I suggested it would be
fun to jump the V85TT
into the pool...
Over lunch we were informed that at the end
of the next 32km stage, all those who wanted
to have a ride on the beach could, although it
would definitely be frowned upon if we were
to drop the bikes. I was said “hell yes! But I
ain’t promising nothing...”
At the beach we were greeted with a wide-
open area of gently undulating deep white
sand and a beautiful blue sea. I scrolled
though the options on the V85’s TFT screen
and switched off the MGCT, Moto Guzzi’s tag
for traction control, and off I went. It’s fair to
say the standard road-orientated tyres were
poor in these conditions, but I still had a real
hoot drifting around in the sand. Despite the
tyres, once up to speed the bike worked well
in these tricky conditions. It was not inclined
to tuck the front even with that 19-inch front
wheel and was still reasonably agile. The fact
that its not too tall and perhaps because a
decent amount of fuel was done from the 24
litre tank made it quite manageable.
The suspension travel is a reasonable
170mm at each end, which is about right
for the design brief. It’s not trying to be a
genuine hard-core off-road blaster, but a
‘jack of all roads’ machine and because the
action is well controlled and has reasonable
progression it suits the bike very well. I think
on the majority of NZ roads most potential
owners will be well impressed. The brakes
are excellent too, they’re by Brembo and top
notch in all regards.
The last 9km back to the resort was an easy
ride on decent roads. Later that evening I
suggested to the Moto Guzzi hierarchy that it
would be quite fun to jump a V85TT into the
pool… after all, they’re Italian and always up
for a laugh. Now, while they agreed in theory
that it was a great idea, they suggested
perhaps not on this occasion. Oh well. Maybe
next time?
Many thanks to Moto Guzzi for having the
balls to come up with such a great new
machine. The V85TT is a left-field but must
ride machine for anyone looking for an all-
round machine with some adventure chops.
The NZ launch for the V85TT is coming
shortly so we look forward to telling you what
it’s like in our own unique conditions. Stay
tuned.
JOCK MCLAUCHLAN
KIWI RIDER 45