MOTO GUZZI V85

Moto Guzzi have taken the adventure-touring game to a new avant-garde level the way only Italians could.

This machine, unveiled this week at EICMA, also showcases a new platform for the 96-year old Mandello de Lario based manufacturer.

Designed to occupy the middle ground between the V7 and V9 platforms the V85 also marks the debut of a completely new Moto Guzzi engine.

Following the trademark 90-degree transversely mounted air-cooled twin route, this new 850cc powerplant produces a claimed 80 horsepower and will power a new family of mid-capacity motorcycles from Moto Guzzi as they approach their centenary in 2021.

It also seems as though the now decade old Stelvio and its characterful 1150cc engine is no more, with the big-bore range of Guzzis now all based on the current 1400 platform.

Moto Guzzi claim that no compromises have been made to the detriment of comfort and usability, resulting in a comfortable bike for two, with bags installed on the chassis frame.

The fuel tank design harks back to the tradition of the Moto Guzzi models set up for the African rally raids.

In line with the Guzzi story, there is also the high front mudguard and the beautiful double front headlight, stylistic and functional solutions already present on the NTX 650 from 1996 and the Quota 1000 from 1989.

Modern technology elements – such as the fully digital instrumentation and the front LED DRL light series on the front headlight – combine classic styling with the off-road world.

The frame is completely new and made of steel tubes and exploits the specific anchorage of the engine to create a rigid structure that restores precision and rigour on the road as well as robustness and the right feel for off-road riding.

The asymmetric aluminium swingarm has a curved shape on the left side, useful for designing a highly linear exhaust pipe pattern so as to minimise the lateral dimensions.

The right arm on the swingarm houses the new shaft drive transmission.

The mono shock absorber directly connects the chassis to the right arm of the swingarm, a solution that facilitates access to the hydraulic and spring preload adjustments, thus allowing free space for the exhaust system layout.

The suspension systems offer a very generous wheel travel for a optimal off-road use, thanks to a substantial engine floor clearance, as well as comfort on the most commonly-used roads.

That is about as much detail as we have on this new V85 as yet, and we are yet to ascertain the full technical specifications but it does seem that there is enough here to pique many a motorcyclists interests considering the social media talk surrounding the unveiling of the new model at EICMA.

Moto Guzzi’s tradition of adventure

Moto Guzzi boasts a solid off-road tradition: the first proof of this arrived at the Six Day Reliability Trial in 1939, which took place in Austria, where Moto Guzzi participated with the GT 20, winning four gold medals.

The true season of reliability continued in 1957, with the Lodola Regolarità, and then with the Stornello Regolarità in 1962. With this tradition, Moto Guzzi took on the Paris-Dakar in 1985 with the V65 Baja and the following year with the V75 Baja, strictly based on the standard models, appreciated for their lightness and the characteristics of their engine, which was robust and reliable.

The V85 is dedicated to those who, while never ceasing to dream of Dakar, yearn for a bike that revives the spirit of adventure on their daily journeys.

The Moto Guzzi prefigures a modern motorcycle, fully equipped and with a strong character, but also a pure and essential motorcycle with its shapes that originate directly from Moto Guzzi’s own history.