V85 TT Merged Threadfest

[Huzo]

Yes.
You could do a lot worse.

[s1120]

Just deposits down seem to be more then they sold over a full year for all models for some years..... 

[Huzo]

Just deposits down seem to be more then they sold over a full year for all models for some years.....

Mine will be losing the lower header guards immediately.

[Kiwi_Roy]

I'm thinking this new motor is the future of Guzzi.  They are gonna do the BMW thing.  Offer a new ADV bike.  Then a cheaper naked roadster and maybe a retro and finally, hopefully, a Sport-tourer.  All with the same drivetrain.  By then all the V7/V9s and 1400s will be history.  If that works out there might be a performance water jacket Guzzi like the Griso.

I'd take one that looks like this:

That looks bloody horrible

[Knuckle Dragger]

Mine will be losing the lower header guards immediately.

Agreed Huzo.  Those header guards are hideous, if not in all practicality pretty functionally useless.  I don't understand why Guzzi just didn't tuck the headers up a little higher like all their older models. Whilst you're still in the neighbourhood why not pickup a QD Exhausts midpipe to take home with you along with your other souvenirs & associated paraphernalia?

https://www.qdexhaust.it/en/catalogue-qd-exhaust/moto-guzzi-en/v-85-tt-en/moto-guzzi-v-85tt-decatalizzatore/

Ditching that god-awful ugly catalyser/collector box would certainly be a pretty high priority for me anyway.  Makes the whole exhaust just so much tidier in my opinion.  The loss of a utterly useless 3.3kg of lard, plus the 4.4 extra neddies it allows would just be the cherry on top of the cake....

Whilst E. 420 might be a bit spendy for some, the ability to run cooler, breathe easier & reduce fuel consumption makes it reasonable value despite its non-Euro V compliance.  Just don't tell 'em @ Heathrow that it's a Stinger shoulder launcher!  If you're feeling extravagant there's also a nice uber-light matching Titanium muffler & link pipe for similar coin.

You could always strap 'em to the old red girl on her crated return as "spares" to avoid overly-officious customs queries.

Incidentally, Bikesales' Mark Fattore has a pretty breathlessly sycophantic ride review out now:

https://www.bikesales.com.au/editorial/details/2019-moto-guzzi-v85tt-launch-review-118853/

[Huzo]

That looks bloody horrible

Probably not if you’re doing the road of bones or some such..
I’d have more intrinsic faith in that, than I would a brand new tuetonic offering from Bayerisch Motoren Werken..

[s1120]

I had a chance to ride one yesterday...  I really liked it!  Im not the ADV type...  but you know... it fit, it felt good, and it rode awesome...  I would have no need for more power in this platform..  Huge power band, that just pulled clean wherever you were in the powerband. Suspension worked awesome..  nice and smooth, but still well controlled. Really the only fault I found with the bike was there was a strange unsettling tip over point in corner transition. Really though, I bet you could chalk that up to the one I rode had top and side boxes, and the on off road tires were getting kinda square .  All it all...  Not really a ADV bike guy..... but I would have zero issues taking this bike across the country.

[ITSec]

Got a test ride a few weeks back before the bikes headed back east.

I will keep a CARC in the garage for two-up riding, but the V85 TT may become my 'other' bike for when Louisa is riding her V7 III...

[Socalrob]

Got a test ride a few weeks back before the bikes headed back east.

I will keep a CARC in the garage for two-up riding, but the V85 TT may become my 'other' bike for when Louisa is riding her V7 III...

As a V7iii owner, how much more umph does the v85 have over the 7?  How do vibes compare at 75/80 mph?

[s1120]

As a V7iii owner, how much more umph does the v85 have over the 7?  How do vibes compare at 75/80 mph?

Haven ridden both within a hour of each other, and each for the first time...   Vibes were about the same to me..  granted im coming from a big block bike, with tuning issues...  I would say the power is a refinement on the V7..  Not night and day...  but noticeable power increase starting at a little lower RPM, and increasing as RPMs climb..  Take the V7iii power plant... and just make it better from idle on up.. 

[Huzo]

I’ve just received an e mail from my dealer that my V85 is there in Melbourne ready to go.
However it is a Ronald Mc Donald one and I don’t want it, I want a Red/White one. Does anyone in Oz have info on the red/white availability in Australia ?
My partner back home in Oz has spoken to the importer and the say end of July for the one I want, anyone have anything they can add to this ?

[frans belgium]

So far I have 3000 km's on my V85TT and loved every meter of it.
50%+ was with passenger and full load.
It handles extremely well, comfy for both rider and passenger with stock seat and suspension.
Stock suspension is up to it's task, linkage or not.
Stock seat is very good, uninterrupted hours in the saddle.
Talking about the dreaded bhp.  All I can say is that the engine is getting loose and - from 3000 rpm on - it pulls quite strong, even two-on.  A friend of mine, following on his Bmw R 1150 RT, was quite impressed.
It turns very easily, you just have to "look" at the turn.
Clutch is VERY light, important for an older guy like myself.
Gearbox shifts lightly, sometimes with a clunk, sometimes not if you really pay attention.
Dash is very well visible, again important for an old bloke like myself (and it adapts according to sunlight)
Wind protection with stock shield is ok for me, but I'm only 1,72 m.  No buffetting (spelling?)
Brakes are not great, but good enough.
Had the Anakee's replaced with Pirelli's (Scorpion Trail 2) which makes a great difference on the road.
Off road rarely tested, I'm not a good enough off-roader to venture.  But ok on gravel (did some 15 km's on it).
Fuel economy is exceptional, two-on and fully packed, it got 4,4 l on 100 km.  Up to the interested guys to recalculate that in gallons and miles.  It gives an autonomy of 450 km+.

Minor shortcomings:
It could do with 20 kg less weight.
I find the side stand too long, the bike sits too upright.
Throttle action (by wire) is too long, I need to "climb up on the throttle" too often (if you get what I mean)

I have been riding various Guzzi's over the last 20 years and - in my very modest opinions - so far it's the best Guzzi I ever rode on and certainly the first of which I did not feel the need to change  seat, suspension, mapping, screen or whatever.

Finally, my dealer told me that I have a 2 year warranty that can be extended up to 4.  After the second (free) year you can expand it year by year.  Interesting for a complete technical moron like myself.

And also interesting: my dealer sold about 20 Guzzi's last year (2018), second hand included.
He sold about the same number of V85 since 2 months, a LOT of them to people that never rode a Guzzi before.

Guzzi may not go bankrupt after all ....

[Huzo]

In the immortal words of Elton John...
“It’s a little bit funny.”
I’ve just gone back over the first couple or five, pages of this thread and it’s funny because, most of the blokes that have made comments about how we’ll never see the bugger, and it’ll be a sales flop and “pure fantasy, the 2V motor is dead...”, have either been conspicuously quiet, or silently grabbed reverse and in recent posts have been giving their opinions as to why it’s such a good thing...!
Are any of these buggers going to say anything about how they might have been arse up..?

[Huzo]

Prepare to be underwhelmed 

 Dusty

That doesn’t seem to be the way it comes over in the reviews Dusty.

[Huzo]

the above is pure fantasy the 2v motor is dead !!

Goes ok for a corpse..

[Huzo]

Concept bike. Code for "will never make it into production."

If I see another Oberdan Bezzi puerile fantasy, I may just vomit.

 

Well I don’t know what the beefed up workforce at Mandello are doing for 9 hours a day 6 days a week according to the bloke on the door at the old factory.

[Huzo]

My socks are feeling pretty confident they aren't about to be knocked off.....

Just make sure you know where they land Pete, you may need to go looking for them.

[Huzo]

Those ought to be fun to fix when the o-rings die. 

Easy...

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

It's been a long time since any Guzzi made me even think about a test ride, but the V85TT does. So, I'm planning to ride out to far western MD to Xtreme Powersports on June 29th and taking one for a spin. If the shock of going from my 1969 V700 "TT" to the 2019 V85TT doesn't kill me, I'll be sure to post my impressions. 

[Huzo]

It's been a long time since any Guzzi made me even think about a test ride, but the V85TT does. So, I'm planning to ride out to far western MD to Xtreme Powersports on June 29th and taking one for a spin. If the shock of going from my 1969 V700 "TT" to the 2019 V85TT doesn't kill me, I'll be sure to post my impressions. 

Hah..!
June 29 eh..?
My birthday.

[Lannis]

Hah..!
June 29 eh..?
My birthday.

Are you subtly angling for a present, as long as Charlie's hanging around the Guzzi shop ... ??   

[Dave Swanson]

I can almost hear the glasses of Chianti tinking in Mandello de Lario now 

[jas67]

Hah..!
June 29 eh..?
My birthday.

Seriously?   That's my birthday too!   

[Dave Swanson]

My 65th birthday is July 3rd which just happens to coincide with the V85 demo day close to me at Woodstock Powersports.  Should I be taking that as a sign?   

[Litre1000]

What I don’t see/read is, Stelvio owners commenting on their test ride of the new V85 adventure bike. That is the target,right...?

[Kent in Upstate NY]

From a Stelvio owner in the witch city.  "It's a really nice bike. I test rode one a week ago.

Best fueled motorcycle I've ever ridden. Comfortable, nice motor with linear power delivery. Not the low end grunt of the Stelvio, but pretty good. Instrument is clear and bright, brakes are excellent, suspension very good (could have used a bit more preload in the back, but they kept it soft to make it easier on shorter riders). Fit and finish is gorgeous. Handling is light and nimble. Feels half the size it is. Center of gravity on it feels much lower than the Stelvio. I thought the little flyscreen worked really well. No buffeting at all on the helmet. Very clean air, and took the big blast of wind off the chest. It has an optional taller screen, but I can't imagine needing it...It's much smaller than the Stelvio. I would say it's a 3/4 Stelvio size wize. Feels much lighter than the almost 100 lbs lighter it's supposed to be."

[Zinfan]

What I don’t see/read is, Stelvio owners commenting on their test ride of the new V85 adventure bike. That is the target,right...?

I mentioned it in anther thread.

I own a Stelvio and I could instantly tell the V85tt was a much easier beast to handle on my short test ride.  Now a Stelvio at $3000 savings would be a good way to go imo but the V85tt feels much lighter.  Also that 80-90 lbs represents almost a 20% difference in overall weight.  I will have to wait until my V85 shows up to get a better sense of it but it also felt to me like the Stelvio carries it's weight a bit higher than the new model and when I fill that tank up I can tell I have to be deliberate when moving at slow speeds or in parking lots.

The demo ride was too short to make any sweeping statements about the difference, I guess more to come once my TT shows up.

[frans belgium]

What I don’t see/read is, Stelvio owners commenting on their test ride of the new V85 adventure bike. That is the target,right...?

Well, that's not exactly right.  You must be reading the wrong tests.
I ride in a small Flemish club, most of which are Guzzi riders (others ride Bmw, Triumph, Ducati, one even rides a bloody Honda ;-) )
The "chairman" rides Guzzi since 40 years, and is a close neighbor of mine.  He now owns a Stelvio 8v.
He test rode a V85 some weeks ago.
His comments: "Of course the Stelvio has more low end grunt, but when I stepped on my Stelvio afterwards, it felt like a tractor. The V85 could very well become my next Guzzi"

I can concur.

[Numbercruncher]

What are your thoughts on The Missenden Flyer?  His humor is much more downplayed than most.

NC

I donno, but I thought the RevZilla reviewer was trying way too hard to be clever, but then again I feel that way about almost every reviewer except Sir Alan and Jenny Smith.

Reading RevZilla made me wish Dave Searle was still heading MCN.

[Numbercruncher]

Why would you assume a dead TFT means a dead bike?  Doesn't the TFT pull information and display it for the rider?  If that is the case it seems to be a one way communication and a dead TFT shouldn't strand the bike????????

If anyone knows with any certainty that a dead TFT will strand the bike please expand on that for the rest of us.  And this has nothing to do with Guzzi and Honda will likely not have replacement TFT's in 15 years for the current generation Africa Twin either.

NC

So I assume when the fancy TFT display goes kaput the bike will not run, that correct? 

So 10 years from now, TFT goes kaput, you buy a new one?  15 years from now?  20? 

Be interesting to see the list price of that.