What Have You Being Doing With Your Non-triumph Today?

I think it looks better than the insectoid/transformer-toy look that we're seeing these days.

 

Good reminder, Marco. I'll have to double check but I think my coverage is $500 for riding gear. However, I also think my deductible is $500.

 

Congrats, Marco! Steve and I are looking forward to a New Mexico ride with you on your new bike in a few weeks!

 

Absolutely - it looks great!

 

After getting tenents settled into my rental house I put another couple hundred miles on the new V85TT today. So far so good!

Last night I made a slight adjustment to the handlebar; the dealer pivoted it too far back for my liking, so I tilted it forward about an inch or so. Much better.

Rode some twisties on what we call "South 14" which is the road between Tijeras and Mountainair, NM consisting of some tight corners and plenty of sweepers. I haven't ridden it on a really tight mountain road yet. Will report back once I ride the Sandia Crest road. Bike handles great for a bike of this type and size - very solid feeling and planted. Certainly not my Speed Triple, but a heck of a lot better than other adventure bikes that I've ridden. Suspension is firm, but compliant; just right for this bike and its intended use. It's a dream on smooth roads but still feels planted on the rough corners. I haven't done anything with the suspension settings except turn the rear shock out by one click thereby softening the preload. Didn't do anything with the fork, or the rebound dampening. Tires are Michelin Anakee Adventures at recommended pressure.

The bike seems impervious to wind. No funny business with side winds or gusts, but I'm used to riding in high winds.

Brakes are very good - good modulation and good feel. They're not the top shelf Brembos, but one or two notches below. They're still Brembo monoblock four-piston calipers and seem to be a good match for this bike with plenty of stopping power. This bike has lean-angle sensitive ABS and traction control, but I have not yet tested that.

Now with a little over 300 miles it's still in the break-in period, meaning that I have to avoid engine speed in excess of about 4500 RPM. Even with that limitation the bike has plenty of power and torque. Easy to pass cars and plenty of power to effortlessly push me and the bike up hills and accelerate out of corners. No flat spots in the throttle detected, but so far I've only ridden it in "Road" mode. The bike has four modes, Road, Sport, Rain, and Off-Road. I believe traction control and rear ABS are turned off (or can be turned off) in Off-Road mode. The engine character reminds me of an old BMW R100 airhead, except with more power and torque. I recently tested a few newer model Harley baggers with the Milwaukee-8 114 cubic inch engines, and by the seat of my pants I think this 853cc Guzzi has a little more power. Certainly smoother, although it does shake like a Harley at idle.

The bike is comfortable. The seat is pretty good for a stock seat, and so far I don't see any reason to go with an aftermarket seat. Almost every other bike I've owned I installed an aftermarket seat, usually a Corbin. This one probably won't need it. Foot pegs are low, reach to the bar is good - after I adjusted it I have a slight forward lean which I prefer over bolt-upright. My back felt better after today's ride than yesterday's with the handlebar too far back. Standing is easy and comfortable, the bars just high enough.

After reading countless reviews on these bikes I thought wind protection would have to be addressed. In the past I've always had a love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with small to medium size windscreens because of helmet buffeting. According to most of the reviews I read it can be an issue. Well, other than a little noise the wind protection is pretty good. No buffeting. I think Moto Guzzi spent some time addressing the issue with their earlier bikes and came up with a good solution. The windscreen has a different shape than the pre-2024 models, some plastic air dams were installed on the tank where air was coming up from below (area of the gas tank with the cutouts for the fork), and a set of plastic wings are present on both sides in front of the fork attached below the headlight housing. They did a good job considering that it's still a fairly small windscreen and not a big touring fairing. The V85TT Travel model has a bigger windscreen and acrylic wings up front, but my basic V85TT does not and it's okay.

Mirrors do a very good job of showing what's behind me. Mirrors on most bikes I've owned gave me a great view of my shoulders, but not this one. And other than at idle they don't vibrate much.

The electronics are pretty good. I've read that Aprilia now makes the electronics and handlebar switch gear for these bikes. The TFT display is nice and big, easy to read with more information than I would ever need. Cruise control is excellent.

So far I can't find any faults in this bike, but time will tell. At this moment I think I made a good choice. A few months back I test rode a new BMW R1300GS and while it was nice I felt isolated from the road. Same with a Harley Pan American that I rode a few years ago. The V85 has better feedback.

I filled it up for the first time today (the dealer gave it to me with a full tank), and after filling it the bike told me that I had 298 miles of range. I'm sure that will go down once it's broken in and I start flogging it a little more. It has a 6 gallon (US) tank. Staying below break-in RPM for now.

 

@Marco Wikstrom

Thanks for the great comprehensive review, Marco! Glad you're enjoying your new bike. Hope it works well for you for touring.

 

I just nipped out this morning for 50 miles or so on the Hyperstrada on a local route, stopping at Bringsty Vintage Cafe. There were a few spots of rain on the way back, but nothing biblical - it does seem to be getting quite heavy now though, as forecast this afternoon.

 

Out on my STRS for a run with my son on his STRS. I have to say his bike sounds better with the Arrow exhaust rather than my '24 plate bike with the standard set up.

 

Did a quick moto camping trip in the Jemez Mountains here in New Mexico last night with the new Moto Guzzi V85. Was surrounded by a herd of cattle, including a massive bull. The cows and coyotes became very vocal late into the night and early in the morning.
mc1 by Marco Wikstrom, on Flickr
mc2 by Marco Wikstrom, on Flickr
mc3 by Marco Wikstrom, on Flickr

 

@Marco Wikstrom that looks amazing!

 

That Guzzi does look good.

 

Bullocks

 

Yep, pretty big. And a polygamist; many cows and calves.

 

A really good bike for travel. I still maintain a Speed Triple for the thrills.

 

No, it was true!

 

Stablemates.
stv85 by Marco Wikstrom, on Flickr

 

So today was supposed to be a rideout on the offroaders but you must know what KTMs are like by now. It didn't make it out of his village despite a hasty air filter change as that had recently been replaced.

Nothing else for it, a Billy no mates day
I really can't believe so many of my friends still work Thursdays , of course I need to ring them to invite them out, despite them obviously being at work





Drax power station ( above the mirror) and Emley Moor in the distance, respectively.

 

I'm doing a Section of what is called the TET today and will then part off when the time lands right for tea.



This is a combination of very minor B or C roads, tracks, trails, water crossings etc.

Once you've played in puddles as a kid some of us just don't grow out of it, yes that does mean my socks are damp







That last picture is Sheffield Town centre from an unusual angle.

 

And then I ended up at Hathersage.
There's a nice cafe upstairs of the OUTSIDE outdoor gear shop.
Nice food and reasonable prices, worth calling in if you're out this way.

 

Is that last pic taken at Porter Brook in the Mayfield Valley?

I'll take a guess at the 2nd last pic is Stake Hill road on Ughill Moor?