The Bonnevilles I saw at the cycle show 2 yrs back seemed fat to me, and turned me off.
When Uncle Ernie and I went to the Guzzi dealer a few weeks back, I had the opportunity to sit on a black V7. At 5'11, 32" inseam, I was able to flat foot the bike, but it didn't seem crampted at all. It seemed larger than the Enfield, smaller than the Bonneville, and better balanced than both. It felt a lot like my '71 Bonneville.
While the health of the Guzzi marque is of concern, I think most of the components of the v7 come from the common parts pile and its' demise shouldn't be of grave concern.
At $8500, is it $2100 better than the C5? That is the question.