The Moto Guzzi V7 platform is well-known to us here at Bike EXIF. Since its re-release in 2008, the practical modern classic has graced the garages of multiple Bike EXIF writers, including our founder, Chris Hunter. But despite its popularity, we don’t see that many truly wild Moto Guzzi V7 customs.
That’s because the Moto Guzzi V7 looks good enough when it leaves the Mandello del Lario factory that most owners only make minor adjustments over time. But when Efraon Triana at UFO Garage in Madrid, Spain, was tasked with building a family-friendly Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig, he knew that he and his team would have to go all out.
The customer, Mike, already owned one UFO Garage bike and wanted another to enjoy the Swiss countryside with. But there was a catch—Mike has two daughters and a wife who all want to be part of the fun. So not only did UFO Garage have to add a sidecar to the Guzzi, but they had to build it with two seats.
Efraon and his crew started by building the sidecar’s tubular steel frame by hand, adding an 18” wheel to match the V7. The wheel uses an aluminum rim on a CNC-machined hub—and if you peek through the spokes, you’ll spot the sidecar’s suspension system.
For the capsule itself, steel sheets were formed by hand into the work of art you see here. The details are as exquisite as they are numerous—from the government-approved child car seats, upholstered in vegetable-tanned leather, to the sidecar headlight and wood-trimmed sidestep. A modified windshield from an early Kawasaki GSX-R, and a flowing side fender, protect the girls from the elements.
The V7’s frame was modified to accept the sidecar and its subframe was chopped and looped. The finished frame, rocker covers, and alternator cover were then sent off for chrome plating. The stock seat was reshaped and covered in the same vegetable-tanned leather as the sidecar’s interior, while new heat shields were fabricated and added to the mufflers lower down.
As with the vast majority of sidecar hacks, it’s not just the sidecar that received special attention. The distinctly different handling characteristics of this rig necessitated the use of an Earles fork—a type of leading-link front end where the pivot point is behind the front wheel. Efraon built the front suspension himself, basing his design on a BMW R69 and adding a steering damper for stability.
The front fender is also a custom item, held in place by elegant handmade mounting brackets. The headlight bucket was 3D-printed; it’s also based on early BMW designs, with the factory Moto Guzzi speedo embedded into it. Motogadget LED turn signals sit just in front of the headlight brackets up front, and just behind the shock mounts at the back.
The rest of the trim includes Renthal handlebars, leather-wrapped grips, and Motone switches. The V7 and its sidecar wear matching taillights too, and the latter sports a custom-made roll bar at the back.
For the paint job, UFO chose a three-layer candy apple red from House of Kolor and absolutely nailed it. Coupled with just the right amount of chrome, this sidecar rig gives off a strong vintage hot rod vibe that we adore.
“To be honest, this project was fun and difficult in equal measure,” Efraon tells us. “Since it was the first time I had built a motorcycle with a sidecar, it was a challenge—but I’m sure it will be the center of attention on the beautiful Swiss roads.”
We’re sure Mike and his girls will get a lifetime’s worth of memories out of this gorgeous Moto Guzzi V7 family wagon. And if that’s not what motorcycling is all about, we don’t know what is.
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