V85 TT introduces a new Moto Guzzi engine. Its configuration mirrors that of all Moto Guzzi bikes in production today: an air-cooled transverse 90° V twin with OHV distribution and two valves per cylinder, the pride and tradition of the Mandello Eagle. Engine capacity is 853 cc, thanks to a bore to stroke ratio of 84 x 77 mm. The most modern of all engines in the range, it can boast a ratio of almost 100 HP/litre. Thanks to its completely new design and the use of materials generally destined for race bikes, such as titanium, the new “eight and a half” is able to deliver maximum power of 80 HP and boast an impressive maximum torque value of 80 Nm at 5,000 rpm, with 90% of the torque already available at 3,750 rpm, in keeping with the tradition of the Mandello twin, which has always offered excellent drive even at very low revs. This is the first Moto Guzzi small block engine that can easily reach 8000 rpm, an aspect that showcases its modern and exuberant nature.
Offering up a claimed 80 horsepower at 7750 rpm and 59 ft/lbs of torque at 5000 rpm, this V-twin begins pulling from a smidgen above idle, with ample low-end, great mid-range, and will happily rev out to the redline with ease.
The engine is of pushrod design. Throw in the bike’s dry clutch and tubed tires, and it is very much an old-school affair. But then you take a look at the electronics package. Moto Guzzi has thrown in all the bells and all the whistles. Adjustable traction control and ABS, riding modes, cruise control, a TFT screen providing a Byzantine array of options and information, the ability to connect with and control certain elements via an app, LED lighting, and a sexy eagle-shaped LED daytime running light that the Moto Guzzi guys were keen to point out no less than five times in their presentation. They are very proud of that DRL.
A full suite of rider aids is present on the 2020 Moto Guzzi V85 TT motorcycles thanks to ride-by-wire technology. Owners have three riding modes to select from—Road, Rain, and Off-road—which come with defined levels of ABS and Traction Control intervention. Riders will have the option of Road, Rain and Off-road, which alter throttle mapping, ABS, and traction control settings to a noticeable degree. Notably, a customizable mode is not available, though cruise control is standard. For those who feel the need to be unrestrained, traction control and ABS can be disabled with a deep dive into the menu