2020 Moto Guzzi V85 TT Travel First Look

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

Announced at EICMA 2020, Moto Guzzi has unveiled the V85 TT, a touring-oriented version of the popular V85 adventure bike made up of items plucked from the Moto Guzzi parts catalog – not that that’s a bad thing. Up front, a higher touring windscreen offers greater protection from the wind, thanks to a surface area 60% larger than the standard V85 screen. Out back you’ve got two panniers, capable of holding a ton of stuff – 37 liters for the right case (big enough for a full-face helmet) and 27.5 liters for the left – both lockable with the same key. The panniers were designed along with the overall bike, so there are no unsightly brackets exposed when the bags are off the motorcycle, allowing the V85’s lines to remain true and consistent with or without luggage. Clever.

Other touring niceties include heated grips, LED lights, and Moto Guzzi MIA, a multimedia platform that connects to your smartphone to broaden the range of the V85’s instrument cluster. Lastly, the V85 TT Travel comes in this exclusive Sabbia Namib color and wears Michelin Anakee adventure tires.

View the full press release below:

MOTO GUZZI V85 TT TRAVEL

THE NEW VERSION HIGHLIGHTS THE GRAND TOURING QUALITIES OF THE V85 TT

WITH STANDARD EQUIPMENT INCLUDING PANNIERS, A HIGH WINDSHIELD AND HEATED HAND GRIPS, THE V85 TT IS READY FOR ADVENTURE

Following the critical and public acclaim achieved by the V85 TT, the first classic travel enduro that knows how to excite motorcyclists thanks to its combination of sophisticated and evocative style with cutting-edge technical qualities, Moto Guzzi presents the Travel version – ready to take to the road thanks to its complete dedicated range of equipment. Moto Guzzi has listened to the requests of Guzzisti, creating a V85 TT version that is prepared as standard with a selection of essential adventure touring accessories.

Moto Guzzi V85 TT reflects a construction philosophy in which simplicity, practicality and handling make for an unfiltered relationship between bike and rider, one that is dedicated to adventurous travels, a true Moto Guzzi legacy, something that the Travel version further highlights. The equipment, made up of accessories that are all available in the catalogue, includes the higher Touring windshield, able to offer the rider greater air protection, thanks to a surface area that is 60% larger than the original part, as well as two panniers in plastic material with aluminium inserts. The panniers stand out for their significant capacity (37 litres for the right-hand case, which can hold a full-face helmet, and 27.5 litres for the left), locks that use the same contact key, and the absence of any voluminous supports to install them, hence the line of the vehicle remains intact when they are removed. Their lateral bulk is limited to just 928 mm, in that they are designed during development of the bike itself.

Also included as standard are the heated hand grips with buttons already incorporated in the original left-hand switch block of the V85 TT, and a pair of additional LED lights. The range of special equipment is rounded out with Moto Guzzi MIA, the multimedia platform that allows the rider to connect a smartphone to the vehicle, extending the functions of the instrument cluster. The Moto Guzzi V85 TT Travel is offered in the exclusive Sabbia Namib colour: the grey frame is paired with the matte colour of the chassis, while the tank and side panels are enhanced with dedicated graphics. Michelin Anakee Adventure tyres underline the adventure touring attitude.

The winning technical characteristics of the V85 TT are of course confirmed, the bike created on the basis of values such as simplicity, practicality and riding ease, typical of those 1980s enduro bikes with which riders could do anything, from carrying out daily errands to adventurous trips.

Well proportioned and far from prohibitive in size, it can be used by riders of any level or experience (the seat is only 830 mm from the ground) and is narrow in girth to allow freedom of movement. The V85 TT mounts a 23-litre engine able to guarantee a range of more than 400 km. Moto Guzzi V85 TT is created from a brand-new technical base. That Moto Guzzi ability to build superb chassis is once again confirmed with the V85 TT. The tubular structure exploits the engine as a load-bearing element that ensures the necessary stiffness to guarantee efficiency and riding enjoyment on the road, as well as optimum balance during light enduro use. The V85 TT mounts a new Moto Guzzi engine with the same exclusive construction framework seen across all Moto Guzzi models currently in production, specifically an air-cooled transverse 90° V twin with OHV distribution and two valves per cylinder, the pride and tradition of the Mandello Eagle. Engine capacity is 853 cc, thanks to a bore to stroke ratio of 84 x 77 mm. The most modern of all engines in the range, it can boast specific power of almost 100 HP/litre. Thanks to its complete new design and the use of materials generally destined for race bikes, such as titanium, the new “eight and a half” is able to deliver a maximum power of 80 HP, as well as an impressive maximum torque value of 80 Nm at 5,000 rpm, with 90% of the torque already available at 3,750 rpm, in keeping with the tradition of the Mandello twin, which has always offered excellent drive even at very low revs. This is the first Moto Guzzi small block engine that can easily reach 8000 rpm, an aspect that showcases its modern and exuberant nature. The V85 TT is the only bike in its segment to use shaft drive transmission (it makes no mess and requires no maintenance).

For the V85 TT project to achieve its main goal, or rather to satisfy Guzzista in their daily riding as well as in their touring and adventurous off-road riding, Moto Guzzi has designed a complete range of standard electronic equipment, without any inopportune technological overload, for maximum travel enjoyment. To make life on board easier and safer, Moto Guzzi introduces three different riding modes on the V85 TT: Road, Rain and Off-road. Each of these Riding Modes corresponds to a different engine mapping and a different calibration of the MGCT traction control (which can be disabled) and ABS, as well as a different response from the Ride-by-Wire throttle control.

Moto Guzzi V85 TT Travel: technical specifications

ENGINE

Type Transverse 90° V twin, two valves per cylinder (titanium intake).

Cooling Air

Engine capacity 853 cm³

Bore and stroke 84 x 77 mm

Compression ratio 10.5: 1

Maximum power 80 HP (59 kW) at 7,750 rpm

Torque 80 Nm at 5,000 rpm

Fuel system Electronic injection; Ø 52 mm single throttle body, Ride-by-Wire

Fuel tank capacity 23 litres (including 5 litre reserve)

Emissions compliance Euro 4

Consumption (WMTC cycle) 4.9 l/100 km

CO2 Emissions (WMTC cycle) 118 g/km

TRANSMISSION

Clutch Dry single disc

Transmission 6 gears

Gear ratio values 1st 16/39 = 1: 2.437

2nd 18/32 = 1: 1.778

3rd 21/28 = 1: 1.333

4th 24/26 = 1: 1.083

5th 25/24 = 1: 0.960

6th 27/24 = 1: 0.889

CHASSIS

Frame High strength steel tubular frame

Front suspension 41 mm hydraulic telescopic USD fork, with adjustable spring preload and hydraulic rebound

Front wheel travel 170 mm

Rear suspension Double-sided swingarm in box-type aluminium with a single shock on the right side, with adjustable spring preload and hydraulic rebound

Rear wheel travel 170 mm

Front brake Double 320 mm stainless steel floating discs, Brembo radial-mounted callipers with 4 opposed pistons

Rear brake Ø 260 mm stainless steel disc, floating calliper with 2 pistons

Wheels Spoked

Front wheel rim 2.50” x 19”

Rear wheel rim 4.25” x 17”

Front tyre With air chamber 110/80 – R19”

Rear tyre With air chamber 150/70 – R17”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

A/C generator 430 W

System voltage 12 V

Battery 12V – 12 Ah

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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  • Alaskan18724 Alaskan18724 on Nov 07, 2019

    Sabbia namib? WTF?

  • Alaskan18724 Alaskan18724 on Nov 07, 2019

    Wouldn’t mind if they paid a little attention to my favorite Guzzi—the Eldorado 1400. Not much—it looks great just the way it is—but update the electronics suite, make the California saddle an option, maybe.

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