KIWI RIDER 08 2019 VOL.2 | Page 89

MOTO GUZZI V85TT GETS OFFICIAL NZ LAUNCH F or Italian manufacturer Moto Guzzi, the new V85TT is a game-changing motorcycle, and now it has officially been launched into the New Zealand marketplace after a successful introduction in late May. See page 92 for more of the NZ launch of the bike. The V85TT is the first adventure bike from Moto Guzzi since the Stelvio 1200 and refines the brand’s place as more than just a quirky Italian stallion. “To be honest we’ve been blown away by the reception to the V85TT, says Moto Guzzi’s NZ distributor Salero Holdings spokesman, Michael Beckhaus. “We received our first shipment at the end of May, and basically the first one sold out before they even landed in the country. The second shipment which arrived earlier in July, again, I think it was something like 80% pre-sold before it arrived, so I think dealers are already running out of stock. I think it is a game-changer for Guzzi because in some ways it is moving the brand a little bit more into the mainstream possibly – hopefully no too much because we’d like it to retain its charm and quirkiness – but in some ways this bike is very much a step in the right direction in terms of getting some more volume for the brand out there as it caters to a broad range of riders.” With the TT in the name standing for Tuto Terreno – Italian for “All Terrain” – the V85TT brings the brand into perhaps what is the most competitive segment in the market today. With other premium European brands launching new mid-size adventure machines in the last 12 months, the V85TT needed to have a few tricks up its sleeve if it wanted to compete against the likes of Triumph’s new Tiger 800 range, KTM’s 790 Adventure and Ducati’s Multistrada 900. With prices in New Zealand from $19,990, Moto Guzzi’s all-new V85TT is not only keenly priced, but is also the first motorcycle to be marketed as a combination of the classic and adventure motorcycle markets with Moto Guzzi also coining the phrase “Classic Enduro” to try describe where the bike fits in the motorcycle world. KIWI RIDER 89