New Guzzi V85TT

So met up with JRH today and rode over to On yer Bike near Bicester for the test ride. Weather was kind, roads were dry and the Mode selector on the FJR set to "S". Jeez, forgotten what it was like. Bike was going like a cruise missile and I started to remember why I loved it.........Anyhow, got to OYB and saw the bike parked up ouside waiting for me. What a looker. Quality paint job, plastics all well made and well fitting. Lots of nice detail touches, machined fasteners. Very neat.

First impression of the bike is that it is tall (ish) for what it is. I have 30" inside leg and am 5'10" tall. Standing on the ground, it was a bloody stretch to cock my leg across the bike with the Guzzi ally boxes (which were very nicely made, good quality) attached. I later found that the easiest way to mount the bike was to climb up on the LH peg and was then easily able to swing my leg over - no drama. Once seated, could just about get both  feet down comfortably. Getting off was simply reverse of this process (copyright  Mr. Haynes!) My obvious concern was would the side stand be able to withstand this method of mouting and dismounting as a routine procedure? Has anybody encountered other examples of collapsing Guzzi side stands?

Starting the bike produced a somewhat subdued exhaust note - I think my old Lafranconis spoiled me a bit! Engine revved freely and blipping the throttle produced the requisite rock to the right - although it was obvious that there was a much reduced flywheel effect on the other end of it. Dash was a nice looking TFT unit but could have been bit bigger. Moving off, the cable operated clutch could have been a smidge tighter, as I prefer a bit more lever movement before the bite but really a moot point as it would be the work of seconds to adjust. The other thing that was a bit weird was that the gear indicator had a 2-3 second lag, not indicating the gear for that amount of time after selection.

As I said before, the engine revved freely and I derived much entertainment from the christmas--tree lights that encouraged up changing as you progress through the revs. The higher you rev, the more lights appear. As others have said, at legal speeds plenty in reserve for overtaking at a twist of the wrist. As you get the Xmas lights, the mirrors blur a bit and a few vibes become apparent through the grips, but........character.

Handling - well it's a Guzzi, innit? Very predictable, light handling. It did feel as if it was a bit eager to tip in on a couple of roundabouts,  but I think that was probably due to the Annakees that it was wearing.  Bit surprised by the Brembo brakes - they worked well enough, but I was expecting more. Did about 30 miles on it on fast A roads and a bit of urban.

Did it make me smile? Very definitely yes. Would I buy one, again yes, but that issue with the side stand needs resolving. Would it or wouldn't it break , being used to mount and dismount every day? And there still seems to be no firm pricing structure for the optional extras, so need to wait until all is clear.

Thanks to On yer Bike for the test ride and thanks to [mention]JRH[/mention] for the moral support.

And [mention]Slowlycatchymonkey[/mention] hope it was of some interest to you too.

Thanks for the write up, very interesting. That is a really nice looking bike. I’ve looked at it a few times now. I’m surprised about the height, in MCN it said 830mm but like you say the boxes change all that.. maybe it’s yoga time for the nimble ninja approach

Would you want boxes on there all the time? A bit of part time peg use for your ascendancy would be all right wouldn’t it? Not that it’s proper to comment on someones appearance but you’re not lardy so I can’t imagine it would be much of a strain on the bike but then again at that price you want to know for sure it’s not going to come crashing down

Don’t like the gear indicator lag but love the sound of the Christmas tree lights.

Googled Annakees, didn’t get a lot of joy, why would they contribute to tip?

I've been looking at this of late, as there are a good few reviews/videos online now. It's a lovely thing, especially in it's more colourful guise!

http://www.advpulse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Moto-Guzzi-V85-tt-adventure-motorcycle.jpg

I usually like understated colour schemes but I really like the colourful one too!

I usually like understated colour schemes but I really like the colourful one too!

Ditto - this seems... right, though, doesn't it?

I usually like understated colour schemes but I really like the colourful one too!

 

Ditto - this seems... right, though, doesn't it?

Yep, that’s the Italians for you, always hit the aesthetic nail on the head!

it looks like it was made by fisher price

Googled Annakees, didn’t get a lot of joy, why would they contribute to tip?

Errr...that'll be because I spelt it wrong - should have been "Anakee".

They are a very blocky dual sport tyre - not quite knobbly but well on the way - and handle a bit differently to pure road tyres. The "lesser" models of V85 come with road tyres (Metzeler Tourance) so it would be interesting to see the difference......

....And the other big plus point I forgot to include in the original review is that the rear shock mounts directly from frame to swingarm, so easy to swap and no linkages to seize up and get full of crud. The suspension on this bike is good - it ain't Ohlins but it does its job, and does it well, for what it is.

it looks like it was made by fisher price

You should remove the ‘ART’ part of your username

[mention]Speedy23[/mention] oh a spelling mistake and no-one jumping on you for it... must be a bit early

I saw the shock mount on the video review. It also said the seat is adjustable up or down by 10mm but I spose it wouldn’t make a difference as it’s the boxes that get in the way.

Can you have the road tyres on the other bike? Or is it too new for them to have decided what’s what?!

When mounting a bike on its side stand you're better off.. And it reduces strain on the side stand pivot. Getting on from the other side. The RHS. There is a knack to it which is mainly about getting your body weight on the LHS of the central line and on the clutch side handlebar before putting your full weight on the pedal. Easier to do than describe.

Very common question on the Africa a Twin forum, especially since the 'Sport version appeared with its rather high seat position. I'm not exactly a shorty but I find this method much easier. Oddly enough I'm also rather keen on not causing excess wear on the side stand to the point it eventually (could) fail.