2019 Moto Guzzi V85TT launch review

“Universal, versatile solution” was how Gianluca Fiume, the CEO of Piaggio Asia Pacific, described the all-new Moto Guzzi V85TT at the recent media launch in Thailand.

The modern enduro touring machine really does belong in a class of its own, and Moto Guzzi – part of the massive Piaggio Group – has unashamedly attempted to strike that fine balance between touring comfort, adventure capability and urban practicality.

The numbers, mechanics and stats sheet of the Moto Guzzi V85TT bear out that thinking: comfortable ergonomics, an ultra-flexible and smooth powerplant, low-maintenance shaft drive, manageable seat height, long-range fuel tank, a quality range of electronics and a high-definition TFT screen.

Mix all the elements together and the Moto Guzzi V85TT is worlds apart from previous adventure fare from Moto Guzzi such as the hard-to-forget Quota, which was as far from the mainstream you could get – in both mechanical and behavioural senses…

Mind you, after 200km of riding north of Phuket – as well as some sand surfing – the Moto Guzzi V85TT is still very much a unique proposition in its own right – more so in regards to features and styling than points of indifference. The shaft drive is a prime example: no other middleweight adventure bike has the low-stress drivetrain.

The bike just feels ‘right’, and roams about the countryside with a fair bit of authority: not necessarily the best at anything, but certainly bigger than the sum of its parts. And its presence is mostly a function of its looks rather than sheer bulk.

The ‘Classic Enduro’, as Moto Guzzi also calls it, benefits from a huge amount of development as the company moves back into the adventure space for the first time since the big-bore Stelvio NTX.

The Stelvio was a ‘bulldozer’ compared to the V85TT, and the major reason for that is the small-block middleweight engine that powers the new machine.

And here’s the executive summary on the V85TT’s transverse 90-degree V-twin: it’s got the same bore and stroke as the donk in the V9 Roamer and V9 Bobber but that’s about where the similarities end.

The new engine, which still retains Guzzi’s signature pushrod valve train, is 30 per cent lighter (thanks to the use of such items as titanium valves and aluminium pushrods with new roller tappets), while major updates have been made to the intake system, combustion chamber, valve actuation and lubrication – there’s now a semi-dry sump with two oil pumps.

So way less inertia opening the door for more perky performance across the rpm spectrum, and the powertrain has also benefitted from a lighter clutch and revisions to the gearbox – the ‘clunk’ when selecting first gear is now a thing of the past. It’s now like stepping onto a pillow – so much so that I had to check a few times whether first gear was even selected…

Guzzi claims 80hp at 7750rpm and 80Nm at 5000rpm for the V85TT, compared to the 55hp/62Nm for the V9 models!

That’s a heady move north in anyone’s language, but without sacrificing the essence of what makes the Guzzi powerplant so inimitable – in looks and muscle. And that trademark ‘beat’ remains as those pistons work their side-to-side magic.

Our typical adventure route – open ‘transport’ sections, parlaying into tight corners and punchy straights and a tiny bit of dirt thrown into the mix – showcased just how flexible the V85TT powerplant is.

The gearing is tall – but that doesn’t mean it moans and groans at low revs. Quite the opposite, with the throttle and fuelling regulated by a single and very effective 52mm Marelli throttle body. Combined with that light clutch, the V85TT would make for an excellent commuter – first box ticked!

Ninety per cent of torque is available at 3750rpm, and then the tempo really goes up at 5000rpm as the V85TT (the TT suffix Italian for ‘Turro Terreno’, or all terrain) builds a head of steam like no other Guzzi I’ve ridden before.

Despite the flurry of revs, I still tended to short-change the 853cc mill – but with the gear ratios quite close in the top three cogs (4-6) maintaining momentum wasn’t an issue.

In top gear at 100km/h, the V85TT is loping along at 4000rpm.

The engine is used as a stressed member in the chassis, so the small amount of vibes from 5000rpm are perfectly understandable – and inconsequential, really.

There are three riding modes on the V85TT: Road, Rain and Off-road, with varying levels of ABS and traction control intervention. Except in off-road, which automatically disengages ABS from the rear. All three modes produce the same full horsepower; it’s just the throttle response that differs.

ABS and traction control can also be switched off in all modes via the settings function on the TFT menu – which is easily accessible like most of the other tasks.

I’d definitely switch off ABS in the dirt, too, as a brief foray into the loose stuff was met with too much early activation on the front end. And the Brembo front brake doesn’t have a massive amount of initial bite, either.

With the single throttle body and Euro 4 certification (who says air-cooled engines have to fall by the wayside as emission laws tighten?), fuel consumption is also a strong suit for the V85TT – and with that huge 23-litre tank you’ll be punching out well above 400km before you have to lift your derriere off the seat. On the launch we averaged about 4.3lt/100km.

The V85TT handles in such a light, breezy and easy-going fashion, belying the 19-inch front wheel and the steering geometry – a 28-degree rake and 128mm of trail.

I was also expecting a little bit of resistance from the transverse engine, especially in quick changes of direction, but that wasn’t a factor at all.

Instead, there’s plenty of rolling speed to be had around corners, which is also kudos for the Kayaba 41mm upside-down fork. It’s beautifully damped, and I couldn’t have felt more comfortable pushing into and through turns on the 229kg (wet) machine.

There’s also plenty of room to move around, and the low-mounted footpegs are just the ticket for taller folk – but I only scraped the footpegs on a few occasions, so there’s plenty of ground clearance: 210mm to be precise.

The lower set pegs has also allowed Guzzi to set the seat height at a manageable 830mm. The seat’s quite wide, and it has a motocross-type ‘lip’ extending onto the tank so you can get quite forward in a streetfighter pose. If you’re feeling more mellow, though, slide back down the seat, set the cruise control, and let the touring ‘wing’ of the V85TT take over.

And if dirt beckons, the bike also has adjustable levers and footpegs – but if the loose stuff does become a staple, some risers in the bars would be a good thing just to add a little bend in the arms. The footpegs also have removable rubber inserts.

Moto Guzzi calls it “practical ergonomics”, designed to accommodate riders from 165-190cm. I’m at the ‘short arse’ end of those parameters!

I was riding the $18,590 (plus on-road costs) Grigio Atacama version of the V85TT for most of the day, which has more road-biased Metzeler Tourance Next tyres as standard compared to Michelin Anakee hoops for the $19,590 (plus on-road costs) tri-coloured versions: Giallo Sahara (my favourite) and Rosso Kalahari. Giallo Sahara is now available in Australia alongside Grigio Atacama, with Rosso Kalahari units on the water as I write this.

But back to the suspension! The laydown side-mounted shock, also from Kayaba, shares the same preload and rebound adjustability of the fork, but it’s not quite as finely tuned. Moto Guzzi offers an accessory Ohlins shock ($1950), which also adds in compression damping.

There’s 170mm of suspension travel front and rear.

I did enjoy getting up close and personal with the V85TT in front of me, just to get a closer look at those LED taillights – which are inspired by wind tunnels and jet afterburners!

As well as the Ohlins shock, Moto Guzzi has developed a large range of additional accessory items for the V85TT that straddle the sport, adventure and urban realms, including:

And there will be more accessories on the way. Moto Guzzi is also offering dedicated V85TT clothing and helmets, which will be available in Australia soon.

CONTACT YOUR NEAREST MOTO GUZZI DEALER

The accessory windshield has a 60 per cent greater surface area than the standard version, also non-adjustable, but unless the highway was beckoning on a regular basis I’d be sticking with the original.

The tarmac roads in Thailand are exceptional, and the launch route took us to some stellar waypoints: the Plai Pho hot springs and a lunch stop overlooking Khao Phing Kan island, which was a setting for the 1974 James bond film The Man with the Golden Gun.

At Plai Pho, we also boiled some eggs in a thermal spring – a new adventure riding frontier.

The off-road part of the launch was truncated because of some unforeseen route issues, but we still finished the day with a play in the sand at Pak Phra beach. As well as serving as inspiration for a new advice column, it was also another chance to play around with the TFT interface.

Deactivating traction control takes seconds – the biggest thing to remember is that it defaults back to ‘on’ if you stall the bike and start again. Which happens a lot in sand if you’re a novice – trust me…

Some road-legal knobbies would have been handy as well, but it wasn’t meant as a try out for the 2019 International Six Day Enduro – more a ‘see how far you can go’ session.

The TFT screen automatically adjusts itself for ambient light.

To the naked eye, there’s always a slightly awkward mix to an adventure bike – lots of bike, bars and brawn, and the V85TT probably also falls under that umbrella. That said, I reckon it’s a great looking jigger, and certainly a unique styling proposition.

And the great thing about the V85TT is that Moto Guzzi hasn’t had to worry about making a big bike feel small, which is the perennial puzzle for litre-plus adventure bikes.

No such concerns here, and the V85TT repays the faith with performance and handling characteristics that set new benchmarks for the almost century-old company.

It’s fresh and fun and, while the launch route didn’t hold any fears, there’s no doubt the V85TT’s ‘all-purpose’ mandate does strike a chord. It really is a breakout model, and Moto Guzzi's just announced a well-known adventurer to spread the good word – Ewan McGregor.

Moto Guzzi expects “positive returns” from the V85TT, and we can’t see why the reality won’t match the rhetoric.

ENGINE
Type: Air-cooled, transverse 90-degree V-twin
Capacity: 853cc
Bore x stroke: 84mm x 77mm
Compression ratio: 10.5:1
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection with 52mm throttle body

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 80hp (59kW) at 7750rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 80Nm at 5000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Final drive: Shaft
Clutch: Dry, single disc

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Tubular steel with engine as stressed member
Front suspension: 41mm upside-down forks with adjustable for preload and rebound, 170mm travel
Rear suspension: Shock with adjustable preload and rebound, 170mmm travel
Front brake: Twin 320mm discs with radial mounted Brembo four-piston calipers
Rear brake: 260mm disc with twin-piston caliper
Wheels: Spoked, 2.50 x19 front, 4.25 x 17 rear
Tyres: Single colour – Metzler Tourance Next, multi-coloured – Michelin Anakee. Sizes: 110/80-19 front, 150/70-17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 28 degrees
Trail: 128mm
Claimed dry weight: 208kg
Claimed wet weight: 229kg
Seat height: 830mm (accessory options: 810mm and 850mm)
Ground clearance: 210mm
Wheelbase: 1530mm
Fuel capacity: 23 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: from $18,890 plus on-road costs
Colours: Single – Grigio Atacama, tri-colour – Giallo Sahara
Test bike supplied by: Piaggio Asia Pacific
Local distributor: Moto Guzzi Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres