Sam Maclachlan•16 Jun 2016

REVIEW

2016 Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer/Bobber launch review

Name: 2016 Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer/Bobber launch review
Brand: Moto Guzzi

Moto Guzzi's stylish new V9 siblings take the existing V7 retro concept and make it even better

Moto Guzzis used to be an acquired taste, a taste that came with compromises that both endeared and enraged riders. Bruised shins, an unnerving torque-reaction at standstill for those new to the transverse-mounted engine, very European looks – they're not for everyone. But those that did love them loved them ferociously – and rode them all over the world.

Over recent years, however, Moto Guzzi has worked at maintaining what makes the brand so unique, while also delivering it in a package more palatable for those unlikely to try pronouncing bike parts in bad Italian accents.

The magnificent California 1400 cruiser was the first of these bikes. Released in 2013, it's a wondrously useable piece of touring hardware that still sounds and looks like a Guzzi, but is more refined than any Guzzi before it.

The new V9 Bobber (fatter, smaller front wheel diameter) and Roamer (narrower, larger front wheel diameter) are two more moves in that direction. The mid-sized machines are based on the beautiful V7 but they come with an almost all-new engine, a specially developed app(!) and all the sounds and sights that make a Moto Guzzi what it is – along with a refreshing lack of plastic.

The solid look and feel of the bike is kicked off by that rock of an engine sitting proudly across the frame, though its solidity does make the frame and fork look spindly in comparison – particularly on the Bobber, where the fat front hoop adds to the visual impact.

What makes a Moto Guzzi engine so unique? Two valves per cylinder, air/oil cooling and a wave of fat torque from low to high-ish revs. It's no sportsbike donk and it doesn’t want to be, but it is fun and, teamed with the shaft drive and bulletproof gearbox, is smoother than I expected – it glides along.

The list of non-high-tech features continues, with a single throttle body for the Marelli EFI and a single-plate dry clutch. Then again, it's not always about the technology you have, but how you use it…

The dry clutch, for a start, is so quiet you can barely hear it. The engine, sitting out in the breeze like it does, means it still meets tough Euro 4 emissions standards despite the lack of liquid cooling. And while its claimed 55hp is hardly heady, it's the fat torque curve, which doesn't drop below a claimed 50Nm from 2000rpm to the 7000rpm redline, that does the talking. Not that there's a traditional tacho as such – but if that's a concern you can download the app and run your phone on the handlebars instead.

So while you may initially question the interference of the transverse engine at standstill, as it rocks the bike side to side whenever you blip the throttle, it never amounts to any such distraction on the road. As you can see in the video (see below), there's certainly no torque steer affecting how it wheelies…

The engine is a supremely useable gem, with a trademark Moto Guzzi purr and torque, plus lumpy tractability and grip from the back end. I have to wonder, then – why does Moto Guzzi fit traction control to these bikes?

Our launch ride probably took these bikes to a little above the pace of the average owner, but never did I feel like that rear wheel was going to do anything other than grip and grunt. I get that traction control is a good back-up, but the engine itself is so tractable I'm not sure that TC is needed.

As it is, I turned it off most times I got on the bike because on hard-ish uphill corner exits the TC light was flashing like a demon, while the engine stuttered for no real reason – there was plenty of grip, but the sensors were confused.

The system defaults to 'on' each time the bike is restarted with the key but can be switched off or between the two settings on the fly once the throttle is closed.

A gentle country cruise, however, won't bring this on and when our day darkened and the roads showed the wear of Sydney's recent Big Wet, I was happy enough to leave it turned on to the less intrusive setting.

Both bikes are very similar in spec but their differing front ends translate to quite a different feel through the 'bars. That's not surprising when you stare down the front hoops, the Roamer's 100/90-19 front Pirelli offering a whole different skillset to the Bobber's 130/90-16 front Continental.

The preferred choice of the two variants on the launch was interesting. Some preferred the Bobber's front end, enjoying the more robust but less nimble sense of solidity, while I was a Roamer man, enjoying the freer-steering feel. In fact, the total circumference of each bike's front wheel/tyre combo adds up to a very similar number given the different tyre profiles.

I'd bet taking the stopwatch out would yield bugger all difference point to point between the two, but feel is a big factor in enjoying a bike; the Roamer feels more direct to me even though I prefer the look of the Bobber. I'd love to try the Bobber 'bars on the Roamer – so confusing…

An area that says 'character' to some people and is just a source of annoyance to others is the fact that the transverse-mounted engine interferes with your ergonomics. Like the Harley-Davidson Roadster we tested recently (click here), the Moto Guzzi requires a few signature moves to deal with compromised ergos.

For a start, I needed to shift my foot on the footpeg to shift gear without banging a shin on the left-side engine pot in front of my leg. I also needed to sit further back on the Bobber's long, flat seat than I liked – though I reckon the seat is more to blame than the engine.

The seat is not thick, so you sit low. Legroom is okay, but with another 25-50mm on the seat's height (a claimed 770mm) I reckon the leg angle would change enough to keep the shins off the padded but still painful engine pots. The extra foam would also aid comfort and enhance the bike's mile-munching ability.

Hard-core Guzzi riders are feverishly typing into the comments section as we speak, pointing out my softness. In my defense I don't mind some compromises in the name of character, but making the bike easier to operate is generally a good thing and the extra movement to shift cogs becomes annoying after half a day.

Having said that, sitting the rider higher would affect the bike's gloriously low center of gravity, and I'll take the Guzzi shuffle to change gear over a lesser-handling bike.

Both bikes are fun handlers, with a solid mid-corner feel you expect of bikes of this genre. Unfortunately the ground clearance is average. While it acts as a speed limiter and keeps you to a certain pace on our heavily policed roads, I did manage to snap a footpeg off when I stupidly hit a cats-eye at just the wrong angle – the bike feels capable of leaning further without disaster. I actually proved this point when my newly modified footpeg setup allowed me to tackle the right-handers faster than left-handers…

Otherwise the Roamer is sharp and direct and fun, while the Bobber adds a mildly cruisier feel to the ride. Both bikes excel in tight roads, their compliant suspension dealing reasonably well over the road zits with which us Aussies must contend. Importantly, both bikes are really stable, without being straight-line specialists.

The rear shocks are very soft, though, and non-adjustable save for spring preload, so adding a pillion or luggage presents a compromise. The fork has zero adjustment, though the fork feels less like it needs it than the rear pair of boingers.

But these are 850cc retro twins, and ridden as such they offer a lot of satisfaction as well as some serious street cred in the looks department.

At $16,500 ride away and with a 24-month, unlimited-kilometer warranty, the with their friendlier engines the V9s are a more versatile option to the V7s, yet they still offer enough retro styling to transport you back to the '70s.

There's some very non-'70s features too, including the ability to power your smartphone via the USB plug on the steering head, the ABS system, traction control and fuel injection that removes the coughs and flame-outs and adds fine throttle control and efficiency.

With that price point, Moto Guzzi rightly expects owners to spice up their packages with factory accessories, such as soft bags, retro-spec windshields and, importantly, fully adjustable shocks.

The V9s are a fun pair of bikes. They're aimed at those looking to buy a Triumph T120 or the like, but Moto Guzzi offers something else no other brand can – the attraction of the V9s' sheer 'Italian-ness', along with their rideability and their broad range of potential usage.

There's some tough competition in this arena but Moto Guzzi has added mainstream appeal to its very Italian package, creating something that no-one else can offer in quite the same way.

Moto Guzzis haven't always been for every rider, but this pair of V9s makes a compelling case to get your butt on one and discover for yourself just how liveable Italian passion can now be.

SPECS: 2017 MOTO GUZZI V9 ROAMER/BOBBER

ENGINE

Type: Air/oil-cooled, four-valve, four-stroke, 90-degree V-twin

Capacity: 853cc

Bore x stroke: 84mm x 77mm

Compression ratio: 10.5: 1

Fuel system: Marelli electronic fuel injection

Emissions: Euro 4

PERFORMANCE

Claimed maximum power: 55hp (40.4kW) at 6250rpm

Claimed maximum torque: 62Nm at 3000rpm

TRANSMISSION

Type: Six-speed, constant mesh

Final drive: Shaft

Clutch: Dry, single plate

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR

Frame type: Tubular steel double cradle

Front suspension: 40mm conventional fork, non-adjustable

Rear suspension: Twin shocks, adjustable for preload

Front brakes: Single 320mm disc with four-piston Brembo caliper

Rear brakes: Single 260mm disc with twin-piston Brembo caliper

Wheels: Alloy, Front – 2.5in x 19in (3.5in x 16in); Rear – 4.0in x 16in

Tyres: Front – 100/90R19 (130/90R16); Rear – 150/80R16

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES

Rake: 26.4 degrees

Trail: 125mm (116mm)

Wet weight: 200kg

Seat height: 775mm (770mm)

Wheelbase: 1465mm

Fuel capacity: 15 litres

OTHER STUFF

Price: $16,500 ride away

Colours: Yellow, white or red (silver or black)

Bike Supplied by: John Sample Group, www.motoguzzi.com.au

Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

2016 Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer/Bobber launch review

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