We passed: Moto Guzzi V85TT // New wind from Mandella del Aria
In a factory north of the lake Komo, where there is also a wonderful museum dedicated to almost a century of history of mechanical engineering and motor sports, in these places there is just over 100 employees, you can say that this is a boutique manufacturer, but this is only partly true. Needless to say what a giant the Piaggio Group is as it has factories all over the world and therefore an extremely wide range of those it works with. But the Moto Guzzi is one of those gems that has been especially carefully polished in recent years. On every motorcycle brought from the assembly line, nothing is made outside of Italy. This is their tradition, which they are especially proud of. Moto Guzzi fans are a special type of motorcyclist. If they said they weren't interested in horses and pounds, they would be lying, as they are actually people who have delved into the history of the brand and just fell in love with it.
The condition is that you enjoy the simple and, as far as possible, the main pleasure of driving, rather than the pursuit of extreme acceleration and deceleration. With this in mind, they set about developing a motorcycle that they lacked in the range, because, according to the Stelvio model, which was not a bad bike at all, they no longer made an enduro for travel. Basically, they came up with fantastic ideas. They have combined the key components of Moto Guzzi, such as a beautiful classic look, comfort and ease of driving, to create a new segment of motorcycles called retro or classic touring enduro. Moto Guzzi V85 TT in fact, it offers more comfort for two and a true enduro driving position than, for example, the popular scramblers.
Equipped with a pair of aluminum side skirts and a raised windshield, it is a very comfortable transport vehicle with surprisingly large driver and passenger space. They also noticed a very important feature. At the height of the seat from the ground. The very comfortable seat is positioned low enough (height from the ground 830 mm) and is designed so that those riders who find it difficult to set foot on touring enduro bikes also reach the ground. The use of a new steel frame and lighter components in the engine is up to the engineers. managed to bring the weight to 208 pounds without liquid.
However, when you add fuel to the large 23-liter fuel tank, as well as brake and engine oil, the weight does not exceed 229 kilograms. Thanks to the transversely located two-cylinder engine, the center of gravity is also in an advantageous position, and the motorcycle can be easily moved in the hands, both on the spot and while riding. I dare say that in this (middle) class of enduro touring bikes, the Moto Guzzi V85TT is very high in terms of simplicity and ease of riding.
Ease of use is expressed not only in clean and pleasant lines, but also in the fact that you can easily master the operation of the modern TFT display, which displays all the necessary information of the on-board computer, by pressing the buttons on the left and right side of the steering wheel. ● modes of engine control, ABS and rear wheel slip. They also showed us the navigation system they developed, which is transmitted to the screen via a smartphone, which you can always carry in your pocket. Of course, you can also make phone calls using a simple intercom. And all this without lowering the steering wheel for a second. A big plus for assistance systems, infotainment and safety!
On the trip he was surprised, it is definitely a new generation Moto Guzzi, which, however, remains true to its traditions. The bike is perfectly balanced, which has also been shown on the winding roads of Sardinia. The frame and suspension work well together and overall, more than racing, they are fun and comfortable to drive. Brembo radial brakes definitely look good on it and we were even more pleased with their performance. It is also the first Moto Guzzi to brake really well and therefore allows for a heck of a sporty deceleration. True, at times we passed corners faster than we should, but the bike allowed it. Vnarrow on the border there up to 130 kilometers per hour calm and filled with good feelings in the bend. Even irregularities on the asphalt suspension do not cause problems.
Inverted fork and single rear shock Kayaba they are a good compromise for most motorcyclists. Front and rear wheel travel is 170 millimeters, which is enough to overcome the bumps we encounter off-road. During testing, we also drove a good 10 kilometers of crushed stone, which was served somewhere with a sandy base and gravel, but Guzzi overcame it without problems. Of course, this is not an off-road racing car, but it brought us in a completely sovereign way to a secluded beach with a fantastic panorama. It comes with good crankcase and hand guards as standard, the front fender is good enough to stay dry even when driving on water if you don't overdo it, and it all somehow gives it the authentic look of big Eighties touring enduro bikes.
More, Guzzi chose the iconic paintwork of the motorcycle that Claudio Torri rode in the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1985 for two of the five color combinations.... The V65TT Baja enduro model was redesigned at home in a home garage and, like most other motorcyclists, set off unaided on a big African adventure. Part of this legacy is also a large fuel tank made from durable plastic.
With moderate fuel consumption, it is possible with a full tank you can also drive up to 400 kilometers– information intended for motorcycles marked “adventure”.
This is already a chapter that every owner of such a motorcycle can write on their own at the moment when they slide their finger across the map to their final destination, ride the V85TT and set off on a new adventure. However, on this Guzzi, the goal is not the main one, but everything in between is important. No rush, so you turn off the road, where you think a new, even more beautiful view opens up over the hill.
Thus, Moto Guzzi is opening a new page in its extremely rich history. In Sardinia, we also caught information in the espresso chat that this is just the beginning and that we can soon expect another new and interesting bike from under the hills in Mandella del Ario.
