Ride comparison V85 vs R100GS

[Tusayan]

@S1120, a guy I know in Germany is just now scrapping a perfectly good, clean, no rust VW Sharan (van) with about 100,000 miles on it because of an engine management problem that is too costly to diagnose and fix.  Funny you mention it!

On motorcycles, beyond the issue of cost and hassle of maintaining and fixing extra ‘stuff’ over a long period (my GS is now almost 30 years old, a bit rough cosmetically but worth 50% more than new, so worth maintaining if the cost and hassle is reasonable) there is the issue of what that stuff does for you...  it does nothing to increase my riding enjoyment personally and in the case of the V85TT I’d pay substantially more for a special model (racing version, call it what you will) that had had it all carefully deleted by the factory and replaced with more basic equipment. 

[Dave Swanson]

I keep checking this thread for riding comparos for the GS and V85.   

[ohiorider]

I keep checking this thread for riding comparos for the GS and V85.   

Well, that was my original reason for posting. 

[blu guzz]

i just rode the demo v85 again.  compared to my 84 r100rs, lets see.  i did 30k miles on the old rs and have vivid memories.   i am afraid they are simply too different to compare.

[ohiorider]

You must be riding a demo at Cadre's.  2nd time for a demo ride?  This sounds serious!

Yep, I can see where the R100RS cannot be directly compared to the V85.  Lots of difference between those two machines!  And even between the GS and V85.

Bob

[unclepete]

I keep checking this thread for riding comparos for the GS and V85.   

A moto-journalist may be interested in doing a comparo like that , or someone in the business of selling Guzzis .
For a long time some have been trying to compare modern V75's to Airheads . Marketing guys at work .
My R100GS is in decent shape , and will remain so without going to a dealer .
Bikes were sorted engineering wise a long time ago , and have been declining into the more is better / bigger is better trap for a long time now .
I don't see myself going to any dealership in the near future , even less to a Guzzi dealer , which is over 150 miles from me .   

[Kev m]

A moto-journalist may be interested in doing a comparo like that , or someone in the business of selling Guzzis .
For a long time some have been trying to compare modern V75's to Airheads . Marketing guys at work .

I don't recall ever seeing a Moto-Journalist comparing a V7 to an airhead in any major press.

Can you remember any examples? Just curious.

Anyway as for the rest, there's no need to bring most modern bikes to a dealer if you don't want to...

[blu guzz]

Yes Bob, Cadre.  I went to buy an air filter for the Cali.  I did the demo when the truck was there, but that was very structured.  This time, I went off on my own.  The only negative for me is being on the balls of my feet, but it is 200 lb lighter than Blu, so easily done.  It's also down 20 hp, but because of the weight difference, don't really feel deficient in power.  6 or 7 inch shorter wheelbase adds to the light feeling.  I wanted to specifically try on a very rotten section of interstate I know with those sharp bumps of 1 to 3 inches in height like frost heaves.  On Blu, I will leave the seat if I catch one without being ready for it.  The longer travel on the 85 made this road tolerable.  Fortunately, the only time I have to take it is to go to the dealer.  Very capable and competent, but, I am not really an adv. bike kind of guy.  On the way home, felt the big torquing power of the 14 and the planted feeling that the extra weight gives on the highway (our beltway, not the rotten stretch I test rode).  Just lovin the easy cruise and looking at the beautiful day.  So relaxing.