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 b...