Bulldog's V85

[Bulldog9]

Picked up the new V85 at Hamlins Cycle in Bethel CT.  A great shop and gift to the Guzzi Community. Worthy of your business if you are on the East Coast, especially the Midatlantic to North East.

Given weather and snowpocalypse I did an out and back on Tuesday. Other than an 18-hour day, was uneventful.

Truth be told, I initially planned on staying overnight because I was going to have an elderly traveler  :grin:with me, but he had to bail last minute, and the weather made it advisable anyway.  Left the house near Lexington around 5:30 a.m. And pulled in my driveway here in Alexandria at around 11:00 p.m..

I unloaded the bike and did some tinkering Wednesday. Added my TPMS and GPS unit and did some exploring on where the auxiliary lights should be connected.

Found that under the left triangle cover in front of the tank is a plug that has line for a switched 15 amp circuit on fuse number one, a ground, and the trigger wire for the handlebar auxiliary light switch. I'm ordering the harness from Greg Bender as we speak, and shopping for the right lights. Once I get everything in I will do the install and connect my GPS power lead. I could easily build my own, but Greg does good work and I like giving him business. The Isotta bars came yesterday, but of course I have no tools here, they are at the Paumanok South Grappa...... Hmmm.... Time for a Harbor Freight run? lol


The Project distracting me.... Final Paint before lunch today.




Isotta Bars. VERY light, probably aluminum. Too cheap to be titanium. Color match isn't perfect but good enough! I also changed the display to night full time. Really don't like the white screen. Happy to have this option.








Gps is mounted as well as the TPMS sensor. When I run the wiring for the auxiliary lights, I'll connect the TomTom power lead to it. Pretty happy with this layout. I really hate having a ton of things clamped to my handlebars. This should be it. I will run the usb power line from the plug on the dash to the tank bag to keep the cellphone charged.





This is a repurposed TPMS. The Plastic 'handlebar' mount degraded a while ago. I found that the swivel base is attached to the handlebar mount with a small screw. A simple 1/32 drilled hole in the lower right of the plastic and I just screwed it into the dash. Easy Peasy.











This is the plug that hides behind the cover.

Green=Switched power to 15Amp fuse #1
Blue=Ground
Green/Yellow=trigger wire from OEM handlebar switch






The bike at Hamlins





I'm tinkering in between rounds of calk and paint and wood finishing a project before my wife gets home from her business trip.... Got to keep Mama happy . I also snuck out to the DMV this morning and got the bike titled and registered. Also took care of the insurance so hopefully tomorrow will be able to get a ride in. Was raining today.

Full review and initial impressions to follow, and I'll keep this thread for my updates and ongoing blather.

[Kev m]

Sweet!

I figured you'd made the trip when I saw Jim post a VERY CLEAN Breva 750 for sale on FB the other day!

Enjoy the new ride!

[Cam3512]

Congrats buddy, it’s a beauty!  Wish they had that color scheme back when I bought mine.  Glad I was the first one to fart on your new seat when I was at Hamlin’s a few day earlier.  You’re welcome. 

Cam

[PeteS]

I agree, Hamlin is a great shop and crew. I also added a cable for my GPS. Thats when I realized how much more difficult the new bikes are to work on. Takes under a minute to remove the tank on my 850 LM. More like an hour on the V85 until you learn the tricks.

Pete

[TN Mark]

These are some of the best forum threads!

[egschade]

Congrats on your new toy. Pictures don't do this color combo justice. I saw the bike a couple days before pickup at Hamlin's and the it's gorgeous!

[Moparnut72]

When I first saw pictures I thought it was a garish looking bike and will never sell worth a darn. Then I saw one at the dealership, OMG, that things is gorgeous. I almost considered one instead of the Mandello I was picking up. Just a little too tall for me. I kept the Mandello for only two years and traded it for a V7 850, I am really happy with this bike.
kk

[Bulldog9]

Short little introductory ride yesterday. Of course, I had to take it to the Virginia Moto Guzzi Mecca...... The Moto Grappa, and receive blessing and approval from my Consigliere......

Very impressed overall. Has much of the small block charm and chuck chuck feel of the Stornello, so much so that I was surprised, albeit with more power, and excellent suspension. Mix of neighborhood, city, state highway, twisties, and back country roads. Everything was comfortable, confident and familiar. Can't wait to get past first service, is hard to keep motor below the 5400 break in cap. My Full Review and impressions to follow.






 

 

 

 

[Cam3512]

Looks like a great day.  I forgot Bill still has his Storney.

[Bulldog9]

Looks like a great day.  I forgot Bill still has his Storney.

Yeah, that is one fun little bike. Looking forward to riding it this year SANS all the ADV crap I put on it. It's still Yellow....






 

[Bob Wegman]

Congratulations Steve.  Cam is a priceless friend too.

[Bulldog9]

Here's my first impressions and thoughts on this new V85. Kind of random as things come to mind.

Fit and Finish - I've been going over the bike top to bottom and I have to say I am VERY impressed with the fit, finish and quality feel of the bike. This is my 8th Guzzi, second new purchase (Stornello). I've generally been impressed with Guzzi Design and quality, but I have to say that I am impressed with the time and thought and quality of assembly. If I had to pick at a few things, it would be the rebound only being adjustable by the right fork. Seems a cheapout. Second, the preload ramp and adjuster is not up to the quality of the rest of the bike, at least cosmetically. Third, is the janky hard case locks. Robust for sure, but a bit over the top in it's 'industrial/agricutural' feel. Reminds me of 1960's Ammo Can latches. Jury is out on the whole key/lock situation.  I was surprised to find that it came with like 8 keys for the luggage. I'm assuming these break a lot? At least it is a ONE key to rule them situation.

Engine - Very impressed with the power. Fueling so far feels right, right out of the box, and the TBW system is very dialed in. A nice surprise. Power is smooth, linear, and I had to work hard to keep it below the 5400 RPM cap. Is going to be a blast once fully broken in. A nice surprise for me was that this was not a BLAND motor. It has the small block character and edge I love about the Stornello, and felt very familiar, but not as numb and refined as I expected. It has plenty of character yet is smooth and the power is just about perfect. It was VERY nice to be moving at 65 and having great power for passing. Not talking freight train Big Block 1200 Norge, but very respectable and more than I expected if I'm being honest. I can see why this bike is so popular.

Transmission - Just about perfect, even out of the box. Neutral was a bit wonky the first few stops, then it settled down and it was very easy to engage. It almost feels like there is a stop to prevent overshooting and engaging second. The transmission shifts well up and down, is direct and ratios are well spaced. I mostly shift the Stornello clutchless from 3-6 up and down, and found that even new, this trans readily takes to clutchless, but I only tried it once or twice. Clutch action and takeup is excellent.  Was surprised and relieved to hear that small block transmission wihine, I have always worried there was something amiss with the Stornello....

Suspension and Handling - The George Washington Memorial Parkway is out my front door. Its a beautiful 15-20 mile road that stretches along the Potomac and murder on suspension. Frost Heaves and concrete sections will shake your fillings loose. I left the front fork at factory settings, and cranked the rear preload to 4 leaving all else alone, and the ride and handling was sublime. It loosened up nicely over the first 250 miles, and I assume it will get better. The wide bars are easy to control, and the bike was solid through all manner of road conditions and speeds. The front stayed well planted and changing positions mid turn, braking, etc kept things unperturbed. Very little dive under hard braking. Brakes are excellent and after bedding the pads feel strong and easy to modulate.

Controls - Much prefer these over the E5+ with a cruise switch I KNOW I would break off probably immediately, though the tun signal and odd kill switch is meh. I also don't dig the silver ring border. Cruise control is simple and straightforward to use. It will take time to adjust to the menu options with my right thumb as the Norge, Griso, and 1200 Sport all have that on the left side. I'd prefer the menu controls and cruise controls were switched. But it all works, and is easy to adapt to. I'm not a huge believer in MC cruise control, but this was easy to use, accurate

Display - First thing I did was switch the display to NIGHT full time. Really didn't like the light mode. Overall, the gauge layout is good, but small. I like the integrated tach and speedo and gear indicators. Some of it is comical. When you have the headlight control set to DRL, the green light symbol is lit. When you slide it to headlight, it goes off, and nothing is displayed unless highbeams are on. Same for the AUX/Fog lights.  I also find the redundant lights on the side banks for Neutral, Cruise, low fuel, and Side Stand. All that is displayed on the screen, but you have the duplicates as separate lights on the side. Most annoying is the Cruise Control light that is bright, blinks when on but not controlling speed and looks like a turn signal. That may earn a strategic piece of electrical tape..... The most Comical is the flashing yellow and red bars across the top of the display.......... Really Luigi?  Speedo reads 5 MPH high, and the Distance to Empty and Odometer are clear and easy to read as is the rest of the display. One oddity is even though I don't have the Multimedia module, all the icons are clearly seen on the display.

Riding Position and Comfort - Great out of the box. I removed the rubber pad from the footpegs and was pleased to find the seating and knee position was perfect. Same for Handlebars. Though a bit wider than I am used to, they are in easy reach, and comfortable, I may put risers on, but definitely not necessary as they have been on every other motorcycle I've owned. Perfect spacing for standing up comfortably. Stock Seat was good, but got a little hot, and I'm not sold on the Alcantara. Seat height is high, but I can flat foot and move the bike around with no issue. I do have to step on the footpeg to mount/dismount comfortably. Welcome to the wonderful world of ADV. I tried out the stock windscreen in a couple positions and liked it best in the lower position. It put clean air at my face with a little wind at my neck. My Nolan is a very noisy helmet, but it was not bad overall. Time will tell what I do and what I feel I need as far as weather protection, especially in the wet.

I have to believe that much of the positive ride experience has to do with proper setup from Hamlin Cycles. I didn't find a single thing that needed to be tightened, or adjusted or fiddled with. Everything worked, worked right, and worked well. I'm very happy overall with the aquisition, and look forward to many years and miles on this bike.

Planned Farkles: Isotta Crash Bars in Red, Aux lights, Givi Tank Lock mount, and that toolbox that mounts on the inner side of the right saddle bag. Will wire the aux lights and GPS power into the bike, and at some point do something about the horn.  OK, Ramble off.

[blu guzz]

It is also one of the few Guzzi that is pretty well supported in the aftermarket.

[davethewelder]

Sometimes I miss my Ronald McDonald edition V85, I do like the blue version.  Glad I have my V7stone Ten!

[Bulldog9]

Sometimes I miss my Ronald McDonald edition V85, I do like the blue version.  Glad I have my V7stone Ten!

I LOVE that color scheme! BEST on a V7.....

[YellowDuck]

Bulldog, much of what you wrote squares with what I experienced test riding a 2025 Strada last spring.

I had a bad experience with the rear suspension - on two occasions over sharp bumps I was thrown violently upwards, as if the shock had bottomed out.  When I returned the bike I noticed that the preload was set to the lowest setting, which may have explained it.  I'm glad you have a had a better experience with the suspension, even over challenging asphalt.  That's good to hear.  I agree that the ramped preload collar on the Strada is very cheap looking, compared to the stepless tool-free adjuster on the TT.  I think if I bought a Strada I would be tempted to upgrade the rear shock (as I do with almost any new bike anyway), but I wouldn't go that route before playing with the adjustments to see if I could tune it satisfactorily.

My other complaint with the bike was that I found it almost impossible to activate the turn signals without turning the high beams on.  I assume one eventually adapts to that switchgear layout.

Anyway, I really loved the bike - it was the first Guzzi I ever rode, and charmed me enough that I turned around and bought a used V7 850 immediately.  My first season with the V7 was tremendous - I am really in love with it.  But I still think a V85 is in my future.

Thanks for sharing your impressions.

EDIT:  Oops, sorry - I thought we were talking about the newest generation V85.  Comments re: the shock still stand I think - the unit on the older TTs appears to be similar to what is on the current Strada.

[Brand X]

Yeah, that is one fun little bike. Looking forward to riding it this year SANS all the ADV crap I put on it. It's still Yellow....

I agree, simple is good.. I no longer have my Stornello, mostly because of the crank thrust issues. I always had it setup with just
enough options to work well.. I just bought back my near perfect G650 X country to get a much better SC type machine.Only
Posting it here because to show you options on Yellow bikes. I will say servicing the forks on this bike has made this one of
the best setups on the torn up gravel road I live on..

Your V-85 is such a solid design and kicks more boxes overall than about all Guzzi's made.. Enjoy your new bike..

[PeteS]

I’m glad I am not the only one who thinks the V85’s suspension is way to harsh, especially after most think its very good. Maybe on smooth pavement its OK but on rough pavement or off road its doesn’t work for me. Up here at the suspension proving grounds, aka New York State, its all frost heaves and potholes.
I put an Ohlins on the rear and have some Andreani Cartridges for the front. They have both compression and rebound damping. I think part of the problem with the front is too much compression damping along with the stiff springs. It has gotten a small bit better but still a long way off from my other dual sports in compliance on rough roads. I may try lighter fork oil first though.

Pete

[Huzo]

My V85 has done 40,000 km and the front is very compliant, I’d give it sometime to “wear in”.

[YellowDuck]

I’m glad I am not the only one who thinks the V85’s suspension is way to harsh, especially after most think its very good. Maybe on smooth pavement its OK but on rough pavement or off road its doesn’t work for me. Up here at the suspension proving grounds, aka New York State, its all frost heaves and potholes.
I put an Ohlins on the rear and have some Andreani Cartridges for the front. They have both compression and rebound damping. I think part of the problem with the front is too much compression damping along with the stiff springs. It has gotten a small bit better but still a long way off from my other dual sports in compliance on rough roads. I may try lighter fork oil first though.

Pete

I think people have a tendency to underestimate the importance of spring rate.  Bikes as delivered from the factory need to be sprung in a compromise fashion, to accommodate a large range of rider + pillion weights, luggage, etc.  But if most of your riding is done solo without luggage and you are a normal size human, you can probably vastly improve the setup by just choosing appropriate springs. 

I ride solo and prefer a compliant ride, and so almost always find lighter springs to be an improvement over what the bike manufacturer specs, or even what the custom suspension vendor wants to sell me.  I like to monitor max travel with zip ties on fork legs and shock shafts.  If I find I am never using anywhere near all of the travel even over rough roads, then I know there is room to improve compliance with lighter springs.  Reduced compression damping can only do so much to overcome the problems created by a spring that is too stiff.  And adjusting preload has no effect on compliance whatsoever.  The springs just need to be right.

It's different on my track bike, where sustained high cornering loads require more spring to keep the shock off of the bump stop.  Completely different requirements than street riding, where most big suspension movements are rapid ones caused by bumps, rather than riding long corners at knee-dragging lean angles.  Springing a V7 like a race bike is an exercise in self-delusion.  But people will install "high performance" springs and claim they enjoy the buckboard ride because it feels "racey".

[egschade]

I’m glad I am not the only one who thinks the V85’s suspension is way to harsh, especially after most think its very good. Maybe on smooth pavement its OK but on rough pavement or off road its doesn’t work for me. Up here at the suspension proving grounds, aka New York State, its all frost heaves and potholes.
I put an Ohlins on the rear and have some Andreani Cartridges for the front. They have both compression and rebound damping. I think part of the problem with the front is too much compression damping along with the stiff springs. It has gotten a small bit better but still a long way off from my other dual sports in compliance on rough roads. I may try lighter fork oil first though.

Pete

I found the stock suspension was pretty good for my 200 lb weight plus 40-50 lbs of luggage. I did change the fork oil to 5w (from 7.5 stock) which softened the action without making it too mushy.

[Bulldog9]

I’m glad I am not the only one who thinks the V85’s suspension is way to harsh, especially after most think its very good. Maybe on smooth pavement its OK but on rough pavement or off road its doesn’t work for me. Up here at the suspension proving grounds, aka New York State, its all frost heaves and potholes.
I put an Ohlins on the rear and have some Andreani Cartridges for the front. They have both compression and rebound damping. I think part of the problem with the front is too much compression damping along with the stiff springs. It has gotten a small bit better but still a long way off from my other dual sports in compliance on rough roads. I may try lighter fork oil first though.

Pete

I don't think the V85 is harsh at all. I found it sublime, especially on the backbreaker roads in my area. With the rear pre-load on 4 it was a little stiff initially, but loosened up in the first 150+ miles.  I dont think there is a compression adjustment, just a rebound. I tend to like a medium-firm setting on compression, and a light-medium on rebound. I will mess with the rebound settings and check the fork preload when I do the first service and install the first round of farkles including raising the fork tubes 10MM (or to first line).

People don't realize how important that rebound settings are matched. If not balanced, or the rebound is too high the bike will often porpoise (pitch back and forth) when going over bumps because the suspension lags in its rebound. This causes the bike to pitch. This is the reason I like light rebound compression. If on a scale of 1-10 clicks, I will generally run on 2 (20%).

[PeteS]

Impressions have a lot to do to what you have been accustomed to. My Triumph Tiger 800 only needed an initial setup by guys who know suspensions better than I do and I was set. Never an issue with it being too harsh. My KLR with Racetech emulators and Moab shock lets me speed up over train tracks and I don’t have to even stand up. If I tried that on the V85 I would be seeing an orthopod for a ruptured disk, oh wait I already did that.
The Ohlins rear shock transformed the back end and took 15 minutes to swap out. The Andreanis will take more time as one leg requires some machine work.
I was so impressed with Ohlins I made sure the new V100 came with them. They required minimal adjustment and I have had no issues traveling the same roads that V85 will knock your fillings out on.

Pete

[Bulldog9]

I ordered up my initial farkles: Will install when I pull the bike apart during initial service, and do all in one shot.

- Isotta Engine Guards - Red
- Givi Tank Ring mount - I have 2 Givi Ring mount tank bags
- Mytech Toolbox (mounts inside saddle bag mount)
- Greg Bender Wire Harness with extra leads from switched power for GPS power
- Aux lights from a facebook ad. They have dual LED bulbs yellow and white. I will wire the white lights in to come on with the key, and will wire the yellow fogs to the factory handlebar switch through relay. That is IF they are decent.
- Splurged and bought the side bag liners. I've been using the bag liners from my 2005 FJR and decided to go for it.

I spent the weekend continuing to get my garage sorted and got a chance to play on the Convert. I'm liking how the garage is coming together. After collecting/saving license plates my whole life, and getting a batch from my parents in hopes of one day mounting them on a wall in my garage, I achieved it!




But back on the V85 and impressions.

1. When I got back to Alexandria and walked in the garage, I was struck with how BIG the V85 is. Sitting next to the Norge (not a small bike) both on center stands and with topcases mounted, the Norge looked decidedly small next to the V85. It really is a substantial motorcycle.

2. Also, while digging through my many boxes of parts, I came across some NOS V7 knee pads for the sides of a gas tank. I wonder if they will work on the V85 Tank?

3. I seem to remember seeing some posts on people moving the topcase forward on its mount. Looking at the one on my bike, I can't see how that is possible. Is that a 1st gen thing?

[Huzo]

3. I seem to remember seeing some posts on people moving the topcase forward on its mount. Looking at the one on my bike, I can't see how that is possible. Is that a 1st gen thing?

No, it’s not a 1st gen thing Bulldog.
I moved mine 140 mm forward, have a look at this shot and see where the front wall of the box is.


You’ll notice that the front wall is marginally ahead of the rear wall of the side case, you can compare that to yours.
I will dig up the post on how I did it and bump it for you.

[Cam3512]

I used my top case once or twice.  The thing is heavy when it’s empty.  Sits on a shelf now and I use a dry bag strapped down to the passenger seat.

[Bulldog9]

No, it’s not a 1st gen thing Bulldog.
I moved mine 140 mm forward, have a look at this shot and see where the front wall of the box is.


You’ll notice that the front wall is marginally ahead of the rear wall of the side case, you can compare that to yours.
I will dig up the post on how I did it and bump it for you.

Thanks, just took a look.

Juice isn't worth the squeeze for me. I just remember the discussion, and looking at the case and rack, was trying to figure out how it was done.

[Bulldog9]

I used my top case once or twice.  The thing is heavy when it’s empty.  Sits on a shelf now and I use a dry bag strapped down to the passenger seat.

I use the top case daily/on every ride, and often have the side cases off unless needed or on a trip. It's a bit tall so I can understand why some people may need a stepstool to get in to it so they take it off....... 

[snobear]

I moved the topbox ahead about 3 1/2" mostly so when my tent was packed ahead of it , it acts as a backrest  for my lower back.
It sits about 1/2" higher and still allows the seat to be removed.
You can see the spacers required to make it work.

[Moparnut72]

When I dropped my V100 on my ankle I had my dry bag on the luggage rack. The rack is pretty high which probably contributed to the fall. In my defense I didn't have room to get away from the bike so I wound up under it. Anyway I now have a V7 850 with which I will be going camping this weekend. I intend on carrying my dry bag on the seat with the extra length riding on top of the side cases. I am not going to carry the kitchen sink anymore either. 
kk