Last week I took delivery of a new 2020 V85TT so I thought I would post a few of my early impressions of the bike and compare to my 2014 Tenere'. I will start by saying that when I first heard of this bike a year ago it had my interest immediately. The only other bike that turned my head like that was 1st gen Tenere'. Just like the Tenere', I put a deposit down on it pretty much sight unseen. I just had a feeling about it I guess. When the bike finally arrived I was amazed at how much better it looked in person. The V85 seems to be well built and beautifully painted in the Rosso Kalahari scheme. Frame welds, fasteners and other components all appear to be well crafted and durable. The plastic fuel tank, at first thought before delivery, was a slight concern to me but once I've seen it, I have no qualms about it. The curves of the tank and the way they integrate around those beautiful Guzzi heads is very pleasing to look at and gives a bit of the same feel of the way the Tenere's tank sort of shields your legs as they tuck in to the tank. I am 6' 1" with 31" inseam and the bike hasn't made me feel crowded at all. Compared to the S10, the cockpit if you will, feels more spartan than the S10 mainly due to the lack of all the frame mounted fairing work on the Yamaha. This gives the V85 a much lighter feel while riding. The S10 definitely has a more spacious, longer reach to the handlebars but in no way does the V85 feel cramped at all. In fact the reach to the handle bars, and the bend or sweep in them is very comfortable. So far I've not experienced any sort of shoulder or wrist fatigue. I have a Russell day long seat on my S10 so seat comparison really isn't fair but I can say that compared to the stock S10 seat, which was only good for about a hundred miles before I was squirming to get out of it, Guzzi has managed to make a stock seat that is miles and miles better than the stock S10 seat. I am able to ride out a tank of gas with minimal fatigue and no tail bone pain. The seat is a winner but more miles may dictate weather it takes a trip to RDL this winter. We shall see.
As for performance, I am still in the break in miles stage so I haven't really dropped the reins to let the bike really run too much just yet. 1st service at 600 miles comes tomorrow. I feel the bike has plenty of power available and does seem to like to be above the 3500 rpm range to best make use of it's power band. While the S10 certainly beats it hands down for power and speed due to it's greater displacement, the Guzzi's lighter weight and smooth power delivery makes it an absolute joy to ride in the twisty roads. Turns in quickly and confidently and hold it lines beautifully. So far I have not at all found it lacking in the power department. On interstate, even with it lighter weight and less wind protection, the bike was very stable and planted around traffic at speeds of 75-80mph. It cruises at 70mph at about 4200 to 4300 rpm. The cruise control works perfectly although the switches and handlebar controls take a bit to get familiar with. The S10 being heavier and offering better wind protection beats it out as a slab highway mile muncher but not by much. The suspension is fully adjustable front and rear, and seems very good in it's stock form. There are already good upgrade options available for shocks that I may someday look into. Brakes are Brembos, with anti lock but not linked. They are more than adequate and perform nicely. The rear brakes anti-lock are disabled when you select the off road ride mode. The win here goes to the S10 with it's linked brakes, which I think perform better even if you can't disable ABS. There are 3 ride modes, Road, Rain, and Offroad. They perform and adjust traction control as their designations imply and as stated the offroad mode disables the rear ABS. Offroad also seems to have a bit more spirit in the throttle than the other 2 modes but all modes perform well. The Guzzi TT Adventure comes with Michelin Anakee Adventure tires and they feel like good tires so far. They are grippy on asphalt and not too shabby on gravel roads as well. I was able to ride about 30 miles of gravel fire roads on it and the lighter weight than the Tenere' is very noticeable making the V85 quite competent on that environment. The S10 probably wins out on pure durability but with the right skills and equipment on the V85, I can't see the Tenere' leaving it behind. That being said. There are far better bike options if you like a more off road centric, single track woods kind of riding. Again for me, the V85 does what I need it to do. Fuel mileage is impressive as I am averaging 53 mpg so far. The instrument panel is TFT and is easy to read in sunlight. Its very bright and has all the information and clocks that you would expect including an available media interface that allows smart phone use and GPS turn instruction to the panel. I wish Yamaha would update the instrument panel to a similar TFT style. At 4" the screen is a bit small but it works great and integrates well with the cockpit of the bike.
I am still awaiting delivery of the panniers but have already added the engine protection bars and taller windscreen. A center stand and fog light are also on the bill. The add on components that I have so far are well built and appear that they will perform fine.
In summary, I absolutely am pleased with my purchase. The bike arrived and it's pretty much everything that I expected it to be and more. The bike looks fantastic in real life and handles like a dream for my riding needs. That Guzzi v motor really does have a soul as I have often heard. It fires right up when you hit the button and hits that Guzzi lope in the idle that just make me grin. It sounds fantastic in it's stock form however I may look into some exhaust and performance upgrade down the line. The Guzzistas are already hard at work with fuel mapping and exhaust upgrades readily available that could add a few extra ponies. So the big question is.... Will it replace the Tenere'? Luckily I am fortunate in that I am not pressed to make that decision. While the 2 bikes seemingly have similar riding goals and characteristics, they are different enough that I am glad to be able to keep both. I have to be honest, the Guzzi is going to seriously cut in to the miles ridden on the S10.
Thanks for reading
Steve
