History of Moto Guzzi
But let's take things in order. The history of Moto Guzzi, like almost any Italian motorcycle brand, is complex and controversial. Ups, downs, bankruptcy, change of owners, traditions, innovations and that's all. Since 2004, Moto Guzzi has been under the control of the Piaggio concern, which owns many other Italian motorcycle brands - Aprilia, Vespa and five more.
Under Piaggio's leadership, the brand has performed smoothly, especially in light of the introduction of Euro4 econorms in 2021. Unfortunately, many Moto Guzzi models did not pass these standards, so the Griso, Norge, Stelvio and others sank into oblivion. And the remaining MGX-21 bagger and V9 bobber are specific vehicles in which charisma prevails over the ability to drive fast or on less than smooth asphalt.
Moto Guzzi V85 TT 2020
Don't get me wrong: I like charismatic bikes, I even have an Indian Chieftain on my phone screensaver. And then, one fine day, almost unexpectedly, I found myself riding a magnificent Moto Guzzi V85 along a picturesque winding mountain path, with a mechanic accompanying me behind me.
It was an impressive experience! I completely understand why the guys from Moto Guzzi are talking so passionately about the new model. But that’s if you don’t think about the price.
Moto Guzzi V85 TT 2021
The initial data is as follows: a new engine sits in a new frame and all this is surrounded by new electronic bells and whistles. Everything is at a very modern level, as if those models that did not pass the environmental test never existed. Once upon a time, both Triumph and Harley Davidson made motorcycles that were outdated even before they were removed from the stocks at the factory, but now this is no longer the case. So why shouldn't Guzzi make truly new motorcycles?
A little more detail:
The V85 TT, like any Moto Guzzi, is designed to be a worthy companion to its engine, explains Diego Arioli, Head of Marketing at Moto Guzzi.
Engine
It’s somehow difficult for me to imagine a motorcycle that is not worthy of the engine installed in it, but I think we all understand what Diego means. The 853 cc air-cooled engine installed in the Moto Guzzi V85 TT 2021 is the center of the motorcycle, its heart and its essence. This is exactly what you will talk about with understanding people and smile condescendingly at neophytes with the words “Well, this is Guzzi, you need to understand.” This is exactly why people buy a Moto Guzzi... Something that makes you forget about everything else.
Moto Guzzi V85 TT 2020
Moto Guzzi claims this is a new engine, but doesn't explain how it specifically differs from the 853cc air-cooled engine found in the V9 Bobber and V9 Roamer. They probably think the numbers will speak for themselves: 80 hp. and 80 Nm versus the previous 55 hp. and 62 Nm from the V9 series engine.
Electronic equipment
The engine, dry clutch and tubes in the tires are at least old school, but that's not until you look at the electronics. Moto Guzzi installed in the V85 TT all the electronic gadgets that they generally have: customizable traction control and ABS, riding modes, cruise control, a tablet device with a bunch of different numbers and settings, the ability to communicate with a smartphone and configure some parameters from a special application, LED light and one hell of an eagle-shaped daytime running light that crosses both headlights at once, which Moto Guzzi mentioned no less than five times during the presentation. They are very proud of it (and the fact is that the Moto Guzzi logo contains an image of an eagle in memory of one pilot who died in the First World War. A group of his friends founded this brand)
Moto Guzzi calls the V85 TT a “classic enduro,” seemingly finding (or dreaming up) a niche in the dual-sport motorcycle class. According to brand representatives, the market now includes crossovers, light enduros, scramblers and tourenduros. They did not give specific examples, but expressed themselves in the spirit of “this class cannot do this, and such and such a class cannot do this,” and so on. And the V85 TT, they say, is suitable for everything: urban everyday driving, touring and off-road riding. The first two points are absolutely certain, but I would argue about the third.
Hello dear reader. Exactly a year ago, we parted on a positive note and a 200 km mileage, at which I finished the 2021 season. In my purchase report, commentators said a lot about the real qualities of the motorcycle and the quality of its build, but I didn’t listen then. However, first things first. Having rolled it out of the warm garage opposite the falafel shop in mid-June, I opened the 2021 season. I try not to ride it earlier, since the streets of Moscow are dirty, I don’t want to spoil my light motorcycle chinos and my brand new motorcycle. And the photos turn out to suck, it’s better not to mess with those on Instagram. Over the rest of the month I covered another 300 km, took part in 2 photo shoots and even filmed one video. But then July came, and I decided to finish another 1000 km to zero maintenance with the first serious long drive to the south. (MOT on Moto Gutsii every 900 miles) Started early on Saturday, and by 3 days I had covered the first two hundred. It goes along the highway confidently, up to a hundred kilometers per hour I overtook passing cars, then the dynamics suddenly fade and the engine begins to make strange sounds at speeds above four thousand and it’s already scary to turn it. But light off-roading is easy for him - where a regular motorcycle goes 5-10 km/h, I can drive 30+ due to the cardan. I read about the low oil consumption of this model, so I had 2 liters with me for topping up (as it turned out later, not in vain!). At the gas station, returning to the motorcycle, I even dropped the glass of my flat white out of frustration. oh oh what a nasty puddle What to do with all this so far from Moscow and how to get through the rest of my trip - that’s what was now occupying my thoughts. While riding in the city, I calmly added oil every 100 km and was able to pick up a bolt that had fallen off due to vibrations, but on the road this is already annoying. A relaxed trip turned into a tense and very short one ((. As a result, the result of the trip - for this thousand it took exactly 2 liters of oil to top up, the engine protection and the passenger's footrest fell off and were lost, the turn signal jumped out of its mount, the right mirror was unscrewed and was hanging on all the time due to the wind, the instrumentation failed, the windshield burst, the engine knocked, the frame rusted, five spokes flew out (on each wheel) + a few other little things...
This is the end of the review for the authoritative “experts” of the Moto Guzzi brand, I hope you managed to finish your champagne. Let's get down to business.
Having finished the 2021 season around mid-November, I started making improvements. Over the winter, everything imaginable and inconceivable was bought for a motorcycle, and in early May it was time to turn Guzzi into what he was bought for - into a tourist. A weekend with beer and a tool, and the V85 TT has acquired
- A set of Givi trekker panniers (inherited from Kawasaki)
- SW Motech crash bars
- Additional light Givi s322
- Tourist glass Givi Airflow
- Additional Aprila caponord front fender + Pyramid extension
- Y-pipe or decat Hpcorse
- Warm Oxford hands
- Motowolf risers
- Aliexpress navigator mount
- Aliexspress footrest extender
- Hepco&Becker optics protection
Of this entire list, only the decanter did not stay in place, it was too loud, it needs improvement.
Plus, I couldn’t fit my Denali Soundbomb kit harmoniously the first time, and then I simply forgot. I'll try to find a place this winter. Warm handles and additional light are connected to standard terminals and controlled from standard remote controls (everything was already provided for in the design of the motorcycle). In this setup, the motorcycle traveled about 9,000 km over the summer of 2021, so my review is about this rather packaged version. Feodosia Tarkhankut (nearby) Arkhyz For my convenience, I will build a story based on the requirements that I set for a new motorcycle before purchasing in the last post, and what I now think about all this a year later. I opened the season as soon as the ice and snow melted and skated until sub-zero temperatures, for example, on November 4th I had not yet closed the season. I go to work, travel, just for fun. Due to the strange and original cross-functional design of the V85, I feel at home everywhere. In Moscow traffic jams I move with side panniers; I myself would not have believed that on a bike almost a meter wide in front and behind, I am quite a participant in the aisle. As you understand, I have a choice - to remove the panniers for 1 minute, and if there was a problem with them, I would have done it a long time ago. The steering angles are huge, I spend about a meter less per turn in my parking lot than on the previous light cruiser. I am comfortable in any environment. Office parking
Ground clearance plays a big role in this, which allows you to jump over potholes and fly over any kind of speed bumps. Traveled several thousand with full panniers + passenger. This entire delegation, including the rider, weighs 180-200 kg and not once did I get caught on anything, although I now ride without looking at my feet. This is a super plus of this class of motorcycles, I really didn’t expect it to be so great. Fully loaded, everything for a tent and city holiday for two people for 2-4 weeks
At the same time, another attribute of an SUV - the high front fender - is a failure. The very first trip after a light rain strongly hinted that our wing was decorative. I had to install an alternative solution (this is an extremely popular tuning operation among V85 owners) An example of how a stock wing works
I confidently say that the V85 TT is not the fastest motorcycle when overtaking, but I didn’t expect feats from it, I wasn’t even specifically looking for a sharp motorcycle. Its engine allows me to drive with a maximum load of 150 according to GPS and there are still a couple of thousand revolutions left before the red zone. We eat 6.5-6.7 liters in this mode. The large tank perfectly supports such consumption; now I fill up when I’m in the right mood, and not when the light comes on. Those. Now I’m more likely to think like this - shouldn’t I stretch my legs and drink coffee on the road, and I’ll drink some tea at the same time. We are rare guests at the gas station
You can start alone in 3rd gear, for me this is the main one when driving in traffic jams between cars. On the mountain roads of Crimea, driving at 4 speeds is just like driving a CVT – the engine pulls briskly throughout the entire range and does not sputter. In general, the engine is the soul of this motorcycle, and of the entire brand as a whole. It has pleasant thoroughbred vibrations, which, by the way, definitely spread throughout the entire motorcycle). It has its own character and you need to get used to it and its capabilities, but then you will experience a thrill from all the reactions to your work with the throttle. In one of the reviews on YouTube, the author said that the V85 engine sounds as if a well-fed, deep-voiced pig is being poured with cold water. This is a very close description and I always when I give the gas, I can’t help but smile - that’s how this allegory stuck in my head)) And returning to my favorite topic - saddle height. I don’t notice this problem at all (as it seemed to me) now. At a traffic light, stand on one leg slightly shifted to the side - this is already at the level of a subconscious skill, like squeezing the clutch while driving. If I’m not alone, then with a load and a partner, the spendthrift squats 1-2 centimeters and then it’s completely relaxing. Fit with height 176 cm
The head light is simply super, in combination with the additional Givi, there is simply a clearing in front evenly filled with white light, I have not seen such good light even on cars for a long time. I turned on the distant one a couple of times just for fun, but I don’t see the point in it. Such a light tower works very well on highways - in 90% of cases, a car notices you 100 meters away and promptly clears the lane. By the way, on the highway I spend about half of the time flying on a cruise; it turned out to be a convenient thing; my hands can really have a great rest. In general, in terms of comfort, I drove up to 950 km per day. The roads are very different - the M4 highway, rustic asphalt, fields and tractor paths, a grader with stones, primers with craters like after a bombing. And all this doesn’t tire you, you sit in the evening and think - how great it was, tomorrow I’ll go again and it will be just as good. Patiently waiting for me to go again
But what about the Italian quality from the headline? Reliability. At MOT 0 the mileage was 1500, the dealer did not find anything interesting, they changed the oil and adjusted the valves. After 7000 km, the oil level dropped from MAX to about a third above the MIN mark. I added about 200 grams of the remaining maintenance from the bottle and the level fell into place. Next time I’ll go to maintenance 1, which is at 10,000, but I have no complaints. And in the first photo there’s just a puddle at a gas station, you didn’t think anything that bad, right? ) Nothing has come loose, nothing has fallen off, everything works properly, the nuts and bolts do not rust, there is nothing to complain about. At a temperature of 0, the heat-loving Italian starts with a half-turn and drives without whim. The maximum was +32 for several hours due to traffic jams - nothing overheated and nothing got hot underneath. Cheerful morning!
And now, a year later, 9500 km along different roads - the center, the south, Crimea, Stavropol, the Caucasus, regional towns as weekend trips - I’m sure:
Moto Guzzi V85 TT is TUTTO TERRENO!!!
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