time to time with single track and river crossings in the mix, I’ d go for the V85TT – my brother Dene has proved its offroad capability recently on a South Island ride on his own Rosso Fuji example( more on that in the next issue). If I wanted to adventure ride / tour around NZ and only intended to ride black-top or gravel then the Stelvio, with its long-haul suitability and hotrod personality might just be the one.
STELVIO SECOND OPINION I’ ll leave most of the technical data to the main review, but there are a few things that fall immediately in that category. First and foremost this bike has real heft and punch in the looks department. The best looking Guzzi in years in my opinion. With its silver-gray and yellow livery it nods to the V85TT, but then goes and does its own thing. The 1042cc engine borrowed from the Mandello is just lovely- meaty, smooth and vocal – delivering 113bhp to the 17-inch rear with panache. Yes it’ s weighty at 246kg but most of that extra poundage is down to the delivery of the left-side mounted shaft drive. The engine has physical presence and is collected, in the way that the old beemers used to be, a big clean lump of metal. I liked it very much indeed, and over the 250 or so kilometres of a run found it to have personality, precision and power, right through to strong wraps of the wrist. Of course, with mere delivery k’ s I was never going to redline the beast. Power increases exponentially. I think my Honda Africa Twin has better low end stonk and smoother trajectory, but this is a masculine sort of bike in that unapologetic Italian manner. I liked the spoked wheels, I much prefer these on an adventure bike, aesthetically anyway, if not in the cleaning bay. And it looks and feels like a modern well-found, up-to-the-minute motorcycle, with a terrifically good riding position. Perhaps the most comfortable I have ever ridden. An electric adjustable screen wicks noise and buffeting away, and when lowered was pretty unobtrusive. Nice touch. Upright bars over a 19-inch front wheel with chunky Michelin Anakee rubber delivered
superb, positive, riding feedback through Sachs 46mm forks. I loved the small silencer config and the sound of the twin given some interest was pure delight. I can never go electric for that reason alone, sorry. Standing position is comfortable, without hip torsion, with the tank slipping easily on weight transfer, but I will say I found the pegs themselves a little too delicate for my clodhopping old Stylmartin boots. Adventure-wise I never took it into gravel, to spare poor Geoff, our photographer, the next day. But loose chip and decreasing radius corners were handled with aplomb. It feels stable and it simply eats miles. I do like the shaft drive, in spite of its increased weight, and would really appreciate its reliability on a lengthy tour. There was an occasional gyro effect but barely noticeable, a large improvement over former editions. Tech wise the screen is clear and although I was stumped finding cruise control, that was down to stupidity more than anything odd by Guzzi,
KIWI RIDER 55