OLD-FASHIONED ADVENTURE
Twin-cylinder adventure bikes have had a tendency to grow. They started out decades ago around 800cc before evolving into the heavyweight 1200s and 1250s produced by a growing spread of manufacturers.
Along the way there have been smaller bikes introduced, but in many ways these are hardcore off-road or high-tech machines, similar in capacity to the earliest adventure twins, but aimed at a different rider.
Moto Guzzi’s V85TT is different. It’s a mid-sized, retro-styled yet modern motorcycle built to carry a load and cover distance in comfort and still provide some off-road capability.
NOT GUZZI’S FIRST RODEO
Moto Guzzi has a long but not-so-well-known history with adventure bikes, dating back as far as the 1970s with its TTs, Quota and NTX models. None of these was particularly successful… maybe the V85 will be, because it’s not going head-to-head with the big-bore BMWs and KTMs.
Certainly the current crop of Moto Guzzi retro-inspired machines has been popular and BMW is doing well with its heritage range — Moto Guzzi obviously hopes to capture the imagination of those looking for something a bit different. The retro cues abound, from the shape of the tank to the shape of the headlight
