Morning All
Not quite an owner yet - so I may be cheating a bit but keen on getting as much insight as I can on DIY maintenance etc.
Looking at 2022 model this Saturday - already had a test ride a few months ago and loved it.
Jim
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Welcome! Enjoy your test ride. Make it as long as possible, is the general advice. Guzzis take a while, sometimes, to reveal their charmā¦ but once they do, youāll be hooked!
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Welcome Jim. Like us humans, with our own peculiar traits and foibles - your Guzzi will soon let you know its individual traits. Hopefully in a good way. Iāve done 34,000 miles on my 2008 V7 Classic with not a lot of bother (battery issues mainly). And Iāve got a 2021 V7 Special - only done 7,000 on that so far and not had any complaints to really shout about. Happy biking and donāt be afraid to shout out on here if you have questions - no question too silly. Although you might get answers you donāt like - some folks like to tell you what you donāt want to hear - but they donāt know itās not helpful. No one ever means to cause offence here 
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Hi JC. To answer the question you asked. General everyday maintenance is easy for any competent home mechanic with a reasonable collection of standard hand tools. You may need to purchase a special tool for removal and replacement of the oil filter. All oils, and filters are readily available from the likes of Guzzibits. You can download workshop manuals and parts lists from places such as TLM in Holland. Use of common sense when it comes to general lubrication of foot and hand levers, side and centre stand pivots, suspension pivots etc will make for pleasurable riding for many years to come. Of course, if you get stuck or are worried about any maintenance items just ask on this Forum. Cheers Phil
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Just an addition to the above. Not really a maintenance issue, but delving into the electronics on the modern motorcycles can be a challenge and may be beyond the āhome mechanicā and May result in a trip to a main dealer with the PADS diagnostic equipment. Cheers Phil
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I have 2021 V7 850 Special. OK to service at home with most ānormalā tools. Special tools Iāve found Iāve needed are, 24mm open-ended spanner to undo gearbox drain plug. You can insert this spanner between bottom frame rail and silencer heat shield on the right side, and tap with wooden mallet or similar to undo. This drain plug also covers the gearbox oil filter, which is a white nylon mesh screen that pulls out.
From my notes -
Spark plug box spanner, or long spark plug socket size: 16 mm
Engine filler cap: plastic screw cap, can use fingers or 3D printed special tool for V85TT from eBay.
Oil filter bolt: 13 mm spanner
Engine sump plug: 17 mm spanner
Gearbox filler: 10 mm Allen key
Gearbox drain plug: 24 mm spanner (aforementioned)
Final drive filler / level plug: 6 mm Allen key
Final drive drain plug: 17 mm spanner / socket
Cyl. head spark plug covers: 3 mm Allen key & T20 torx (for HT lead clamps)
Rocker cover screws: 5 mm Allen key (I think)
26mm thin-wall socket for rear wheel spindle hex head. For some reason itās recessed into the swingarm so no spanner will fit onto it.
Itās OBD2 (can-bus) so any generic OBD2 code reader will work. I am currently using MaxDia KT100 CAN BUS from eBay (lots of same item listed under several different vehicles), with lead adaptor āEuro5 OBD2 6 Pin Plug Adaptor Cable Motorcycle Moto Guzzi, Piaggio Vespaā also from eBay.
Also check out popular mods - e.g. EVAP canister delete. Front brake disc may develop excessive play, with bobbins going loose. OEM is a poor quality Chinese item. Mine started rattling before first service was due (@ 900 miles). Replaced with an EBC item which frankly is better made. Re rear brake caliper: sooner than ASAP, remove the two flush Allen headed pads retaining pins, and replace with copper slip. Otherwise these will seize up over time and may be impossible to remove later (the Allen key hex hole rounds out from excessive force).
The brown leather seat is beautiful but also a PITA, as it needs frequent waxing (I use Duck Wax), especially to keep it waterproof. Iām constantly worrying about it getting rained on. It can also go mouldy while the bike is in storage. It is also a bit hard to sit on. This year itās going to be replaced with a gel comfort seat, that is not leather!
Thatās all I can think of at the moment.
But on the plus side, itās still the best Moto Guzzi Iāve owned so far. I like how itās traditional Moto Guzzi and retro-looking, but also very modern. The gearbox is a peach IMO, once the rough spots are knocked off it.
Appendix: also be aware this bike has some Torx-Plus fasteners (e.g., front caliper bolts), so will need a set of Torx-Plus Allen keys or bits.
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Really appreciate all the detailed replies. Thank you
Gives me a really confident feeling about my decision. Just sold my Kawasaki Ninja 1000sx that I had for 3 years. Great bike but becoming mega expensive for any dealer related maintenance.
Looking forward to getting a Guzzi after months of research and deliberation.
Jim
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Hi JC. Not wishing to rain on your parade, but my 2022 V7 Special is just about the worst bike Iāve ever owned in over 35 years of motorcycling. The suspension is so hard that Iāve replaced both front and rear with Bitubo units - at a cost of over Ā£1100. However, I am a light-ish rider at just 9 stone so maybe thatās the reason for the harsh ride. Then thereās the gearbox. Trying to get 2nd gear when the engine is still cool is a hit and miss affair - most times I just canāt get into 2nd from 1st. Itās really annoying and so unpredictable that it really spoils every ride. Once the engine is warm, the gear shifting is really nice throughout all gears. The seat is extremely comfortable and Iāve ridden for 3 hours at a time and felt no problems. Iāve moved my handlebars back and up 1 inch as Iām only 5 ft 6 inches and the original position was just a bit of a stretch. Itās a shame about the suspension and gearbox as the rest of the bike is pretty good.
I test rode an MG V7 Stone āLimited Editionā recently and had no issues at all.
@jc59 How did you get on?
Hi M001
Loved the bike and realise its full of quirks and back to basics but thats what I am looking for. Trying to buy a used Special Edition at the moment. Have you got one?
Hi @jc59
Ok good, glad the test ride went well as it did for me.
Good luck in your searching, there are some nice examples out there.
Iāve yet to buy one and think Iām going for the Stone, but need to see a āClassicā before making a decision. Just need to find a dealer that has one in stock within a reasonable distance.
Looking online/ YouTube is all very well but need to see the bike up close really.
Iām in no rush as such and undecided at this point in timeā¦
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Hi
I have a '22 850 special and love it ! It has so much toque at just 3000 revs , it corners on rails , yes the suspension is abit on the hard side , I run mine on the softest settings, I too have fitted 'bar risers [ up and back ] , front fork gaiters , OE centre stand , mudflap behind swingarm to stop road muck getting on the gear/clutch mechanisum , longer front mudguard [ from earlier V7 ] , de-vapped the fuel canister , removed the secondary air system , all improve the bike , also pulled the front forks through the top yoke by 10mm , it quickens up the steering abit , I like most of us on this forum have had lots of motorcycles and itās good to go " back to basic " and just enjoy what a guzzi will give you !
regards Derek
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I might have mentioned, mine has a Velorex sidecar attached, hence the āfirm suspensionā is a bonus - we started with jacking the rear preload to max., which is typical - however I recently reduced it to what is now half (number 3 notch), because it was tending to pull to the left strongly. So F2 M/C advised trying increaing the lean-out, which is simply, make the rear suspension softer. Pretty much did the trick. Other accessories are a Puig Touring 1 screen, and cheap plastic handguards which reduce the windchill and rain on the fingers.
Mike_H
Like the tips about suspension and also hand guards. Had the guards on another bike and they do take a lot of chill away from the tops of your hands. Work well with heated grips
Cheers
Jim
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Hi Ducatiderek
Got my eye on a 23 plate but has no centre stand, How was it to fit yours? Cannot find anything on the forum (may be putting in the wrong Question in search). What brand did you go for?
Cheers
Jim
try searching on āstandā - canāt guarantee the exact answer you seek but various V7+stand related discussions
I fitted the OEM Guzzi stand to my V7 850 Stone and it was fairly straightforward, but ignore the instructions to fit the Evap canister at the end, there isnāt enough room to get it into the āclipā welded to the stand mount - ask me how I know 
. Fit it before you offer it up and itās fine.
I also found it easier to loosely mount the upper bolts and use them to align the stand and provide some leverage and a āthird handā whilst lifting the assembly into position and fixing the through bolt.
In operation, itās one of the easiest bikes Iāve had to get it onto the stand, especially if you āstand on the standā and have a rack fitted to use as a āhandleā or failing that the pillion peg mounting.
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Hepco and Becker are the makers of the OEM stand as well as pannier frames and engine guards, excellent quality, , fitting can be a pig though
glad I fitted my Breva with one all those years ago
Cheers Rapheal.
Looking at used bikes at the moment and they dont have a CS. So weighing up the additional cost. Need the CS to get the bike on a dolly so I can get it āparkedā up in a tight space 
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