V85 Street Bike ?

[EldoMike]

I may be late in this but here it is anyway..

https://www.rideapart.com/articles/276810/moto-guzzi-v85-new-model/

[Rhodan]

Thanks for the link!  I'd read a hint somewhere before but this has some more info.

[Huzo]

Who was that idiot that said there should be a V8 in between the V7 and V9, back a year or two..?
With stand off styling reminiscent of the Le Mans as a tip of the hat and calling it the V8, I recall he reckoned it would be giving due credit to the 80's relic, whilst dragging the whole she bang into this millennium.
Anyway.
That suggestion was met with sneers of derision at the time.
Now I know he was an Aussie, but probably the wrong one..

[egschade]

A sport touring bike would make a lot of sense - something between a Griso and Norge. Lighter than either but better suspension than the V7/9 lineup. Maybe it's time to roll out a next-gen LeMans?

[rdbandkab]

Be still my freak'n heart.  I'm hoping it is a sport touring styled bike and not a throwback of any kind.  I'm hoping it "tics" all the boxes for us (me and the wife).
1. 2up comfort -
2  Little to no fairing -
3. Side bags and trunk capable -

Shut up and take my money!!

something between a Griso and Norge. .......with better suspension.

  I'd love to see suspension with hi/low compression adjustment and not only preload and rebound.

[kingoffleece]

+1
Hopefully it'll have enough juice to run a few extras with out any strain.

[Toecutter]

Give it to me as a bog standard blank canvas of a bike, please. Classic styled standard.

[Tusayan]

If the V85 model makes substantially more power, I think Piaggio will use it to develop a line of bikes.  Ducati pursued the same stratgy successfully starting in the late 80s when they focused on developing the relatively weak <50HP Pantah 650 engine, their version of the small block, and abandoned their more expensive larger block engine.  By the early 90s they had a pretty good lineup with a mid-70s RWHP engine, including the 'blank canvas' Monster which made good money.

[rdbandkab]

I can't wait to see what this thing's going to look like. 

[bad Chad]

I'm looking forward to seeing it too.  Im not looking forward to reading all the complaining that will pop here by curmudgeons who will lash out one way or another.

[rdbandkab]

My only worry now (which I hope is totally off base), is if the 850 engine will have qualms about dragging two average sized adults around the hills of WV.  We're used to larger engines for 2up.

*after a little research,  it looks like an 850 should work fine for us.   Plus only being an 850, it should be great for wheelies when I ride solo..  (I kid)

[malik]

A sports tourer sounds fine to me -

With a decent sized tank - buck the recent trend with 20-25 litres,
Mudguards to keep the water off
A robust rear rack, as with the V7s
Half way decent suspension
A decent headlight - I prefer a single round, but if they have decent reflectors, I'm not too fussed
Possibly a minimal fly screen (the only fairing I have experienced that works well is that on the 1100 Sport/V11 Lemans & that's likely overkill).
I like to tour with rear sets & low bars, but realise many others aren't shaped that way, so the ability to cater for both set ups would be preferred.

Not too much to expect?

[pebra]

A strees bike with less weight and less power than the Griso would be very interesting!

[oilhed]

My fears are you’ll never see another 1100/1200 and the 850 will replace the V7 & V9. Just like HD Guzzi could become a two motor company with different frames and set-ups.

[egschade]

My only worry now (which I hope is totally off base), is if the 850 engine will have qualms about dragging two average sized adults around the hills of WV.  We're used to larger engines for 2up.

*after a little research,  it looks like an 850 should work fine for us.   Plus only being an 850, it should be great for wheelies when I ride solo..  (I kid)

I've done 2-up on everything from 350's to 1200's. Depends on your expectations. Loaded up with pillion and gear for an overnight or two is a lot different than a nice couple hour ride in the country which again, is different than going around the corner for ice cream. I suspect this 850 will need to be revved a bit more than a big block but should do fine for the riding you describe. Just need to be smooth on your downshifts so you don't bonk helmets, or bash your wife's nose... 

[drbone641]

Like this?

[egschade]

Like this?

Nicely done and yes, like that! How did you get the shaft and shock on the left side? Also dig the Griso muffler.

[Tennmoto]

Like this?

Yup I like that too, a Roadster we can Farkle up. A step up from the V7
Maybe the remaining dealers can have a good year, just in time lol

[twowheeladdict]

My fears are you’ll never see another 1100/1200 and the 850 will replace the V7 & V9. Just like HD Guzzi could become a two motor company with different frames and set-ups.

Harley only has one motor in the upcoming electric bike, but has several engines.  If you are not including displacement they have 3 blocks.  If you include displacement they have 500, 700, and 1200cc   then they have 107, 114, and 117 inch displacement. In addition the softail engines have a second counterbalancer.

[Kev m]

Harley only has one motor in the upcoming electric bike, but has several engines.  If you are not including displacement they have 3 blocks.  If you include displacement they have 500, 700, and 1200cc   then they have 107, 114, and 117 inch displacement. In addition the softail engines have a second counterbalancer.

Pedantic definitions aside, Harley has the following powerplants:

* Revolution - 60 degree, water-cooled, OHC - in 500cc and 750cc displacements (the 750 in two different versions/tunes)
* Evolution - 45 degree, unitized, air-cooled 2V pushrod - 883cc and 1200cc displacements
* M8 - 45 degree, air-cooled, 4V pushrod - in 107", 114" and 117" displacements, in either single-counterbalancer/rubbermounted and/or dual counterbalancer/solidmounted versions, some with water-cooled heads too.


So really yeah, I agree, I'd call it 3 engines - available in multiple displacements.

[usedtobefast]

So I'm a little confused.  So the Griso (and other CARC bikes) die off due to Euro emissions.  Then MG's "new" platform is a 850cc engine, air cooled, 2 valve, seems like a downsized 1100 Griso engine (yes I get the large block, small block thing), but nothing really "clean running" about this "new" 850 engine design.

So how does the 850 become a platform for the future and the 1200 Griso is dead?  Is it just capacity?  Easy to have the proper Euro emissions with 850cc vs. 1150cc? 

I think that red mock up bike looks great, but I was thinking "why would I sell my Griso and buy that?" ... can't think of any reason.  Maybe it would be ~30-40lbs lighter? 

[Tusayan]

The V85 is a small block, not in any way related to the big block V11/Griso engine.  The small block is a product of the 70s, the big block a product of the 60s.  The small block was designed as a cheaper to produce engine.

My thought is that if (which is a fairly big if) the V85 does make reasonable power and the market buys it in multiple platforms, Piaggio might focus on that engine alone.  The cruiser engine and the bike itself has not sold in great volume.

[TimmyTheHog]

well I read on the internet of things (shocking!), that 2019 model of V7 will be the last year of the bike...

No idea if the rumor is true or not...but if it indeed is true, they have to do something and making a V85 road based bike makes sense...

[Huzo]

Just need to be smooth on your downshifts so you don't bonk helmets, or bash your wife's nose... 

That would still be preferable to
"Bashing her helmet"
Or
"Bonking her nose...!"

[knowmaddd]

So I'm a little confused.  So the Griso (and other CARC bikes) die off due to Euro emissions.  Then MG's "new" platform is a 850cc engine, air cooled, 2 valve, seems like a downsized 1100 Griso engine (yes I get the large block, small block thing), but nothing really "clean running" about this "new" 850 engine design.

So how does the 850 become a platform for the future and the 1200 Griso is dead?  Is it just capacity?  Easy to have the proper Euro emissions with 850cc vs. 1150cc? 

I think that red mock up bike looks great, but I was thinking "why would I sell my Griso and buy that?" ... can't think of any reason.  Maybe it would be ~30-40lbs lighter?

I'm also confused by the strategy.  I'm assuming the market for 'vintage' bikes is far more profitable per dollar of investment than the market for 'modern' bikes.  Perhaps they had to make a choice to go one way or the other but could not sustain both.  I would have loved to see a new bike utilizing the big block, CARC and modern electronics.

[knowmaddd]

Like this?

THAT looks amazing. 

[usedtobefast]

Maybe I did not explain my confusion very well.

If a 1150cc air cooled 4 valve engine can't meet Euro emissions, then how can a 850cc air cooled 2 valve engine meet Euro emissions? 

Is it just a smaller engine pollutes less?  Maybe the 850 has better fuel management (leaner and supposedly still runs ok)? 

[Tusayan]

I think it has to do with with down selecting to as few engine designs as possible for economic production, including amortization of emissions certification costs.  Piaggio is probably just trying to minimize the number of products they have to build and certify worldwide and the small block looks like the best down selection for Guzzi based on current annual sales of that engine and number of years they think they can build and sell them.

Same basic reason the LeMans II got the small valve engine for the US market way back when, resulting in the CX100 for which the 'explanation' was that Americans preferred a larger engine displacement.  Certification was easier then, but all the other big blocks they were selling in the US at that time had the 949 cc small valve engine and the rest of the world didn't have meaningful emissions regulations - so for 200 US sales over two to three years it wasn't in the budget to separately certify the round barrel 850 Le Mans II engine.  When they subsequently came out with the square barrel engine they must've reevaluated based on the prediction of selling more Le Mans IIIs in the US.

[Muzz]

Like this?

That your own photoshopping?

That looks NICE!

[rdbandkab]

I might need a bit of the TT's rear on it though.  More of a structure for luggage and modified seat.  I need to find a nice half-faring to graft on there now.