Guzzi V85tt as a commuter?

[RandomGRK]

This has been asked before but I’m a different kind of commuter to the older post on here who seems to have a country commute.

I ride into Philly on my 1200GS. The ride isn’t too bad but it can sometimes get a little slow coming over the bridge. When I get into the city I do tend to filter carefully. When it’s hot and slow, my GS can get a little toasty. Nothing too serious but enough that it takes some of the enjoyment out of it.

I’m trying to get something that manages heat on the rider better than my GS but the more I read about it, the more I realize that the 85 actually puts out a lot of heat, enough that it’s a common complaint. The heat and the bike pinging in slow hot riding being an issue.

My question is for those that have the 85.

Would getting the newer model help with the fueling and the VVT prevent knocking/pinging when the bike gets hot?

Would doing a decat remove the majority of the heat felt by the rider or do the cylinder heads get too warm. My V7s and V9 never gave me any heat off the heads.

I’d love another Guzzi but riding comfort in slow speeds is a major factor. Sure, multiple bikes would be better but the wife just doesn’t get it. She says two is enough. Baaah. Also, why don’t I just choose a different Guzzi? Because I do like to Adv ride and sometimes take my bike where Guzzis don’t belong.

[yrunvs]

I can't speak on the 2025 model as I have a 2022 model. These are air cooled as you know and the only time I get nervous about heat (engine wise) is in the summer 80+ degrees stop and go traffic. I don't know if an air cooled bike would be my first choice for hot weather stop and go traffic on a regular basis.

[PeteS]

I’ve ridden my 2025 V85tt in high 80s temps though not a lot of stop and go. Heat has not been a problem at all. My water cooled Triumph Tiger XC puts out much more heat even at highway speeds. Not enough to be uncomfortable but definitely noticeable and welcome in cold weather.

Pete

[inditx]

My 2023 that is decatted with all new exhaust except the muffler that is oem. I left the O2 sensors in btw.
Heat is not an issue now.
My .02
inditx

[Moparnut72]

We used MMO when we broke in our overhauled radial aircraft engines.
kk

[RandomGRK]

I forgot to say, it wouldn’t be an everyday commuter. Riding is about 2 days a week 30 mins each way, about 12 miles.

[Huzo]

I am generally complimentary of my 2019 V85, it has never been anything but great…
But.
If there was ONE thing I’d confess to lamenting, is it’s tendency to ping in hotter conditions, also humid/high altitude environments will do the same thing, I can ride around the issue by holding less throttle % and higher revs, but is indisputably a thing.
Comfort level due to heat has never been an issue for me though. I find at sea level, 30 deg + C is where the rot can start in slow crawling.
 If a major part of your bike’s existence is in hot/stop start conditions, I would say look elsewhere…(lamentably).

[PeteS]

I forgot to say, it wouldn’t be an everyday commuter. Riding is about 2 days a week 30 mins each way, about 12 miles.

When weather permits try and get a test ride. I had read the posts about the V85s running hot since they were released. Last summer Guzzi had a demo day at our local dealers. It was mid 80s that day and I expected some heat off the bike but really felt very little. I was sold on the performance. Not sure heat would have kept me from buying one anyway. Also I have never experienced pinging either but always use premium.

Pete

[Beowulf]

I commute on mine from Galveston to Houston. Times traffic gets bad. It’s been honestly great for me. No modifications, premium fuel.

[RandomGRK]

When weather permits try and get a test ride. I had read the posts about the V85s running hot since they were released. Last summer Guzzi had a demo day at our local dealers. It was mid 80s that day and I expected some heat off the bike but really felt very little. I was sold on the performance. Not sure heat would have kept me from buying one anyway. Also I have never experienced pinging either but always use premium.

Pete

I test rode one but it was 32f. The poor salesman looked shocked when I asked him to take it for a ride since it’s an escorted ride. He says, “but you don’t have a helmet”. I did in the car. Poor guy had a mesh jacket and mesh gloves he borrowed from the back. Haha. I felt bad for him and told them to just give me the bike and keep my car keys to spare him. 


I rode the new and old one back to back. I couldn’t feel much difference in the engine. The only difference I felt was sharper brakes in the new one and more wind noise on the new one with low screen. The old one had a touring screen. Still loud compared to my GS wind management. Goes without saying there was no engine heat. Cylinders heads on the new one were quite a bit hotter than the old one at the end of the ride.

[Sykestone8886]

I had the 22 model and I got rid of it because of the heat issue, my GS is like air conditioning compare to the v85

[Bulldog9]

I commuted on my Stornello with just the top case for 3 years I worked in the Pentagon, and 3 years earlier to Walter Reed. Heat was only an issue for the motor (and me) 2 or 3 times. Due to commute duty, and summer heat, I went with a 2-3k oil change interval. Eas only 2 quarts and I kept to the 6k filter and gasket change interval. Was easy and cheap insurance.

As for pinging, I ran 93 and only had pinging on the triple digit days. I also run a dipstick oil temp gauge.

I think the V85 would be perfect.

[kingoffleece]

I put my 2022 Travel away when it gets over 95 here-which last year was for about 150 days straight.
The Jackal is much cooler to ride.

[twowings]

I ride my '25 TT 70 miles round-trip 4 days a week in temps currently ranging from low '20F's at departure to 40s-50sF at return without any issues other than the commute is too damn short! 
YMMV

[sunGuzzi]

For my E5 '21 , generally moving along airflow and >3000 RPM is never a problem. But in concrete riddled city traffic at crawl speeds...yeah it does not like it, so I would say no for a city commuter.

Went across the Aus continent via the desert dirt and back home over the top end...temps typically 25-35C for the whole trip and never heard it ping once. But back in the CBD on a warm day here in Brisbane, it's a pinger!!

[egschade]

Read the thread on the Mistral boost plug. Many poo-poo such devices but after removing the cat, my 2020 would pop on decel and ping a little when hot. Pinging stopped and popping significantly reduced after installing the plug https://www.mistralspecialparts.it/en/product/mistral-vtwin-boost-moto-guzzi-v85tt/.

Ergonomically I think the V85 is a perfect commuter and I used mine many times for my 20 mi commute. You will probably want to leave the panniers home if you're in traffic as they make the bike very wide.

[guzziart]

Well, I suppose any bike can be a "commuter".  I used my Wing to commute to & from work in Cleveland, it was beating the crap out of the bike (pot holes, ridiculous traffic, varying weather, etc) .  After one season of commuting with it I opted to buy a wee strom adventure for the purpose of urban commuting and very short travel trips.  I think the strom was an excellent urban commuter, very compliant suspension, no overheating, ran on "regular", had spam cans ( it was the adventure model) and got 50-62mpg.  In '17 & '19 I rode the strom from Cle to Utah with my beemer buds to prove I didn't need a 1200gs to do a little adv stuff with them.  Getting back to the v85 as a commuter, I don't know, I just got one recently but for urban commuting I'd still prefer the wee strom, it was a little lighter, manuvered a little better imo, I like the the cruise control on the v85 though.  Had Suzuki put cc on the Wee and left the pannier tops no higher than the passenger pillion I probably would not have considered the v85.  As you may have surmised, I sought a small displacement bike that could do triple duty (short commute, travel & light adv) that was inexpensive.  New (old inventory)Wee's are going for around $7k, very slightly used v85's are a little more...that is what I bought, a very slightly used v85.   I'd still have the Wee and no v85 had I not been rear ended on the thing in May '23. 

Oh well, if you want a v85 go get one, I'm sure it will be fine for whatever you decide to use it for and if you find it isn't, unload it for something else. 

Art

[Bulldog9]

Read the thread on the Mistral boost plug. Many poo-poo such devices but after removing the cat, my 2020 would pop on decel and ping a little when hot. Pinging stopped and popping significantly reduced after installing the plug https://www.mistralspecialparts.it/en/product/mistral-vtwin-boost-moto-guzzi-v85tt/.

Ergonomically I think the V85 is a perfect commuter and I used mine many times for my 20 mi commute. You will probably want to leave the panniers home if you're in traffic as they make the bike very wide.

I'm by no means an expert on fueling but my understanding is the booster plugs create an over fuel situation. This helps decrease popping but also potentially overfuels the motor in some situations. Roper says this is bad.

But when you can't adjust the trims or map, there are few good options if the stock map ends up too lean. It's all a trade off.

[PeteS]

I'm by no means an expert on fueling but my understanding is the booster plugs create an over fuel situation. This helps decrease popping but also potentially overfuels the motor in some situations. Roper says this is bad.

But when you can't adjust the trims or map, there are few good options if the stock map ends up too lean. It's all a trade off.

Not sure thats always the case with modern fuel injected bikes. I believe most are mapped lean to meet emission standards. Fixes including new maps and these booster plugs are meant to get the mixture closer to stoichiometric.
I know with my ‘98 EV the replacement chips were too rich and gave blackened plugs and poor fuel mileage but I think the current fixes are a bit more sophisticated.

Pete

[Perazzimx14]

In top and go traffic in the dead of summer I don't and ICE powere motorcycle is better than another as far as heat mangment. As long as the bike is running its producing heat that when stopped or moving slowly you cannto get away from.

Movnig is a different story. My Buell even at highay speed will eventully cook your right butt cheek where as any of my GS's do not do this.

For me riding into or out of Philly or any city for that matter is best done in an armored vehicle. Places like the SureKill expressway or the beltway around Baltimore/DC are no place for a MC

[kingoffleece]

Amen to that!  It's death row for a motorcycle there.  Don't know how Bulldog9 did it.

[Luap McKeever]

Mine is catless commutes me all the time 

I never do ride it where everyone else is though. I always look for back roads to get where I want to go.

[guzziart]

Regarding the traffic heat issues with ICE motorcycles, here's a pic of the dash display of my Wee strom taken in wonderful Utah 106°F. heat.  You may also notice the engine operating temp is in the "normal" range.  Just another reason why I think the Wee or any watercooled bike would be a slightly better "commuter" option than the v85, no overheating in trafic/engine derating.
Art