Guzzi V85tt Prixfasrangry

The 2019 Moto Guzzi V85TT is a midsize scrambler with unique styling that’s as fresh to look at as it’s fun to ride. Read on for our full 2019 Moto Guzzi V85TT Review.

Spirit of exploration Moto Guzzi has always interpreted the purest and most original conception of the journey, where man and his motorbike, in perfect symbiosis, go to the discovery of unique and unexpected places. The new V85 TT is dedicated to all those. May 04, 2019 The 2019 Moto Guzzi V85TT is a midsize scrambler with unique styling that’s as fresh to look at as it’s fun to ride. Read on for our full 2019 Moto Guzzi V85TT Review.

Moto Guzzi produced one of the big hits of last November’s EICMA Milan Show in the shape of its retro-themed V85TT adventure tourer, as in Tutto Terreno, or all-terrain, rather than Tourist Trophy! The production version of the Concept 85 show bike displayed at the same show one year earlier, this is the opening shot in a series of forthcoming new Guzzi middleweight models using the same Euro 4 compliant engine platform.

The chance to spend a 120-mile day in sunny Sardinia riding the result on the hilly, switchback roads of Italy’s second largest island demonstrated very well what a significant model this is for Italy’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MILAGRO/ALBERTO CERVETTI, FRANCESCO VIGNALLI AND MARCO ZAMPONI

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Guzzi management represents the V85TT as a replacement for the Stelvio, its previous dual-purpose (aka Crossover) model dating back to 2007, which was scrapped two years ago because it would have been too costly to upgrade its elderly 1151cc eight-valve OHV motor to Euro 4 compliance. But the V85TT is powered by an all-new air/oil-cooled 853cc engine with just two valves per cylinder, so it’s positioned in another category in terms of both capacity and engineering. It’s really a different type of motorcycle than anything Moto Guzzi has done lately.

Part adventure tourer, part streetfighter, part street scrambler, there’s nothing else quite like the V85TT in the marketplace right now, and youthful designer Mirko Zocco deserves compliments for producing a bike with unique styling that’s as fresh to look at as it’s fun to ride.

It’s available in a choice of five colors, with the three so-called Urban single tints of blue, grey and red, each with a black frame, retailing for approximately $12,800 and all fitted with tarmac-friendly Metzeler Tourance Next tires. An extra $200-plus is needed for the so-called Evocative two-tone red/yellow and red-white versions each with a red-painted frame, which have a different and much classier-looking seat fabric (though both shape and height are the same), and carry slightly more off-road-focused Michelin Anakee Adventure rubber. Both variants come with a 2.50 x 19-inch front wheel, and 4.25 x 17-inch rear. Wire wheels are fitted as standard with alloy rims, but both the 110/80 and 150/70 tires must carry tubes. Tubeless rims would have been much more costly.

The V85TT’s all-new 84 x 77mm OHV 90º transverse V-twin motor produces a claimed 80bhp/59kW at 7750 rpm, alongside 80Nm of torque at 5000 rpm. But Moto Guzzi claims that 90% of that torque is available at just 3750 rpm, and the ultra-flat torque curve on the dyno chart backs that up. At the other end of the rev scale the limiter is set at 7800 rpm, making this engine the most eager-revving of Guzzi’s family of OHV motors, despite being a two-valve design (also chosen to be in keeping with the model’s traditional focus and retro-inspired styling, says project leader Diego Arioli) rather than a four-valver. That’s because of Piaggio’s team of engineers, led by Roberto Calò, who designed the engine at their high-tech R&D center and wanted to deliver a smooth and ultra-flexible power unit that was more responsive than previous such Moto Guzzi engines, with reduced inertia.

They’ve achieved this by producing a semi-dry sump engine design with the oil tank positioned in the lower crankcase half complete with sight glass and twin oil pumps. This reduces oil drag on the crankshaft assembly which, with lighter conrods and pistons, too, is 30% lower in weight than previous Moto Guzzi small-block motors, resulting in much improved and more zestful pickup, especially from low revs.

That’s aided by the use of titanium for the large 42.5mm inlet valve that’s almost half the weight of an equivalent steel item in each cylinder head. These feature completely revised porting and a new combustion chamber design, but still, however, employ steel 35.5mm exhaust valves. The valves are operated by aluminum pushrods with redesigned roller tappets, again resulting in much lighter and notably quieter operation of the valve gear—there’s none of the rattles or mechanical noise of previous Guzzi OHV motors. Just a single 52mm Dell’Orto throttle body is fitted, partially aimed at decreasing fuel consumption.

Guzzi claims a frugal 48 mpg, which with a six-gallon fuel tank that’s the largest in the 700-900cc middleweight sector, delivers a claimed range of 250 miles.

That single throttle body is controlled by a Magneti Marelli ECU with Ride-by-Wire (RBW) digital throttle offering three different riding modes: Road, Rain, and Off-Road. Each delivers full engine power but with a different throttle response via altered engine mapping, plus variable engine braking settings and a different calibration for the dual-channel Continental ABS and switchable MGCT traction control both fitted as standard.

V85tt Moto Guzzi

Road mode has a medium level of MGCT, ABS is active on both wheels, and there’s a prompt throttle response with reduced engine braking, while Rain features a high level of traction control, ABS is active on both wheels, and there’s a gentle throttle response and increased engine braking. Offroad delivers a low level of TC, ABS is only active on the front wheel (but can be deactivated entirely), and there’s again a gentle throttle response and more engine braking. Cruise control is fitted as standard, and the power is transmitted via a new six-speed gearbox with altered ratios from before, coupled to a revised single-plate clutch contained in a redesigned housing delivering increased ground clearance.

This new generation Moto Guzzi small-block engine is wrapped in an equally new tubular steel chassis design using the motor as a fully stressed component. This removes the need for a lower frame cradle, thus reducing weight while also increasing engine ground clearance to a useful 8.3 inches for off-road riding, with the engine protected by an aluminum sump guard.

The shorter length of the more compact new engine allows for a long asymmetric cast aluminum swingarm that’s 2.8 inches longer than the current V9s in the interest of obtaining better suspension response and improved grip, say Guzzi engineers. This delivers a rangy 60.2-inch wheelbase, and its curved left arm permits the 2-1 exhaust system’s single oval-section silencer to be tucked in tight, with the V85TT’s shaft final drive that’s unique in the middleweight dual-purpose sector housed in the right arm.

Suspension is by Kayaba, with the 41mm fork set at a relaxed 28° of rake with 5.03 inches of trail matched to a cantilever rear monoshock offset to the right with a dual-rate spring, and mounted in a semi-laydown position for increased progressivity. Suspension stroke front and rear is a generous 6.7 inches, and both fork and shock are adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping.

Braking comes courtesy of Brembo via twin 320mm front discs with radially mounted four-piston calipers and a 260mm rear disc with a two-pot caliper. Dry weight is quoted as 459 pounds, rising to a 505 pounds curb weight with all fluids and 5.3 gallons of fuel. Zocco’s distinctive neo-Classic enduro styling sets this all off, complete with a short screen which isn’t adjustable for height, but can be rotated on the tubular steel subframe it’s mounted on to deflect air further upwards.

At anything over 75 mph, the airflow aimed at your helmet will make you want to fit the optional taller screen for longer journeys. The ’80s-style twin round LED headlamps are ingeniously bisected by a very bright DRL/daytime running light formed in the shape of the eagle on the side of the fuel tank, while the taillight uses LED technology to render what Guzzi describes as “a 3D characterization reminiscent of a jet’s afterburners during take-off.” Yes, really. The LED turn indicators are automatically self-canceling.

An upsized 430W flywheel generator provides the current to power these, as well as any of the full range of accessories like heated grips, which Guzzi offers in its dedicated accessory catalog for the bike. These can be purchased en masse as part of a trio of packs targeted at different uses for the bike. This includes a Touring Pack with a taller screen and three aluminum luggage bags offering up to 32.5 gallons of storage, a Sport Adventure Pack aimed at off-road use with Öhlins suspension, and an Urban Pack including accessories for commuting and everyday use like twin side-panniers and an anti-theft system.

The TFT digital dash is well designed and clearly legible.

Time To Ride the 2019 Moto Guzzi V85TT

The V85TT has a real visual presence when you see it in the metal, especially the two-tone Evocative multi-color version, and build quality seems exceptionally high, with excellent paint finish. Hop aboard the V92TT’s 32.7-inch high seat (31.9 inches and 33.5 inches options are available for purchase), and you’re presented with a quite upright but very comfortable riding stance via the taper-section alloy handlebar and relatively low off-road-type footpegs with a removable rubber insert, which only drag in turns at quite extreme lean angles. The Kayaba suspension is really outstanding, especially the well-damped fork, which gives good feedback especially from the Metzeler tire on the Urban tint bikes.

You can use heaps of turn speed in spite of the skinny 19-inch front, in a way you might not have expected to be able to do on such a motorcycle, and the MGTC program also allows you to get early and hard on the throttle exiting any of the switchback turns along Sardinia’s southwestern coast. There, the only criticism I had was that the rear suspension is a little dry in low-speed damping over ripples and ridges in the road surface, with initial compression of the twin-rate spring not as smooth as I’d hoped for.

Moto Guzzi V85tt Reviews

But medium and high-speed damping is excellent, even without a rear link. I could feel the shock compressing and releasing smoothly beneath me through faster turns with a dip in the middle, or over a series of bumps taken at high speed. And the generous wheel travel front and rear, coupled with the wide handlebar and tucked-in silencer, make this a comfortable ride off-road.

The radial brakes also performed well, just as you expect anything to do with Brembo on the label, with a strong but not too fierce initial bite. They’re better set up than the similar brakes on the Triumph 1200 Scrambler which are too aggressive for off-road use. Not here. Whether via pad choice or master cylinder selected, Moto Guzzi has got it just right, and the same goes for the way the V85TT steers.

Looking at the ultra-conservative chassis geometry data the night before my ride, I was expecting this to be frankly a bit of a truck, which would need lots of leverage from the reasonably wide handlebar to hustle it round turns. I was quite wrong. The V85TT changes direction easily and holds a line very well. This one of the nicest-handling street scramblers I’ve ridden for quite some time. It’s almost delicate in the way it steers. You can even finger the front brake lever to throw off a little excess speed once committed to a turn, and this Guzzi won’t sit up on you and head for the hills like some other motorcycles with this amount of trail dialed into the steering geometry will do.

However, the real plaudits have to be reserved for the V85TT’s outstanding new engine, which feels more modern and sophisticated than any Moto Guzzi OHV/pushrod engine I’ve yet sampled. Thumb the starter, and it fires instantly, then settles to a 1300 rpm idle with the inevitable sway from side to side at low revs thanks to the lengthways crank.

But work the light-action clutch lever to insert bottom gear, and not only does this go in with no sign of the clunk that was previously ubiquitous on Moto Guzzi engines, but as you drive forward practically off idle with minimal use of the clutch, the V85TT motor gives a pretty good imitation of a turbine. It’s unbelievably smooth not only by the standards of the past but also compared to rival middleweight twins. There’s also no undue heat reaching the rider, despite the lack of an oil cooler and the cylinders being close to your legs. They’re never intrusive, and you’re really not aware of them either visually or dynamically.

However, while Guzzi’s new 853cc engine drives very well from as low as 1500 rpm, you must have it turning at 3500 revs or higher to get the strong pickup it’s capable of delivering. Top gear roll-on below that mark is a little sluggish, so you’re encouraged to use the very sweet-shifting gearbox (I can’t remember the last time I ever used that term to describe a Moto Guzzi transmission!) to keep the revs up on the open road. If you do that you’ll get excellent response from the motor from 4000 revs upwards, meaning I spent a lot of time in fourth gear. I suspect sixth gear is an overdrive for high-speed freeway cruising, and fifth gear is pretty high, as well.

However, on two of the three bikes I rode there was quite a bit of vibration through the footpegs from 5000 rpm upwards, which since at that engine speed in top gear you’re doing 80 mph is definitely intrusive. The engine is otherwise very smooth with just a few tingles through the seat as you near the 7800 rpm limiter, which to be quite honest you have no business ever approaching. It’s not that kind of bike. Instead, you’ll want to surf the V92TT’s ultra-flat torque curve and hit a higher gear at around 6800 rpm, which will put you back in the fat part of the powerband each time.

The V85TT is a very relaxing and enjoyable everyday ride, where the advantages of shaft final drive are here to be enjoyed, without any of the usual downsides. Despite the fairly conventional rear suspension, there was no adverse effect on the handling from the hypoid back end, and thanks to the much-reduced crankshaft inertia owing to the lower weight of the entire assembly, I didn’t encounter any negative effects of the lengthways layout that you get on some other such bikes. I could close the throttle on the V85TT midturn and open it again without affecting the way it held the line I’d chosen for it – there was no falling into the turn, no sitting up and understeering, just normal service continued as before.

This is a very good new bike, and with its debut, the wings on the Moto Guzzi eagle have started to flap a lot harder. The promise of the several forthcoming new middleweight models its engine will power is very enticing. According to Moto Guzzi management, if the market responds favorably to this new family of bikes, they have a larger capacity version of the same engine already under development. Good times for Guzzisti could be just around the corner. CN

2019 Moto Guzzi V85TT Specifications

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I originally thought the V85TT was a terrible idea. When it was first revealed as a concept at way back at EICMA 2017, Moto Guzzi’s retro adventure bike struck me as a boneheaded styling exercise (and one that perhaps comes too late in the game*).

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It seemed especially boneheaded because the Italian brand had tried the ADV thing before and it didn’t work. The 1151cc Stelvio (2007-2015) certainly looked the part but was too expensive (I had wanted to buy one but in 2014 it cost more than the Triumph Tiger Explorer XRX I bought in 2017) and suffered electronics issues. Additionally, I’ve heard from two different Stelvio owners that it overheats in ambient temperatures as low as 28°C (82°F). Hardly the bike you’d choose for a ’round-the-world jaunt.

Add to this all kinds of negatives that have cropped up about other recent Moto Guzzi efforts (ie, those released under Piaggio ownership); the MGX-21 has some very weird issues, and I’ve had three different moto-journalists tell me the V9 Bobber (which doesn’t look like a bobber) is the worst bike they’ve ridden in years. Not to mention the brand’s longer history of inconsistent quality under different ownership.

So, back in March, when Moto Guzzi flew me to the Italian island of Sardinia to ride the V85TT I brought a fair bit of “baggage” with me in terms of cynicism. Actually, let’s not sugarcoat it: I was expecting a steaming pile of poo – the most sucktacular box of suck that ever sucked.

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You can guess what happened, right? Within five minutes of firing the V85TT’s 850cc air-cooled transverse V-twin engine to life and steering onto sun-drenched coastal roads I was thinking: “Ooh, I could definitely be a Moto Guzzi guy!”

As I mentioned in the review I wrote for Common Tread, it’s near impossible to talk about the V85TT without using the word “character.” That has long been the selling point of any Moto Guzzi and this bike is no different. The V85TT delivers a wonderful, stupid, raw experience that almost kills one’s concerns about reliability.

Not Just Another Pretty Face

One of the reasons I disliked the V85TT when it was unveiled two years ago was its yellow and red “Evocation” paint scheme, which, along with the bike’s overall aesthetic, alludes to the Moto Guzzi V65 TT that Claudio Torri rode in the 1985 Dakar Rally – back when the rally actually went to Dakar.

You’ll be hard pressed to find many English-language articles about Torri, however. As best I can tell, he never completed the race in any of the attempts he made on Guzzis (in 1986, 1988, and 1991). I hadn’t heard about him until Moto Guzzi made mention at a pre-ride presentation. So, for me – a guy who isn’t well versed in obscure enduro riders from three decades ago – the Evocation paint scheme maintains a distinctly Ronald McDonald quality that, along with its deliberately retro styling, exacerbates the natural ugliness of an adventure motorcycle. Sure, it seems to be a defining characteristic of the adventure genre that bikes have a sexless aesthetic. But the V85TT appears to revel in that ugliness like a dog rolling in poo, bringing to mind the 1980s: a time of awful hair, uncomfortable jeans, and Ronnie Milsap.

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Thankfully, in other color schemes (there are up to five, depending on market), the effect of the V85TT’s ugliness is less severe. And in a strange sort of way you can’t help but admire Moto Guzzi for being the only manufacturer to take this particular approach. I mean, look at the motorcycle world over the past few years and two of the hottest trends have been modern classics and adventure bikes, so, you know, why not a retro ADV? It’s actually surprising no one else has done this. I suspect there’s someone in the halls of Triumph headquarters who looked at this and thought: “Damn it! We missed a trick!” (Though, I suppose one could argue that’s exactly what it’s done with the Scrambler 1200)

The V85TT’s looks hold up on closer inspection; there are some budget-looking switches but overall this Guzzi is sturdily built. You wouldn’t want one of those exposed cylinders to hit the ground very hard but the bike has the feel of something that can suffer the standard slings and arrows of long-term, (almost entirely) on-road ownership. Even the accessory bits, like aluminum luggage, look rugged and of better quality than the rebranded Givi kit** you’ll get on a Triumph Tiger 800 or Tiger 1200.

With a seat height of 830 millimeters (adjustable to 810 mm or 850 mm), the V85TT is not necessarily shorter than other midsize ADV machines (seat height on a KTM 790 Adventure R, for example, ranges between 830-850 mm), but for some reason it feels more accessible. Perhaps this is because you aren’t straddling as much of the engine’s bulk. Moto Guzzi says the bike’s ergonomics are designed to suit a wide range of rider heights – from 5 feet 4 inches to 6 feet 1 inch – and I believe it. Mostly. I’m not sure how satisfying it would be for those one the shortest end of things.

Nonetheless, for a 6-foot-1 rider the ergonomics are comfortable and natural. Feet and hands fall exactly where they should, the riding position relaxed and upright. I didn’t get enough sustained seat time to make an informed judgment about long-distance comfort, but suffered no aches or pains during a day of mixed riding. Screen height is not adjustable and taller riders will lament this at motorway speed. Here’s hoping the aftermarket takes a shine to the V85TT and provides alternatives.

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Passenger accommodation looks good, though I did not ride as nor carry a passenger, so I can’t really speak to that aspect with authority. Also not used but looking effective was the standard luggage rack; there are plenty of places to lash Kriega bags, which is increasingly the thing I look for in a bike. (I find soft luggage to be more versatile – and lighter – than hard cases.) The presence of tubed tires is annoying but not a deal-breaker (my everyday bike has tubes). Tires are either Michelin Anakee Adventure or Metzeler Tourance depending on some sort of variable that is so arbitrary I can’t now remember what it is. It’s one of those “With this paint scheme we call it such-and-such, and with that paint scheme we call it so-and-so, even though the two versions are indiscernible in every way but color” sort of things.

Lighting is all LED and Moto Guzzi makes a very big deal of the fact the bike’s daytime running light is in the shape of an eagle. Moto Guzzi’s logo incorporates an eagle in homage to the fact the company was dreamed up by three men serving in the Italian air force during the First World War. It’s so big on eagles it refers to its headquarters in Mandello del Lario as the “Eagles’ Nest,” which is cringe-inducing for English speakers due to the existence of that other far more sinister Eagle’s Nest. But, hey, this is the same company that nicknamed one of its bikes “Black Devil.” Guzzi be so Guzzi, y’all.

That Engine, Though

Press the starter on the V85TT and the whole bike rocks to the right as its powerplant comes to life. It is a wonderfully visceral experience, reminding you at id level that you are sitting on a metal box of explosions. The less mature rider (ie, people like me) will be inclined to hoot or shout things like, “Hell yeah,” in Aquaman-style. From this point on, every flaw or quirk you uncover on the bike will be met with an internal argument of: “Well, yeah, but the engine…”

The pushrod V-twin is incontrovertibly the star of the show, delivering a grunt that belies its 853cc displacement. It feels “bigger.” That’s aided by the overall size, fit, and finish of the bike. The only time it’ll occur to you that you’re on a middleweight is when attempting particularly spirited riding. The route Moto Guzzi plotted for us in Sardinia provided no straightline opportunities to hammer the throttle and explore top speed. Most of the riding was done in second and third gear. I tapped into sixth only once, simply to be able to say I had.

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I am entirely confident that doing the ton is possible on a V85TT but I equally sense that you’ll need a good amount of time and space to achieve such a feat. Not that it matters. Mind-melting speed is not what this bike (or any Moto Guzzi) is really about. Nearing 80 mph, there’s a fair bit of vibration (and wind turbulence) that I’m not sure you’d want to put up with for long stretches.

Or, well, perhaps that’s a misleading statement. This bike is all about vibration, after all. It shakes and clatters and growls and snarls from the moment you press the starter. That’s one of its key selling points; if you don’t like mechanical brutishness you’re looking at the wrong bike here. Personally, I love that kind of stuff. I think it’s awesome. But at above-motorway speed, the awesomeness could, I think (but don’t actually know because I didn’t get a chance to test my theory), turn to annoyance.

Rolling through town or hustling along country roads, however: awesome++. The V85TT is equipped with three riding modes that, unlike riding modes on some bikes (looking at you, every Triumph ever made) actually feel different from one another: rain, road, and off road. That said, throttle response is so spot in road (Strada) mode there’s not really any need to switch modes. Which is fortunate considering the fact switching riding modes is such a pain in the ass. More on that in a bit, though.

Throttle is responsive but smooth, torque-rich but entirely manageable. Those with greater depth of Guzzi experience tell me it is more refined than in days of old. From a compatibility perspective it is downright Honda-like: everything feels instantly “right.” This pairs well with a transmission that has none of the unwanted “character” I had cynically expected. Smooth and reliable, the six-speed gear box held up to a day of aggressive shifting and rising temperatures.

I say all of this with the assumption that you understand riding an old-school shaft-driven machine like this demands you ride smoothly. Intelligent gear changes, carrying speed through corners rather than attempting a sportbike-esque “stop, point and shoot” style, and so on. Ride like a dick and the V85TT will treat you accordingly. Again, I love this sort of thing. Remember how I swooned for the BMW R nineT engine experience? It’s kind of like that but seemingly more refined (and less powerful).

Keep it On the Road

The V85TT’s Kayaba suspension won’t be winning any awards but it does what it needs to do; I had no complaints. It can be a little bit of a see-saw when pushing hard through Sardinian switchbacks but not so much that it stopped me from scraping boots and pegs. Front fork and rear monoshock are adjustable, so those willing to practice the dark arts of suspension tweaking may be able to work even more performance from the machine.

Brembo brakes are as good as you’d expect. See the above comment about riding smoothly. That’s my riding style in general, so I don’t tend to place excessive demand on brakes. For me, brakes are good if I don’t think about them; the V85TT’s brakes are good. Moto Guzzi claims a wet weight of 229 kg, and it’s all perfectly manageable thanks to a low center of gravity.

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Off road, well… Moto Guzzi took us on a dirt lane with a few baseball-sized rocks and a bit of deep sand, that otherwise resembled the dirt road to my friend Dan’s house in Forest Lake, Minnesota. However, this dirt lane was probably a mile and a half shorter than the road to Dan’s place.

I once rode an Indian Springfield to Dan’s house. Given the option between the two I would choose the V85TT, but my point is that I do not have any solid proof of whether this bike is any good off road. That said, circumstantial evidence suggests this is a moto that should be kept on pavement. Moto Guzzi barely touched on the subject of off road in its pre-ride presentation and company reps politely steered away from such talk at dinner. Indeed, they collectively spent more time talking about the bike’s eagle-shaped DRL than its off-road chops. In his review, Hugo Wilson of Bike magazine suggested that “the V85TT’s off-road excursions are best limited to a ride across the campsite” and I’m inclined to agree. This is a touring/commuting motorcycle that can be taken to Dan’s house, but don’t start plotting your route on the TransAmerica Trail.

Bells and Whistles

The V85TT comes standard with cruise control. I never got a chance to test that feature, but the switch for it, along with the horn button, indicator switch and high beam flasher, is located on the left grip, which is where cruise control switches are supposed to be. Good job, Guzzi.

There is also a very tiny, almost invisible button with a function that remains a mystery. British moto-journalists were apparently told it controls heated grips, left there to taunt you if you don’t have the accessory item installed. American moto-journalists were told it is a button that needs to be pressed when connecting your phone to the bike.

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This sort of confusion is just so Guzzi, and carries over the the right grip, where the large switch labeled MODE has nothing to do with the bike’s engine modes. Instead, it is part of the process of navigating the bike’s not-at-all-intuitive options menu. You will definitely need to sit down with the owner’s manual if you want to be able to do all the things Moto Guzzi says you can do (like tweak the traction control levels of different riding modes).

But wait, there’s more. The switch to set the headlight to dim, high beam or DRL is also on the right grip, that aforementioned switch on the left simply allowing you to flash your brights. So, you control the headlights using two switches in two very different locations. On top of this, the kill switch – thankfully on the right grip – is not red and is visually hidden from a rider’s perspective, so it is nigh impossible to find in a moment of urgency, which is, you know, THE WHOLE POINT OF A KILL SWITCH.

Meanwhile, to move between riding modes you press…
Go on, see if you can guess.
Nope.
Nope, not there, either.
Nah, man, you’re ice cold now.
I’ll just tell you:
You press the starter.

The bike has to be on, then you press the starter an unspecified number of times, the selected mode appearing on the V85TT’s fancy TFT display. Note that I say “unspecified.” Sometimes I was able to switch between modes by pressing once; sometimes I needed to press a dozen times. Mine was not the only bike that had this issue – all the journos on the ride with me experienced the same thing. These were, I remind you, brand new motorcycles.

Going back to that mystery button, if it does help connect the bike to your phone then you’ll (theoretically) be able to use an app that Moto Guzzi says allows you to control various phone functions via switchgear (It would be hilarious – and not terribly surprising – if volume were controlled via the bike’s horn button: quick beeps to turn the volume up, and a long blast to turn the volume down), as well as use your phone as a sort of secondary dashboard. There is a USB port next to the TFT screen to facilitate such a set-up; you’ll need to buy your own aftermarket phone mount however.

The app was not yet available when I test rode the bike back in March, so I have no idea how well it works. Well, I have an idea… This is not the first time Moto Guzzi has tried this sort of thing. It offered a similar feature on the Stelvio. According to a former Stelvio owner I know, however, the system never worked properly. But, you know, that was nearly four years ago – a lifetime in the world of software.

Verdict

Hugo Wilson wrote that “Moto Guzzis are for romantics and dreamers, travellers and poets, not horsepower addicts and cynics.”

I would normally place myself solidly in the romantics/dreamers/travellers/poets circle but the goofiness of the V85TT’s electronics, along with the fact that Moto Guzzi’s electronics have a history of being far more ambitious than reliable, draws me just a little bit into that nasty group of cynics.

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Just a little bit, though. Several months on, I still think about the bike a lot. If you ask me whether I would spend £10,899 of my own money on a V85TT I’ll probably grimace and seek to avoid the question. Ask me whether I want to ride it again, and the answer is an unhesitant yes. I loved the experience of riding it, but I don’t fully trust it***. Not yet. I’m hoping the folks at Moto Guzzi will be able to loan me a V85TT for a few weeks this summer so I can get a better sense of how it performs outside the perfect conditions of Sardinia.

Remove my cynicism from the equation and the V85TT is an almost-perfect mix of character and practicality. It has the personality to make you not care about the things it can’t do, while still being able to do most of them. Commuting, touring, spending a sunny afternoon exploring your favorite quiet roads – even getting to Dan’s house.

Only time will tell, but I want very much for my doubts about this bike to be unfounded. I want to be wrong here. Because if I am, it will mean that the V85TT is the bike that made me fall in love with Moto Guzzi.

The Three Questions

Does the Moto Guzzi V85TT fit my current lifestyle?
Yes. Ever since I spent a summer with the Harley-Davidson Street Bob I have come to realize that character is important and necessary to me. The V85TT has that, while still possessing the ability to get me to work every day and take me on road trips to faraway places.

Does the Moto Guzzi V85TT put a smile on my face?
Yes – a very big one. If you don’t find yourself giggling like an idiot when riding a Moto Guzzi you may want to get yourself checked out. You may also want to walk away from the bike immediately, because emotional connection is the biggest upside of a Guzzi. If you want miserable and reliable, go buy a Suzuki.

Is the Moto Guzzi V85TT better than my current motorcycle, a Triumph Bonneville T120?
Oof, that’s a tough one. Maybe not. On paper, with its screen, handguards, and luggage rack, the V85TT is a better proposition for long hauls and getting around in poor weather. I suspect both are equally useful on dirt, which is to say: not very. Both claim to have roughly the same horsepower (80 hp for the V85TT vs 79 hp for the Bonneville T120) but my butt dyno says that’s not true; the Bonnie has markedly more oomph, especially at the top end. Both offer a great mix of character and modernity, the V85TT more so. The Moto Guzzi has more technowhizbangery but I don’t trust it. And you know, it’s ugly. Endearingly so, but ugly is still ugly.

Rider Stats

Rider: Chris Cope
Height: 6 feet 1 inch
Build: Lanky/athletic

Helmet: HJC RPHA 70
Jacket: Weise Outlast Houston
Pants:Oxford Montreal 2.0
Gloves:Klim Adventure
Boots:Forma Adventure
Backpack:Kreiga R20
Bluetooth:Sena 10C

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* I mentioned this in a vlog a while ago: I have a gut feeling we’ve hit peak adventure bike. I don’t think the genre will be going anywhere soon, but I feel that from next year – once Harley-Davidson finally throws its hat in the ring – we’ll start to see things wane. A decade from now, ADV bikes will be where sport tourers are today, with only a few stalwarts remaining.

** There’s nothing wrong with Givi luggage, by the way. It’s simply that Moto Guzzi’s stuff looks better.

Guzzi 850 Tt

*** I used to have a girlfriend about whom I felt the very much the same…