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Thread: Guzzi V85 TT - Revzilla review

  1. #1
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    Guzzi V85 TT - Revzilla review

    It's not often you read a review as honestly refreshing as this one.

    https://www.revzilla.com/common-trea...%7C%20Combined

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by AllanB View Post
    It's not often you read a review as honestly refreshing as this one.

    https://www.revzilla.com/common-trea...%7C%20Combined
    Not only refreshingly honest, but written with disarmingly good humour and clever use of the English language which is all too lacking in most quarters (cue grumblings from an old fart).

    Thanks for that Allan. Almost didn't read it, delighted that I did!

  3. #3
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    I agree 100% - most reviews are pretty much cut and paste jobs with a change of the machines maker and the photos being the only thing to distinguish between the previous page. Which is largely unhelpful when shopping for a new ride.

  4. #4
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    Genuinely entertaining review - thanks for posting that. Anyone else think there's the bones of a truly great bikini faired cafe racer in there?

    Loved the line about the R9T.

  5. #5
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    I like the use of the word 'Technowhizbangery' in there. This person says/writes what a lot of us think I reckon.

    I'm still thinking that Guzzi is onto something with this machine. Not too powerful that it overwhelms the chassis and quick enough for the vast majority of us. Good looking, not too tall and comfy too by the looks of it. I wonder what they'll price it at here in NZ?

  6. #6
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    So - I've just been and had a look at the V85TT which Scooterazzi here in Wellington have received. In all a very nice looking machine and better in the flesh than the pictures, as Guzzis often are IMHO.

    Priced around $21k it's in similar territory to the VStrom 1000 (Looks a bit costly then but a nice alternative), cheaper than a Tiger 800 (So that's good then) and definitely cheaper than the BMWobblyou 850 thingy (I'd definitely rather have the Guzzi then).

    I'm going to take a decent length test ride in a week or three's time, after which I'll post up my impressions.

    Anyone else here ridden one here in NZ yet?

  7. #7
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    Hi All

    An interesting article which I spotted on Facecloth today.

    https://www.latimes.com/business/sto...3IkUsV3Yut2-oY

    It seems that so far the news is good - Albeit with the usual caveat of Guzzi's retail and after-sales being the potential weak link.

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    Good try

    Good and better....... but not the best

  9. #9
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    So - I saw one of these on the Ride Forever Gold course I attended in Nelson yesterday. The owner had only done some 3-400 Kms on it but thus far he was very impressed and there was no sign of the final drive leakage/overflow that seems to have affected other machines overseas.

    Interestingly the bike seemed to do well in the slow speed riding portion of the training and appeared to be easy to manage. The owner was around 5'10" in old money and found the seating position to be comfy though the legs for anyone taller than that may be a little cramped. Guzzi do a taller seat to help cater for that.

    If and when I take one for a test ride then I'll try and post some of my own observations on here. Anyone on here got one? What do you think?

  10. #10
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    For those of you interested a YouTube reviewer, The Missenden Flyer, has just put up a review video. Quite informative it is too, even if he does get the power and torque figures a bit mixed up when he's quoting the specifications.

  11. #11
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    So 've booked to take the local dealer's demo bike out on Fri 8 Nov. I'll post up my impressions once I've been for a ride.

  12. #12
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    Finally ridden one - What did I think?

    So - I finally managed to get out and about on a V85TT today having a ride on Scooterazzi's demo bike. Sadly the weather did its best to try and spoil things so I had to cut my planned route a little shorter as I didn't fancy heading up Rimutaka Hill with that sort of driving rain and wind. Still I managed to gain a good impression of it

    Good bits

    The engine is simply lovely. It sounds good, fuels well and has managed to retain enough personality (I'll try and avoid using the dreaded 'Character' word) to let you know that you're riding something that little bit different. Performance is enough to be fun without being scary at all and the gearing is about right with 100Km/hr being just shy of 4000Rpm. This on a bike where the rev limiter cuts in around 8000Rpm.

    So far so predictable as I knew I'd like the motor.

    The biggest surprise, and like most of us it's becoming harder to genuinely surprise me bike-wise as I get older, was the clutch and gearbox combination. In short it's as though someone at Guzzi has gone and bought a VStrom, stripped it down and found out just what they do to make the gearbox a pleasure to use. I didn't miss a single shift and changes were really easy to master. I even tried a clutchless shift whilst accelerating fairly briskly up a hilly section and the box managed it quite happily. That would have been nigh-on impossible on the previous Guzzis I've owned/ridden.

    The TFT instruments were easy to fathom out and the riding modes easy t change on the move too. The standard-fit cruise control worked well once you'd figured out how to use it and the switchgear was all fairly easy to decipher and use too.

    The not-so-good bits

    The screen - It needs to be bigger and/or better shaped. t's OK as is but it could be better. I know that Guzzi do a larger item and I'm sure that there are aftermarket items out there so it's a case of try and see I guess. The fuel filler is really narrow and tapered such that fuel gushes out the top when you are getting close to full.

    Both of these are things that you can change and/or adapt to though and compared to the compromises one had to make for Guzzis of before these are small beer.

    Would I buy one?

    In short - Yep I would. I need to now work out how I can afford to put one into the garage but compared to the 950 Multistrada I rode a few weeks back this has a certain something more. It's not as quick as the Duke but it just seems to suit me that bit more.

    Is that daft? Quite possibly but bikes need to appeal to the heart as well as the head and as such I'd love to get my hands on one of these. Time to have a good inward digestion of the different permutations me thinks.

  13. #13
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    Nice review Lee! Your telling phrase is "buying with the heart and head". I forgot the "heart" when buying the GSX-S 1000 and it lacked that bit extra which you refer too. The Duke 790 has both elements in spades.

    Errr..... has your shed got room for another bike?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Blackbird View Post
    Nice review Lee! Your telling phrase is "buying with the heart and head". I forgot the "heart" when buying the GSX-S 1000 and it lacked that bit extra which you refer too. The Duke 790 has both elements in spades.

    Errr..... has your shed got room for another bike?
    So - I've gone and done it. Put a deposit on a nice matt blue V85TT this morning and am looking to collect during the second week of Jan. I'm looking forward to it rather a lot if I'm honest and I'll post some pictures and impressions once I get my hands on it.

  15. #15
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    Great news! Let us know how it works out.

    "you must spread some reputation etc etc"

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