V85 TT Merged Threadfest

[Muzz]

It's not much better here in the UK, albeit on a smaller scale. I have to travel 110 miles to my "local" dealer, which may seem small potatoes to you folks in larger countries, but Piagio are shooting themselves in the foot, as interest in this bike is so high.

Where I used to live it was 300 miles to the dealer.  Needles to say, after the first service, other than to fix a warranty issue, they never saw me again.

[Cam3512]

Somewhere on one of these V85 threads, I made an inquiry regarding the self cancelling turn signals.

I had an opportunity to ride one during the Ohio rally and found out. They do in fact cancel eventually. It takes a good 40 or 45 seconds but they do stop. I think they act more as a "if you haven't done it by now, we'll stop it for you" sort of thing. Perhaps not as elegant as we would expect in this day and age but if you forget.... they will turn off.

As for the cruise control: Works great! Hilly road, 5th gear, 45 mph. the motor and the cruise held the speed well. I was very impressed with this motorcycle overall. The motor had more power than I expected and the electronics are pretty nice. As you come up on the rpm's, a series of lights come up across the top of the display. Think F1. Pretty nice.

John Henry

Apparently those amber lights that come on are the "time to shift" lights.  Again, something I'm not used to.

[Speedysheep]

Apparently those amber lights that come on are the "time to shift" lights.  Again, something I'm not used to.

You can adjust when they come on, so they're not so obtrusive.  I've got mine set to 7,000 so they only light up when I'm about to bounce off the rev-limiter.

[wyno]

I went to the local dealership here in Oz and asked why that hadn't rung me for a test ride that I asked for about a month ago. I was told that they had got a demo bike in but it was taken home by one of the sales reps and he found something wrong with the gearbox and they wouldn't let it go out for rides with the box like that so they sent it back to the warehouse. Has any one heard about gearbox problems with the new V85?

[pete roper]

No, it most likely PS either needed it for a press purposes because a 'Journalist' trashed their press bike, they sold it to someone or they are just flat out lying.

[wyno]

Thanks Pete. I hadn't heard anything bad about the gearbox. I t just seemed odd.

[Mr Pootle]

It's not much better here in the UK, albeit on a smaller scale. I have to travel 110 miles to my "local" dealer, which may seem small potatoes to you folks in larger countries, but Piagio are shooting themselves in the foot, as interest in this bike is so high.

I felt peeved when my local dealer, 15 miles from home, stopped selling and serving Guzzis, leaving me with the option of travelling 40 miles south to Sheffield or 50 miles north to Thirsk. Fortunately, the mechanic from the local dealer set up a servicing business from home, 5 miles away.

[Kiwi Dave]

Given the relative dearth of the V85's underseat cargo (i.e. extended/comprehensive touring toolkit) capacity, have any current owners explored the possibility of permanently fixed alternatives?

Is there sufficient clearances for any of these alternatives?  Anybody tried it yet?  How have you mounted it: to pannier racks &/or frame?  Is there adequate width allowance when using Givi's proprietary racks/panniers?

https://www.givi.it/givi-products/motorbike-accessories/extra-cargo-accessories/s250-tool-box

I'm using the H&B C-bow mounts with H&B Orbit panniers.  The panniers are only 22 litres each, a pair of shoes will almost eat most of this space.  I have other panniers that will fit, but don't want to grow too wide.

The Givi tool box looks attractive if it can be mounted behind the C-bows somehow.  Anybody with any experience care to comment?

[Knuckle Dragger]

I'm using the H&B C-bow mounts with H&B Orbit panniers.  The panniers are only 22 litres each, a pair of shoes will almost eat most of this space.  I have other panniers that will fit, but don't want to grow too wide.

The Givi tool box looks attractive if it can be mounted behind the C-bows somehow.  Anybody with any experience care to comment?

My daughter uses C-Bows/Orbits on her Nuda.  She uses a duffel slung over the pillion seat & tied down to the panniers/racks if touring capacity is required.  I assume that you'll be doing the same?

[jacksonracingcomau]

See the made in writing on box, whodafunk it

[Kiwi Dave]

My daughter uses C-Bows/Orbits on her Nuda.  She uses a duffel slung over the pillion seat & tied down to the panniers/racks if touring capacity is required.  I assume that you'll be doing the same?

That's what I'm trying to avoid.

[jmee54]

I bought c bows and I am adapting givi 30 ltr mono key top box/panniers with female c bow carriers. If it doesn't feel secure I can revert to mono key, albeit with a few holes to fill. The c cow carriers seem pretty rigid and the alloy panniers are only 2kgish heavier than H & B soft cases. I am sure there are people who have overloaded there soft panniers without too much trouble?

[pyoungbl]

'Made In Vietnam'.....heck, lots of manufacturing is moving to Vietnam due to the lower labor cost.  The Aerostich leather riding suit is made in Vietnam, has been for about 10 years.

[jacksonracingcomau]

'Made In Vietnam'.....heck, lots of manufacturing is moving to Vietnam due to the lower labor cost.  The Aerostich leather riding suit is made in Vietnam, has been for about 10 years.

Of course, but doubt v85 owners were liking the lower labour cost content of their expensive Italian bikes
Aerostitch buyers prob not quite as passionate about brand and place of manufacture.
I still like them, should win mine tomorrow, then the angle grinder comes out, lose 100lbs and it’s a winner
Exhaust mod I showed in dello pics thread works, he kept cat, not slightly loud

[jmee54]

Just a question re the front engine cover (alternator?). The alloy on mine is starting to discolour, so I assume there is no lacquer on it, is this the case? Not a problem, just wondered if mine had missed out.

[Cam3512]

Guys,

Check the bolts holding the bash plate BRACKET to the sump.  There are 4, and you can access them through the 4 holes in the bottom of the bash plate.    During my first service, they were found to be very loose. Throw some Loctite on them.

Cam

[pyoungbl]

Aerostitch buyers prob not quite as passionate about brand and place of manufacture.

I'd have to disagree with your assessment. Aerostitch has, in the past, made a big deal about the fact that their Roadcrafter suits were made in Duluth, MN.  A lot of their stuff features a US flag and Made in USA label.   When I got my Transit jacket I was surprised to see the Made in Vietnam label.  At the time the jacket retailed for about $1000 (mine was on sale, Guzzi content) so the lower labor cost got lost somewhere.

[azgeek]

Guys,

Check the bolts holding the bash plate BRACKET to the sump.  There are 4, and you can access them through the 4 holes in the bottom of the bash plate.    During my first service, they were found to be very loose. Throw some Loctite on them.

Cam

+1 on that recommendation.

[jmee54]

I checked mine a week or two ago. One missing the others loose!

[NWrider]

Re: bolts, mine were tight.

Wheel bounce update: The original Anakee front tire/wheel had a significant bounce centered around 35 mph.  Others had gotten rid of the bounce by replacing the front tire.  I installed a Shinko 705 after adding 10 grams of weight to balance the wheel without tire/tube.  I had to add another 35 grams to balance the tire/tube.   There's still a slight, but noticeable bounce at the same speed.

Suspension settings:  My front suspension was not very compliant compared to the pre-production test bike I rode.  I've ended up with the stock pre-load on the fork with 13 clicks CCW rebound.  And, what made a big difference was going to the 3rd step on the rear shock pre-load and 1.5 turns CCW on the rebound setting.  The fork action is now much more compliant -- additional miles on the seals has probably helped some too.  1050+ miles now.  Rider weight w/gear 215 - 220# + top box only.

[rtbickel]

Have any of you guys that have one had a chance to see if the factory did not properly grease the swing arm / steering head bearings, or if they have the crappy plug caps?  I'm seriously looking at one and want to get those issues addressed up front if necessary.

[pyoungbl]

In terms of grease on the swingarm bearings, the small blocks (at least my V7) are not as crippled by this problem as the CARC bikes.  I say this because the basic design is so different. 
  The CARC bikes have an axle going from one side of the bike, through a swingarm leg, through the tranny case, then through the other swingarm leg.  The tranny case itself has the axle exposed so on each side of the case there is a grease seal.  Further, the axle rides on a pair of tapered roller bearings.  When those seals fail water gets into the bearings and you get rust, which leads to bearing failure. 
  The small block setup uses stub axles that go into blind holes in the tranny case.  Yes there is a bearing in each hole but it's a sealed bearing.  I suspect you could carefully back out the stub axles one at a time and slather in a bit of grease just to feel better, then reinstall and move to the other side.  At any rate, this swingarm issue does not seem to plague the small blocks like it did the CARC bikes...IMHO.
     Take a look at the V85 parts list at AF1, you will see the stub axles I'm talking about.

Peter Y.

[pete roper]

Close, but no quite Peter.

On the CARC bikes and Cali 14's the swingarm bearings are tapered rollers that sit in the frame. The frame has seals on the inner sides of the two 'Down posts' for want of a better term and the outer edge of the wide end of the cone of the tapered roller bearing itself also has a seal that seals into the frame recess just outboard of the outer race of the bearing. The swingarm spindle is inserted from the left, through the left hand yoke of the swingarm casting, through the bearing in the left hand 'Down post' then trough open air before slipping through the bearing in the right hand 'Down post' and finally screwing tightly into the right hand yoke of the swingarm. The bearings are preloaded bu means of a castellated collar that screws onto the swingarm spindle from the left hand end. Once the preload has been set the two pinch bolts on the left hand yoke of the swingarm can be nipped up to prevent the collar loosening and allowing the bearings to loose their preload.

At no point does the swingarm spindle pass through any part of the gearbox/'Transmission' and the system is able to use a spindle because the gearbox output shaft and Cardan assembly sits 'Outboard' of the bearings on the right hand side of the bike.

On the small blocks the swingarm bearings are 2RS ball races that are mounted in the casting of the back of the gearbox and the cardan shaft  sits inboard of the right hand bearing. This obviously prevents the use of a spindle as it would have to pass through the rotating shaft. The way that problem is overcome is in the 'Traditional' way of using two threaded stub axles that screw into either the frame or the side plates, (I'm not sure which on the V85 as I haven't looked yet but my guess would be the frame.). Using the threads as a vernier adjustment the preload can be applied to the bearings and the cardan shaft's front Hookes coupling aligned accurately with the output shaft although this is less important with the V85, (And possibly V9?) as the shaft has two Hookes couplings and a substantial lateral offset to enable the figment of modern tyre profiles and extend the life of the shaft, at least that's what I presume? The stub axles, once adjusted, are locked with lock nuts to prevent them loosening.

Both systems have advantages and disadvantages.

Pete

[Muzz]

On the small blocks the swingarm bearings are 2RS ball races that are mounted in the casting of the back of the gearbox and the cardan shaft  sits inboard of the right hand bearing.

Pete

After you reported the lack of grease on the big block tapered bearings Pete I inspected the 2RS bearings on the Breva and found the quite notchy.  My bearing man said he thought it strange that Guzzi used a ball bearing in that situation as the movement in the bearing itself is very small.

Now when I do a tire on the rear I pop the driveshaft, lube the splines and also pop the seal on those 2RS bearings, make sure they have plenty of grease and spin them so the balls are at least in a different position.  The seals just clip straight back in and with a heap of grease behind them I find I have not had any problems with water ingress, and to date they still now spin freely with no play.

Not sure that it is of much benefit but it can't do any harm and there is certainly not more gease floating around that they originally had.

[Glawster]

Just back from a 9 day 2,300 mile jaunt around Europe on the V85.  Some great riding through 7 countries and over the Vrsic / Pordoi / Sella / Timmelsjoch / Fern passes.  Regarding the V85 it covered the distance without fault.  I did have a problem with charging my Samsung phone from the USB port after several hours of intense rain, but further investigation revealed re-setting the phone software cured the issue.  Otherwise no problems, no loose bolts and no leaking cardan.  It does use some oil though.  I had to add half a litre in Slovenia and of course could not find 10W60, so had to top up with 10W40.  Mind you, the temperatures were pretty low so I can't see this being an issue.
Overall fuel consumption was 60 mpg (Imperial), but cruising above 75 mph greatly increased consumption.  At 85 mph (where my engine is much smoother) it was more like 40 mpg.
I bought a Touring screen before the trip, which converted the high level of laminar airflow experienced with the standard screen to high intensity buffeting, whatever the setting.  Adding a Puig deflector to the top of the screen I finally found a sweet spot to eliminate the buffeting.
The whole chassis is really excellent.  Brakes and suspension absolutely first class and the handling on the passes was better than my previous touring bikes (GS1200LC and Tiger 800).  The panniers are well designed and good quality.
Downsides? Apart from the clacky change through the lower gears, really only a lack of power for overtaking.  Top gear throttle response is pretty feeble and it was necessary to drop two gears in order to make overtaking safe.  The Tiger 800 would make the same maneuvre in top gear.
Overall though, after 3,800 miles I'm pretty impressed with the V85.

DSC_1689 by Derek Wardell, on Flickr

DSC_1690 by Derek Wardell, on Flickr

DSC_1703 by Derek Wardell, on Flickr

[NWrider]

Glawster,

Thanks for your ride report.  Sounds like a fun trip with beautiful scenery.   

A question regarding the V85 touring screen and your height and inseam measurement.   I'm running the stock screen with an MRA Touring wing similar to the Puig.   I've been considering going to the taller touring screen but for $250 I'd want to be sure that I wouldn't get a worse result.   I'm 6' 1/2" with a 32" inseam.
Thanks,
John

[NWrider]

Speaking of windshields, has anyone tried the CalSci offering?

[jpv7]

Have any of you guys that have one had a chance to see if the factory did not properly grease the swing arm / steering head bearings, or if they have the crappy plug caps?  I'm seriously looking at one and want to get those issues addressed up front if necessary.

i was wondering about that myself.  Staying tuned for the verdict on plug caps and fuel filter...

[Kiwi Dave]

i was wondering about that myself.  Staying tuned for the verdict on plug caps and fuel filter...

Talking about plug caps, and more importantly the spark plugs themselves, anyone been able to buy the NGK IR MR8BI-8 spark plugs at their local dealer?  Weren't available when I was in New Zealand, so I thought I might try sourcing some in the USA while I'm here.

[Glawster]

Glawster,

Thanks for your ride report.  Sounds like a fun trip with beautiful scenery.   

A question regarding the V85 touring screen and your height and inseam measurement.   I'm running the stock screen with an MRA Touring wing similar to the Puig.   I've been considering going to the taller touring screen but for $250 I'd want to be sure that I wouldn't get a worse result.   I'm 6' 1/2" with a 32" inseam.
Thanks,
John

John,
I also first tried the deflector on the standard screen and found a big improvement.  For me, the taller screen without the deflector gave little advantage over this setup.  It needed the tall screen and the deflector.  So to answer your question, I'm not sure you'd feel your $250 was well spent.  I'm 5'10".
Cheers,
Derek