Restomods by their very nature appear simpler than fully customized motorcycles, but they’re usually harder to get right. Customization leaves you free to change whatever you want, but a restomod demands good judgement and even better taste. You need to know when to zig and when to zag—treating the original bike with respect while making just the right number of changes.
It’s a dark art that Unikat Motorworks has mastered. Based in Wroclaw, Poland, the custom workshop’s latest project is a classic Moto Guzzi V7 that’s been nipped and tucked to great effect.
The job came from a returning client, who had previously asked Unikat to build a Godden GR500 speedway bike as a gift for his wife. This time around, he decided to treat himself with a restrained and stylish restomod. Picking the 1969 Moto Guzzi V7 Special as the donor was an easy choice since the bike and owner share a birth year.
Unikat imported the V7 in classic police bike trim from Italy, complete with its cop-spec fairing and panniers. It looked to be in good condition—although the team soon realized just how much work would be needed to make it mechanically sound.
Unikat’s first port of call was the classic Moto Guzzi V7’s bulky bodywork. The police fairing and panniers came off immediately, as did the engine crash bars, and the humungous front and rear fenders. The crew kept the fuel tank, but it needed cleaning and resealing before it was good to go.
The vintage V7 was built back up again with a pair of slim handmade fenders, and a smart leather saddle. Unikat kept the OEM side covers, but fabricated additional panels to sit where the toolboxes used to. A custom-made luggage rack sits out back, just in front of an LED taillight, with LED tail signals attached to custom mounting tabs on the subframe.
Next, Unikat refurbished the front suspension and swapped out the shocks for a set of modern units, measuring a little longer than stock. They opted to retain the original wheels and brakes, but eventually decided that the rims needed replacing. So they rebuilt the wheels with new San Remo rims, before wrapping them in modern tires with vintage looks.
Old parts and new parts sit side-by-side all over this build, but it’s hard to tell them apart. Whatever wasn’t upgraded or replaced, was at the very least restored to better-than-new condition.
It’s the same story in the cockpit, where the original handlebars and controls are matched to leather-wrapped grips, Motogadget LED turn signals, and vintage-style switches. The dashboard is an original Moto Guzzi part too, although it’s the type that was most commonly found on civilian V7 models of the time.
The original Moto Guzzi headlight and headlight brackets sit up front; a subtle consideration that has a big impact on the overall aesthetic. Fresh wiring runs under the hood, ensuring a reliable ride.
Although the 1969 Moto Guzzi V7 Special never came in black, the V7 Ambassador did. But while the Ambassador featured pin striping and chromed knee sections on the fuel tank, Unikat went for a more muted, all-black paint scheme here, augmented by delicate graphics. And it looks exquisite.
If there’s a perfect formula for resto-modding a beloved classic, Unikat has it.
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