There's an older thread on the V85TT that seems to have died almost 3 years ago.
So here's a new one.
After my bad experience with a new Triumph 1200 GTPro, over the last month+ I/we have test ridden all sort of bikes including:
Africa Twin 1100 DCT which she really liked
Aprilia 1200 CapoNord. We both love the bike but I don't want a sport tourer
A couple of BMW GS1250 versions (she loved the pillion seat)
BMW 850GS (totally forgettable bike)
Harley PanAm (That'll be a hard no)
KTM 1290 (Bigger than I want)
KTM 890R (Fun but high strung)
KTM 890 Adventure (their basic model which sits lower. Pillion too small)
Two Moto Guzzi V100 Mandellos (fantastic motor and bike but not meant to be a 2-up bike!)
Two Moto Guzzi V85TTs (she likes the back)
Triumph Street Twin 1200 (She wouldn't even try)
Triumph Scrambler XT (she hated the back)
And another Super Tenere
And in the end bought this 2021 Moto Guzzi V85TT with 2,700 miles which came with a full set of boxes.
The green wasn't my first choice (wanted the Coast Guard red) but it's grown on me, as it is the Centenario Edition, celebrating Guzzi's 100th year in 2021. The previous owner was an older gent who bought this from a small town dealer (Xtreme Motorsports in Accident MD) and let the dealer perform the first service, then bought a Goldwing and sold this back to them. The "chicken strips" show he never cornered it hard, despite having wonderful roads in Western MD, WV, and Ohio.
It weighs 463# empty, is physically smaller than the Tenere and other big bore bikes, and the pushrod engine is never going to keep up in any races. That said, I have always liked the looks of most Guzzis, and sitting on this thing has been amazingly comfortable for the couple hour rides I've taken so far. Riding the twisty back roads around Western Maryland took me back to that expression that it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow because it is nimble as heck. It's an absolute blast on the gravel I've found so far and I'm hoping to take it on the MABDR which I wouldn't consider with the big Triumph. I've mentioned a few times that while slightly underpowered in terms of the Super Ten and others, the engine still has enough to keep it fun and it's like what a vastly improved VStrom 650 would want to be.
It's new enough it even has warranty remaining but the dealer said they have very few warranty issues. fwiw - I have two Guzzi dealers within 80 minutes and one a bit over two hours, but the engine and bike are set up for owner maintenance. (Other than resetting the service wrench icon)
Have a new low fender to put on, am looking at windshields, and need to mount the Zumo XT. Otherwise plan to keep it stock as possible because it'll probably go away when Guzzi starts to sell the V100-based Water Stelvio next year. After riding a couple of Mandellos and having a blast both times, that engine is just perfectly balanced between the 800 class and current group of big-bores. Putting the 115 hp V100 engine in a frame like the V85TT and keeping the weight under 500 lbs is going to make for an incredible bike.
Spy shot of coming V100 Water Stelvio
Learned a lot about Guzzi as a company over the last month too, because knowing enough Italian that Moto was motorcycle, I always thought the name was something like "Goose Motorcycle."
Wrong.
The company was started by a shipping owner, his Italian Air Force (WW1) son Giorgio Parodi, and the son's friend Carlo Guzzi who was another WW1 pilot in the Air Force with Giorgio. The company started named after Giorgio but the initials GP caused problems with the races and Carlos was the designer so it became essentially "Guzzi [designed] motorcycle."
As for the symbol which I always thought was a goose (I never looked too close), it's the eagle used in the WW1 Italian Air Force wings, in honor of another pilot friend of theirs who was killed.
Will post more as time permits and more riding gets done. Business has been super busy of late.
V85TT
Took me a year and a half to move from my 2012 DL650A v-strom to my 2014 S10 non-ES. Might take another year and a half but I think this will be my next bike. https://www.motoguzzi.com/us_EN/moto/Touring/V85/V85-TT/
www.yamahasupertenere.com
So here's a new one.
After my bad experience with a new Triumph 1200 GTPro, over the last month+ I/we have test ridden all sort of bikes including:
Africa Twin 1100 DCT which she really liked
Aprilia 1200 CapoNord. We both love the bike but I don't want a sport tourer
A couple of BMW GS1250 versions (she loved the pillion seat)
BMW 850GS (totally forgettable bike)
Harley PanAm (That'll be a hard no)
KTM 1290 (Bigger than I want)
KTM 890R (Fun but high strung)
KTM 890 Adventure (their basic model which sits lower. Pillion too small)
Two Moto Guzzi V100 Mandellos (fantastic motor and bike but not meant to be a 2-up bike!)
Two Moto Guzzi V85TTs (she likes the back)
Triumph Street Twin 1200 (She wouldn't even try)
Triumph Scrambler XT (she hated the back)
And another Super Tenere
And in the end bought this 2021 Moto Guzzi V85TT with 2,700 miles which came with a full set of boxes.
The green wasn't my first choice (wanted the Coast Guard red) but it's grown on me, as it is the Centenario Edition, celebrating Guzzi's 100th year in 2021. The previous owner was an older gent who bought this from a small town dealer (Xtreme Motorsports in Accident MD) and let the dealer perform the first service, then bought a Goldwing and sold this back to them. The "chicken strips" show he never cornered it hard, despite having wonderful roads in Western MD, WV, and Ohio.
It weighs 463# empty, is physically smaller than the Tenere and other big bore bikes, and the pushrod engine is never going to keep up in any races. That said, I have always liked the looks of most Guzzis, and sitting on this thing has been amazingly comfortable for the couple hour rides I've taken so far. Riding the twisty back roads around Western Maryland took me back to that expression that it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow because it is nimble as heck. It's an absolute blast on the gravel I've found so far and I'm hoping to take it on the MABDR which I wouldn't consider with the big Triumph. I've mentioned a few times that while slightly underpowered in terms of the Super Ten and others, the engine still has enough to keep it fun and it's like what a vastly improved VStrom 650 would want to be.
It's new enough it even has warranty remaining but the dealer said they have very few warranty issues. fwiw - I have two Guzzi dealers within 80 minutes and one a bit over two hours, but the engine and bike are set up for owner maintenance. (Other than resetting the service wrench icon)
Have a new low fender to put on, am looking at windshields, and need to mount the Zumo XT. Otherwise plan to keep it stock as possible because it'll probably go away when Guzzi starts to sell the V100-based Water Stelvio next year. After riding a couple of Mandellos and having a blast both times, that engine is just perfectly balanced between the 800 class and current group of big-bores. Putting the 115 hp V100 engine in a frame like the V85TT and keeping the weight under 500 lbs is going to make for an incredible bike.
Spy shot of coming V100 Water Stelvio
Learned a lot about Guzzi as a company over the last month too, because knowing enough Italian that Moto was motorcycle, I always thought the name was something like "Goose Motorcycle."
Wrong.
The company was started by a shipping owner, his Italian Air Force (WW1) son Giorgio Parodi, and the son's friend Carlo Guzzi who was another WW1 pilot in the Air Force with Giorgio. The company started named after Giorgio but the initials GP caused problems with the races and Carlos was the designer so it became essentially "Guzzi [designed] motorcycle."
As for the symbol which I always thought was a goose (I never looked too close), it's the eagle used in the WW1 Italian Air Force wings, in honor of another pilot friend of theirs who was killed.
Will post more as time permits and more riding gets done. Business has been super busy of late.
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