2024 MOTO GUZZI V85 FIRST RIDE – RETRO ITALIAN CROSSOVER MACHINE IS SURPRISINGLY SPORTY

There are a few bikes in the market at the moment which are actually much more fun than you’d ever think from their spec sheet and performance figures. The Moto Guzzi V85 is one: launched back in 2019 as a soft, retro-styled middleweight adventure tourer, it used the classic Guzzi transverse air-cooled 90-degree V-twin two-valve motor, in 853cc capacity, complete with shaft drive. Power output was about 75bhp, it weighed 209kg dry, and was actually really nice to ride. Comfy, stylish, and grunty enough, it did a solid job against the likes of a

Kawasaki Versys 650 or low-spec BMW F750 GS.

And now, for 2024, the little Guzzi has had an overhaul, with a new variable valve timing set-up and three different variants: a Strada with cast wheels, higher-spec TT model, and a TT Travel with hard luggage and more kit. The variable valve system is just there for emissions compliance (Euro 5+ is coming next year), but it also boosts peak power to 80bhp. It’s a very simple system, which it has to be since there’s only one camshaft for the overhead-valve engine, with just a simple physical advance/retard mechanism that uses centrifugal force via moving steel balls (like the Suzuki GSX-R1000 system). That phases both exhaust and intake timing back and forth by a fixed amount but enough to give the engineers what they wanted, with no electrical or hydraulic gubbins needed.

On the roads around Almeria, where we rode the new bike, it was hard to notice the extra power and torque. But chasing the Italian test rider down a superb mountain road, the V85 was hard to fault. The chassis is nimble and taut, the modest power output never overwhelms anything, and even the front brakes are strong enough to push really hard. The long-travel suspension is a bit basic and bouncy but gives loads of ground clearance, and the OE Dunlop Meridian rubber has plenty of grip.

When you’re not trying to die on mountain switchbacks, the V85 makes a decent middleweight tourer. The TT and Travel versions add a load of kit: luggage, bigger screen, heated grips and seat options, Bluetooth connection on the colour dash, and cornering ABS and traction control. There’s a load of factory bolt-on options, and the TT model’s red and white paint job is handsome stuff indeed. If you’re looking for something a little bit quirky that stands out from the usual Japanese or Germanic options, the V85 range is well worth a look.

The new 2024 V85s are on sale now, priced at £11,200 for the Strada, £12,000 for the TT, and £13,300 for the top-end TT Travel.

www.motoguzzi.com