Can anyone tell me where I can buy some fork gaiters for my v7 850 special? I`ve tried all of the normal channels Guzzi bits etc and have come to a dead end with no results.
Welcome to the forum Zendorist. Measure the diameter of the fork leg and slider and the length you require, then search online. There are loads of suppliers out there, on eBay less than Ā£15.00 a pair but the quality may not be the best. I use stainless steel jubilee clips on the gaiters on my old Guzzi which has 38mm Marzocchi forks.
Good advice from @Chris950S there, @zendorist - stop me if you already know this, but (traditionally) Moto Guzzi front forks contain sealed ādamper cartridgesā - rather than relying on forks filled with oil to effect damping. Thus, the fork seals donāt necessarily do the job that they do on other machines, i.e. keep the oil in the forks, and thus keeping the upper forks clean and free from grit etc. isnāt quite as essential as it otherwise might be - still sensible though, eh?
Having said that, some owners prefer to fit them (I do), and it has to be said that I do not personally know whether your V7 850 forks employ the same type of construction. (A quick glance at Gutsibitsā pages shows that replacement dampers are available, and thus it seems likely that they are - maybe another V7 850 owner can chime in on that).
Good luck getting your gaiters, anyway. Next upā¦ fitting them (o;
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Greetings Zendorist, when you find the answer to the gaiters I might be interested. 
Altho gaiters can be a double-edged sword, as corrosion can occur beneath unseen. At the moment Iām relying on frequent applications of WD40, especially at this time of year and onward into winter.
Just to nip in the bud any misunderstandings, the new E5 V7 850 (>=2021) forks do NOT have internal damper cartridges. Instead they are ānormalā configuration, with damper pistons working with a renewable fork oil of a specific weight, as per every other bike. (Almost.)
According to the manual dismantling looks complicated. Iāve seen videos of Ducati and Japanese forks rebuilds and itās like that. For example to drain the oil, the manual starts off with āRemove the stanchionsā, because you have to turn them upside down to pour it out of the top, and pump the piston to get it all out. Another issue could be compressing the springs on reassembly. The instructions go on for quite a few pages.
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But the stanchions can be coated with grease or other such unsightly substances before the gaiters are fitted and the gaiters will protect the chrome from stone chips. To my mind they are a positive addition if you like the look and would prefer not to polish chrome.
Quite right, and thatās what I used to do. I agree about stone chips (having had one). But need periodic inspections, and renew the grease or whatever is used. I.e. is not āfit and forgetā.
Absolutely, and if you undo the jubilee clips and draw the gaiter up the stanchion you can inspect and re-grease without taking the forks off the bike. 