Switching over to the V85 TT,
this is where I spent the ma-
jority of my time, and where I
played
around the most with the
electronics. Sport mode in the
ECU is almost too direct in its
torque application. Road mode
is where the best performance
is housed, one where you get
nearly all the torque but without
abruptly dumping the perfor-
mance to the tire.
A slight
play around with the
Engine Brake (MGFM) map
between maximum and standard
intervention had me firmly on the
side of the standard map. The
agility that will surprise even
the fussiest of Guzzatisti.
No weight
on the back in
terms of travel necessities,
especially when compared to
the fully loaded V85 TT Travel,
allows the Strada to flick its
way through mountain passes
superbly quickly and with more
style than something like a F
900 GS. Each machine runs the
same 6.7 inches of wheel travel
regardless of its designation,
and the ride on the Strada is
comfortable enough despite the
screen being a little shorter and
with three levels instead of five.
The biggest difference is in
comfort and handling, and much
of that is down to weight. Com-
pared to the 2023-and-before
V85s,
the seat angle has been
slightly altered, with the rider
sitting a touch further back.
This also gives those riders with
longer legs a bit more breath-
ing space. Hopefully, touching
your knees on
the backs of the
cylinder heads will be a thing of
the past.
My first outing was on the
Strada, and at 498 pounds it
could hardly be considered a
mid-size. Yet, the Strada has an
P106
RIDE REVIEW I 2024 MOTO GUZZI V85 RANGE
The V85 Strada is a dynamic
little steed, far more nimble than
its heavily-laden brothers.
