Words: Zoe Dickens
In association with:
The engine roars – its sound magnified as it bounces off the pastel coloured walls of the narrow Italian streets. Picking up speed as the motorbike reaches the edge of the town, a final acceleration and we’re out on the open road, leaning into turns as we round the tights bends of curvaceous mountain roads.
All automotive enthusiasts will agree there are few better driving experiences than the varied terrain and spectacular backdrop of Italy. So where better to put the Moto Guzzi V85 TT touring bike through its paces than on home turf?
Inspired by the legendary Paris-Dakar race, which put man and his motorbike in direct competition with the African desert, the V85 TT is designed for the hardiest adventurers, combining the brand’s nine decades of motorbike expertise with modern classic aesthetics and advanced automotive technology. The star of the show is, of course, the 853cc transverse V-twin engine, which incorporates racing-style materials such as titanium, while other cutting-edge features include full LED lighting and a digital instrument cluster.
A versatile all-terrain vehicle, the V85 TT offers three drive options – Road, Rain and Off-Road – for the ultimate ride whatever your adventure should throw at you. Ours offered up opportunities to use all three and we can attest to their effectiveness. Elsewhere, a smoked plexiglass windscreen and handguards promise comfort for all-seasons riding while an easily operated cruise control system makes long stretches of motorway a breeze and a 23-litre capacity engine marks this as truly a machine built for long-distance touring.
On the tech side, a 4.3” digital display with exceptional readability offers all the necessary information about our trip as well as boasting connectivity and the ability to listen to music, make and receive calls and use a navigator. This is possible thanks to Moto Guzzi MIA, a platform that allows your bike to seamlessly connect to your smartphone and is put to good use by the Gentleman’s Journal team.
Aesthetically, the V85 TT leans more towards a classic off-road bike and is available in five colours options, ranging from show-stopping bright reds and yellows to a more muted silver and black scheme – all, of course, featuring the famed Mandello Eagle. Whichever you choose, we can attest that you’re in for the ride of your life.
See what happened when we took the Jaguar I-Pace on an eco-adventure to the Lake District…
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