Hi Cholo I think the internet really throws up disproportionate reviews anyway, people are very quick to point out faults with lets say on here motorcycles - but i think all brands have there weaknesses and other people obsess about various brands. BMW are held up by many as be all and end all by some and thought to be the worst by others , Ive had BMW's along with many other makes of bikes over the years. They can and have all been good and bad depending on the day. I like Guzzis maybe because they are old school and have foibles but generally easily fixed. Unless your speedo dies so I hear. Anyway i think you buy what appeals and work around its weaknesses. Lots buy honda and suzukis for travels then spend as much again improving them to be able to do trips away, so very few bikes are faultless just maybe the owners like to think them that way. Ive always admitted Guzzi to be different and maybe have a few sortable foibles but generally they are generally over engineered, they are a constant progression of what went before so proven design, they are simple to work on and they have their very own unique feel and brand family, so I like them always have but are they perfect no. But they are more perfect than others !:innocent:

Indeed, I can only compare my own use. Until 2 years ago the bike was my only transport. This was how I did things for 25 years. Yorkshire is a cold, damp climate to which you then add warm weather use on your holidays. Some bikes (Yamaha and Suzuki) work but rot. My Triumph had one issue, the coil position, which stopped me once then became easy enough to fix. I could only stop Honda’s and MZ by old age and hard use. The Enfields broke down but could be fixed.

The V7 was only the speedo illumination, but it then had a few instances of running rough and one where I had to remove the battery to get the engine ECU back to start up. Thinking you could put a new lamp in the speedo makes you do the research which is where you find it's sealed and an £800 unit. The CAN style link to the engine ECU and the way none of the wiring runs fully front to rear made me think they were related. When they finally fitted the new speedo and suddenly it stops all the mis-fire and stalling stuff it pretty much confirmed it to me. The plugs they use (in my professional opinion as an Engineer working on trailer electronics) are their big down fall. Fine for a conventional electrical system in a dry climate, no use for electronics in a damp one.

A lovely bike, but if you need to be somewhere a Honda NC or CB500 or I daresay an Africa Twin will do better IMHO. Do the research, it would only take a change from Italian components to Japanese design/Chinese manufacture to cure what I found, so it may have happened.

Andy

Andy i have to say the Stelvio appears to me to have fairly standard electric, Ive gone through it front to back and its a standard harness so im sort of surprised that the V& has the can bus set up you describe I will have to ask down at the guzzi club meet what others have found. I hope that the V85b has stayed away from the can bus set up but will see. Jake.

Andy - I used a company to repair the electronics in my volvo speedo system took the clocks unit out and sent it off came back perfect - a few days later, Im sure the guys there could probably sort stuff like this - they do repair ECU's and all kinds of other electronic stuff. If mine plays up i will, give them first chance I think. Lets hope it doesn't play up in the first instance mind. Cheers jake.

V85 announced the price it is £10799 uk otr. extras available as upgrades ohlin suspension, metal luggage , bling lights etc. Torque now put out as 80nm at 3400rpm, 79hp and 7750 rpm. seat height 830mm, weight fuelled ready to go 229kg. I reckon its a nice bike for many, the ease of maintenance and basic design is big boon, here is hoping they have kept the electrics simple or if not lets hope they prove reliable.

Now come On Andy - cold damp climate, your near to a southerner to me up here in Northumberland, your in the warmer climates of coastline and rolling hills - your not getting away with this, every Yorkshire man tells me how he is from God's own county
Even ooop north here on the borders of Northumberland I swim in the sea a few times a week in me undies when out walking the dog - even in late November.

Now come on lad get a grip. get them rose tinted specs on and get down the coast for a morning dip. Yorkshire is beautiful. :thumbup1:

Jake

A link to as half descent overview of the bike. ( weight is very good at 208 kg dry, 229 wet full tank and all fluids.) you might have to type this in as I can't get the link to work here.

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2018/...or-new-v85-tt/

Sorry to drag up an old thread but c’est la vie.

I went for a test on one today. So that you can get context my current bike is a 1986 BMW R80. I was wondering if I would notice too much difference between an 800cc boxer with shaft drive and an 853cc v-twin with shaft drive.

First thing I should say is that I planned for the day to be dry but my plan failed within 10 minutes of leaving the showroom - proper rain, not torrential but heavy enough to cause me to have to wipe my visor every 5 seconds or so.

The engine is lovely and is only let down by having some lights that flash when the engine spins above 5,000rpm and when the smile gets too big. Apparently this can be sorted out in the menu on the box of tricks modern bikes come with so isn’t a real problem. No doubt there are those that think 80hp is too little - the original BMW R80GS came with 50hp and my plain Jane R80 has seen some of those horses have escape so I think that it is plenty powerful enough - 100mph should be easy to go past fully loaded if that is your bag. The V-twin is lovely and smooth off tickover and makes a decent attempt to be noisy when opening up - not Harley loud though.

Handling was easy once I had got over how wide it felt relative to my bike - the suspension was a little hard but I hadn’t played with it at all - preload and extension are adjustable.

The cruise control was fun and easy to use, the main beam was too easy to flick on by mistake and I was very underwhelmed by the horn volume. The indicators were easy to use.

I had the bike for around 60 miles so it is difficult to say how much fuel I used but without going for it I would expect to get somewhat more than 60mpg (imperial) without too much hassle putting the range at over 300 miles From the 23 litre tank.

The weather protection was far, far better than I expected given that it has no fairing and just a small screen. The tank is designed so that your knees tuck in and the hand protection deflects the rain and wind from the hands most effectively. The only thing to get wet was my helmet, and a few drops on my trousers.

One thing that I did miss was the comfortable heated feet stands that my BMW has but the engine kicks off sufficient heat to dry what little rain got to my trousers without being uncomfortable.

looks like a nice bike to ride indeed

I’m off for a second test ride this weekend. Anybody got any questions I can try to answer whilst out playing?

Well, I went for a second test ride on the Moto Guzzi V85TT today. It really is fun to ride. The niggles I had last time were still there - crap horn and too easy to flick on full beam. However the lights that come on when the revs rise were less annoying and reminded me that I had a silly smile on my face - the noise of the standard exhaust at that point is lovely.

Compared to my BMW R80 looks wise I was struck by how narrow the bike is - other than the handlebars which feel so much wider than the BMW.

Now to nail down the price.

One thing that I realise that I completely failed to mention is that the brakes are significantly better in terms of power and feel than my BMW R80 - in part this will be down to the organic pads / cast iron disc on the BMW but I was still surprised at the difference in performance.

Anyway, to cut to the chase, I put the deposit down today and should get the bike in the next week or so once the extras have been fitted. I am more than a little excited at the prospect of its arrival.

Various extras have arrived att he dealers for the new bike but they are yet to be fitted. Not that I am impatient. Oh, no. Not me, the very epitome of patience and not champing at the bit in the slightest.

Once upon a time long, long ago there was a motorbike that belonged to Dad:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b11kpkmnsq...%2008.jpg?dl=0

And as time went by the bike stopped being used when the children arrived. As the children got older Dad kept saying that he was going to get the motorbike back on the road but the children didn’t believe him so Dad proved them wrong for the first time and the bike, and Dad, was back on the road. After a while Dad decided that he wanted a new bike. He tried a few and liked them all but one captured his heart more than the others:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b11kpkmnsq...%2008.jpg?dl=0


When the new bike appeared at home Dad introduced the two bikes and they all lived happily ever after:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ibqoibkfq2...%2048.jpg?dl=0

Moto Guzzi 850
 

Once upon a time I had a Moto Guzzi 850 T -74.
Same as on this picture

https://motorrad-fuchs.com/relaunch/...1/0/0000_1.jpg

I used it for 3 years of long distance touring.
And for daily usage, when not touring.
I worked perfect.
Change of oil and spark plugs, adjustment of ignition once a year. That was all.

Than happened other things in life....
The Guzzi was parket and later sold.

Later i had a MG California 1000 cc.

But IHO, 850 is the optimum size for the MG V-twin.

So, now whith this 850 TT, evertyhing falls in place.
Old type of simple and well proven architecture, perfect size, and some good improvements.

I want one !!!