Despite glowing reviews and some unique road tests, the Moto Guzzi V85TT was a motorcycle I ignored. Well, maybe ignored is the wrong word … perhaps rejected is better. I couldn’t get beyond the white, red and yellow paint scheme.
As with the advertising campaign for Marmite, it seems you either liked the Giallo Mojave colour scheme on the V85TT, or you didn’t. There was no middle ground, and the commentary on the multi-colour paint scheme overshadowed the mono colour version that was launched at the same time.
And so, happy in my Moto Guzzi V85TT free world, time ticked on until recently when I was introduced to the 2022 V85TT resplendent in a gorgeous silver colour – GRIGIO GRIGNA to use its official name – and my attraction for the V85TT changed instantly.
Keen to atone for my sins – for which read after eating a lot of humble pie – those forgiving people at Moto Guzzi kindly offered me a V85TT to test, and I spent an enjoyable day basking in the early summer sunshine while getting to know Moto Guzzi’s retro-styled, air-cooled twin.
V85TT by the Numbers
The Euro-5 compliant, 853cc, air-cooled, transversal 90 degree V-Twin motor in the Moto Guzzi delivers 76HP to the shaft drive, resulting in around 60HP being available at the rear wheel to move the 230Kgs (507lbs) motorcycle.
Having propelled the motorcycle forward, to bring you back to a stop, there are two 320mm discs with four-piston Brembo calipers on the front, accompanied by a two-piston caliper and 260mm disk on the rear.
And to ensure you enjoy the journey when sitting on the 815mm high seat, there are 41mm upside-down front forks, coupled with a single shock on the rear. Both are adjustable for preload.
Yet, empirical data isn’t what defines the Moto Guzzi V85TT. You need to measure how the motorcycle moves your soul, not your body.
Italian Style
A wise man once said to me that any fool can be uncomfortable, and if the Moto Guzzi is going to move my soul, it will have to do it in comfort. The seat certainly looks wide, supporting and comfortable, and as my backside sinks into the saddle, I spare a thought for the people at the factory who blended form with function. It feels comfortable, and I’m hoping it stays that way.
The seating position is natural, and the bars curve back towards me, relaxing my arms and shoulders. Everything is a flowing line. No part of me is twisted or cramped. The V85TT feels as if it is tailor-made, and I haven’t left the car park yet.
Yet there is always something where style wins the argument over practicality. V85TT owners tell me that the first thing I should do after buying one is to source an Aprilia Caponord Rally front mudguard, which is a direct replacement for the standard front fork shrouds. The mudguard from the Aprilia Tuareg 660 also looks as if it would be a bolt-on fit.
Whichever mudguard you use, it will save the front of the alternator casing from the abuse thrown at it by the front wheel and makes more practical sense than the aesthetically pleasing but neigh-on useless standard mudguard.
First Impressions
The V85TT rocks gently as the transversal V-Twin sparks up the left and right-hand cylinders. Once running, the engine invokes a gentle sway that you can stimulate with a blip of the throttle. First gear engages smoothly without the resounding clunk I was expecting as the gearbox and shaft drive took up the load, and now I’m faced with my first decision.
If I turn right at the first junction, I will meet a fast dual carriageway. If less than stimulating, they are an ideal way to cover a lot of miles. If you buy the Travel edition of the V85TT, motorway manners are something you will be considering.
If I turn left, I’m off to the countryside. The delights of cruising between rape filled fields and under trees are waiting for me, and the sort of riding we endure the motorway miles to enjoy.
Somehow the V85TT is refusing to turn right. Even in the quarter of a mile I’ve ridden, the undeniable message from the Moto Guzzi is to relax and enjoy the ride. We are turning left.
Power
In a world of 150hp adventure bikes, the V85TT doesn’t make a lot of power. But power numbers are an ego trip. How the power is delivered is what is important.
The V-Twin motor provides handful after handful of torque, and although the gearbox isn’t the smoothest I’ve come across, neither is it as agricultural as some German gearboxes I’ve used.
Weaving my way through the country lanes, the V85TT’s power delivery is ample to make the ride invigorating without being all-consuming. I can put a smile on my face and nip past the traffic that is trying to spoil my ride without drawing unwanted attention.
The soundtrack from the exhaust is invigorating and is accompanied by some induction roar when getting fully on the herbs.
The sun is shining. I’m smiling, and all is right with the world.
The Ride
Initially, the steering does feel unusual, especially at slow speeds. The turning circle is impressively small, to the point of the front wheel feeling as if it will tuck under the bike. It doesn’t, but the V85TT has to have the greatest range, lock-to-lock, of any bike this size. If not, the Moto Guzzi designers have pulled a masterstroke by making it feel that way.
The overall geometry of the V85TT, coupled with the width of the bars, makes the motorcycle easy to place on the road. Think about where you want to be, and the V85TT will go there. It holds a line through a corner and is difficult to upset by asking for last-minute changes in direction, perhaps partly due to the Dunlop Trailmax Meridians the V85TT is wearing.
Trickling through traffic, the V85TT is poised, well balanced and easy to flick left and right to avoid the manhole covers and potholes.
The suspension favours smooth road surfaces. When a spirited ride met a series of rapid undulations in the road surface, the rebound damping was quickly outsmarted. Once the road surface smoothed out, the V85TT quickly returned to normal. However, if you meet a succession of road ripples during some committed cornering, you will be entirely focused on controlling the outcome.
Motorway Manners
Motorways and fast dual carriageways will inevitably be part of your ride. The V85TT has no shortage of performance and isn’t going to leave you looking for more power when dispatching the slow movers. The screen, though, could be an issue if you want to munch miles in Europe.
Screens are a complex subject. What works perfectly for one rider is a nightmare for another. At 6 feet tall, I found the V85TT a relaxed and comfortable place to eat motorway miles providing I stayed at 70mph (110kph) or less.
If I let the speed creep above 70mph, I was immediately notified by turbulent air from the screen slapping my helmet. By the time the speedo indicated 80mph (130kph), the buffeting was very annoying, yet slow back down to an indicated 70mph, and peace and tranquillity were restored once again.
And if you want to keep your speed in check, the cruise control is delightful and will hold the chosen speed within a couple of MPH. Disconnecting the cruise control feels the same as rolling off the throttle, rather than the slam shut disconnect Suzuki’s V-Strom has.
The Dolce Vita
It is perhaps an overused Italian phrase, but for the V85TT, it feels right. You are not going to howl down a German autobahn on a V85TT or rip up a lap of the Nürburgring. There is nothing to stop you from doing these things, but you are unlikely to get the results you are looking for.
Conversely, if you want to arrive relaxed, satisfied, and ready for whatever lies ahead, the V85TT will deliver you to your destination in unhurried Italian style.
Now, about the Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello … 115BHP, 105NM …
