the entry right, you can drag a knee around most of the full circle. With me on the back, no knees are going down (!) but I can’t say I was ready for the way the Stone tipped right in. By just merely covering the front and rear brake and giving it a little counter steer, the Stone leaned over and carved a really precise line through the entire corner. I’ve never had my head so close to the ground. Halfway through the turn, Michael started to open up the taps again and the bike stood up on command and we rocketed south, hovering the front wheel an inch or so off the ground up the hill and back on to West, mincing traffic once again.

Being a Sunday, the final stop was Ear Inn for some mussels and a pint. It’s a common stop for riders in the city. We baked the Stone into the line of bikes, giving it a final “Bwaap Bwaap” for good measure. As with most Italian girls in a crowd, the Stone instantly earned respect and kicked off questions and camera phones from the other riders…. I knew those wheels looked great.

Thor Drake is owner of See See Motorcycles, creator of TheOne Motorcycle Show, and builder of things. He LOVES MOTORCYCLES, basically every last thing he does revolves around bikes. Literally - he once revolved around a motorcycle, you may have seen it in Jackass 2 The Movie. He rode through a loop on a mini motorcycle. It’s his goal in life to ride all kinds of motorcycles in all kinds of situations.

Recently he had the honor of playing around the Los Angeles area on a mighty machine, the Moto Guzzi V7 Racer with the Record Kit.

Video Journalist and owner of Key One Studios, Cliff Talley, went to Los Angeles in search of gritty urban areas to shoot lifestyle photos of the 2013 Moto Guzzi Griso 8V SE. Lifelong rider, musician and vintage American hot rod fabricator, Cliff found the gritty spaces and met some friends along the way.

As if being a producer and director of photography in the fast paced world of action sports doesn’t make every Monday a little easier than bearable. There are times when it gets even better. How is that possible you might ask? The answer: When your phone rings and The Piaggio Group is on the other line putting in a request for “Gritty, Urban” photos of their new Moto Guzzi Griso 8V.

“Gritty?” I said, well you came to the right guy. “Urban?” I know just the place. The city of angels, Los Angeles-CA. After a quick google maps reconnaissance mission with all-star photographer Garth Milan, it was only minutes before we had nailed down a plan for our attack on L.A. Armed with a new Canon 1DX and bags full of L-Series lenses we got an early Monday morning start to move into position.

Unfortunately for us, and more so for our test rider Will Steenrod, mother nature was giving L.A. an unfair advantage. Buckets, and buckets, of rainfall, and light robbing clouds. Respect was naturally demanded by test rider Steenrod, as not a peep of complaint was heard after the hour plus ride in the December rainfall left him still smiling as he pulled up to our first location on the steaming sexy new Griso 8V.

Or could it be that riding this bike, even in the pouring rain was still that fun? Either way we were ready to get this show on the road, literally..

The all new Griso 8V’s throaty tone and grunting V twin seemed to feel right at home on the mean streets of Los Angeles. Heads turned as we ripped through chain link fenced ghettos. Factory workers began to flood out of buildings near the L.A. River just to get a glimpse of what street demon was brave enough to consider entering their territory.

As we battled the streets and mother nature’s angry mood swings, by the grace of God we were gifted the occasional ray of light to feed our Canon’s demanding aperture. Milan drew his f2.8, 70-200 zoom len with the likeness of an old west gun fighter, never missing a shot. After a more than challenging day in the field with our equipment and the all new Griso 8V, we are pleased to bring you these "original" images.

Are you a Moto Guzzi Original? If so share your story and photos with the world just like we did here at Moto Guzzi Originals. Tag them with #GuzziOriginals on Twitter and Instagram.

Legendary pro skateboard icon, moto freak and worldly traveler Sasha Steinhorst grew up riding skateboards, Vespas, and motorcycles. When he's not busy travelling the world, he lives in Southern California - home to some of the greatest motorcycle riding in the world.

Sasha hopped on the Moto Guzzi V7 Racer this past summer and took this retro-inspired moto to the streets and the sweeping canyons near his home. Check out more photos from Sasha on the Moto Guzzi Americas Facebook page.

Living and working in New York City, and far far away from my father's garage of bikes, I'm left with little chance to hop on a bike and go for a ride. But opportunity knocked this summer when my father had a work trip to the city and Moto Guzzi loaned us two bikes to test out on a jaunt through the Hudson Valley. I was stoked for any chance to get out of city and escape the heat, but getting to ride the Moto Guzzi V7 Racer was an added bonus. It looks cool, and a road trip to the Catskills is best done on a motorcycle. Pops, a.k.a. Charlie, took the Griso 8V SE for the first part of the trip, and we had plans to trade on the second day, but I grew attached to the V7.

I grew up riding motorcycles back in Arizona, but I'm not sure if my father hadn't been such a motorcycle fanatic and my older sister hadn't completely sworn them off, I would have ever learned. My interest in bikes started out as much more of a father-daughter tradition than a personal hobby. As a kid, a weekend at the race track was a better option than taking the trash out, but I ride because my father loves it.

When it comes to knowing how to ride, I'm not self-taught. I had riding instruction at the track growing up, so I know how to corner and pass, and I don't have to constantly look in the mirror to know if my father is right behind me, keeping up. But having this experience, it was a blast to have the V7 Racer on those twisting, scenic New York country roads.

Our two-day trip up the Hudson Valley and through the Catskills started off with a stop off at DIA Beacon for some culture. When parked outside both motorcycles drew just as many photos as the art inside. From there we rode northwest on Highway 52 to Beaverkill Creek. We highly recommend this lightly traveled road - there wasn't a single vehicle that slowed us down that we couldn't immediately pass. On the second day, we capped off the trip with a visit to Storm King Art Center. A hike around the grounds stretched our legs and got us ready for Sunday traffic back in to the city.

I'm not on the up-and-up when it comes to which motorcycles are hip, but when you're on a V7 Racer, and you pass everyone on the road, getting a thumbs up while you do it...you start to understand.

Cheers Guzzi! And thanks for the loan. Looking forward to next time…

“I picked up the Moto Guzzi V7 Classic from Moto Guzzi Brooklyn and as soon as I swung a leg over it, my Italian came rushing back (well the few words I can remember from when I was an exchange student there, va bene?). The shop was amazing, especially the big garage full of Aprilia, Vespa, Piaggio and Guzzi models. After my ride across the Brooklyn Bridge, I met my friend Rob Doyle, an avid motorcycle writer and enthusiast. I handed him the keys to the gorgeous Moto Guzzi V7 Classic (which received lots of stares on the bridge) so he could take a ride until the next day.”

“The next day I met up with Rob near the Catskill Mountains. I swung a leg over the V7 Classic and off we went for a PROPER ride through 'Skills, where I had a chance to really fuse -- Avatar-like -- with the bike.”

"My Take: The V7 Classic is first and foremost a hell of a lot of fun. As we unspooled back and forth over the spine of the mountains, the offset V-twin chuckled. I was laughing too with the fun of charging around on a retro-cool motorcycle with the manners, muscle and (just a touch of) the mischief of a perfectly brewed macchiato. What's not to love about the bike?”

“The guys at Vespa Brooklyn said they are having a very hard time keeping these in stock, which I appreciated after riding it around all day. I can also tell who's buying it, just from riding it: graphics jocks in Williamsburg, cafe owners, successful adventure-role actors renovating their lofts, and young guys paving their way in an up-and-coming industry.”

“The V7 Classic was a joy to ride up the hills, down the hills, through town, and on the highway. Plus, I relaxed and enjoyed the cappuccino and pastries along the way. When you finish riding a Moto Guzzi, you too will find yourself inexplicably drawn to espresso machines, bakeries, Amarone della Valpolicella, and expressions like, "Si, si, va bene, ma."

I love a classic style bike – and nothing is more classic than the Moto Guzzi V7 Classic! This bike made me dream of zipping around Rome in the 1960's - perhaps meeting friends for a strong demitasse coffee at a sidewalk cafe or careening through traffic around the Colosseum.

Of course this modern version is a joy - no leaking oil, lots of get-up-and-go, wonderful throat-y growl from the exhaust. I could easily see myself driving this every day around town running errands and back and forth to work. And on the weekend, oh the weekends! Blasting through back roads over gently rollers and twisties…

From a technical standpoint, this bike is fun to ride. There's enough vibration and noise to let you know she’s ready to go, but not too much to be annoying. Comfortable, upright riding position, great visibility, I love it ... If I had to identify a gripe I’d say that the grips/bars are a little thin in diameter but that's all I could come up with.

The freedom that riding a motorcycle gives is exemplified by the Moto Guzzi V7 Classic. What a ride!

Read to find out what he thought of the Griso and see more pictures of his ride on our Moto Guzzi Americas Facebook page.

I was surprised at how fast the Griso 8V SE is and how well it handles. It took a few minutes to get used to the locations of the controls and foot pegs, since I am used to a more upright position on a much smaller bike that I own. But once I got used to it I was enjoying the amazing power that the Griso has to offer. It felt unexpectedly small in size, but powerful.

Riding it was extremely fun! It handles like a small bike but it has so much power, even in the lower gears, you can take off like the devil. My bike and this Griso are very different rides, but returning to mine after four days on the Griso was like hopping on a bicycle!

My favorite feature is the power combined with the looks. This is a great sports bike but with a retro, classic, old fashioned look. It reminds me of Italian designer clothing: high fashion yet a rebel look.

This bike gets so much attention. People gave me thumbs up on traffic lights and a few other stopped me to ask how much I liked the bike, some of them Griso owners and others looking to buy the same exact bike. The amount of attention I got from riding this bike was overwhelming - unfortunately most of them were men!

Upon our first introduction, the black and gold Moto Guzzi V7 Classic struck me as a cousin of the John Player Special F1. I've always been a sucker for the black and gold color scheme. Seating was comfortable and compact. Controls were logically and intuitively laid out so I felt what you never should right after sitting on a new bike: dangerously familiar and comfortable. I immediately started her up and before Andrew from Moto Guzzi Brooklyn could finish telling me by when I had to bring her back, I was already a stop light away.

A group of us had planned a day trip to street ride from NYC, through Bear Mountain in upstate New York, and arriving at Thunder Mountain Skeet Shooting range. I was excited to get the V7 Classic out on the open road and stretch her legs (without getting in trouble).

We left the city promptly at 9am on Sunday morning. Sitting atop the Guzzi V7 inspired me to ride at the front of the pack and we led most of the ride to some of my favorite twisty roads, like Seven Lakes Drive in Harriman State Park. We were a mature motley crew of riders, with days of trying to get our knees down on the street out of our systems by now (mostly).

The compact and comfortable V7 was light and pretty nimble for a modern cafe-styled bike. This is not a power house bike and I wasn't looking for quarter mile record setter. The V7 was polite, responsive and moved with enough gusto to keep me content on my way to the twisty roads. I had thought the bike would weigh on me more and more as we got farther and farther into the 170 mile ride, but I was wrong. Light and polite, easy to ride.

When we arrived to Seven Lakes Drive, memories of my teenage years and absurdly irresponsible riding came straight to mind. If I could have found my teenage self out there on the road I would have definitely had to punch myself for riding the way I used to.

As we approached Tiorati Brook Road I pinched the tank with my knees, got on the balls of my feet and just let the curves flow through my V7. Light, responsive and approachable. I was comfortable and not working hard to have a good time. I could have gone all day, but the shooting range was awaiting us.

It turns out, I am a TERRIBLE shot and my best friend Doug was a ringer, as he placed second best out of our group. Kaz was obviously a Ranger or Sniper in a past life. He is a wicked shot.

After three rounds of skeet a massive thunderstorm pelted us with tennis ball-sized drops of rain. We waited inside for thirty minutes and then began the ride home. It was the perfect opportunity to see how the Guzzi would do on slick roads. The V-twin engine provided just the right amount of engine braking the whole way down the mountain. I never once had to panic.

Unfortunately, on the way home we got stuck in a massive traffic jam going back to NYC. I wished lane splitting was legal in New York State. But at least I was comfortable with no worries of my V7 overheating.

To see more photos from Demian Neufeld's Guzzi Diaries, head over to Moto Guzzi Americas on Facebook.