So how much is "enough"?
I know some folks, certainty not Guzzi riders, who thing you can never have enough.
My V7 Special has "enough" to make me smile, and that's what matters most to me.
Paul
That I don't know, it'll really depend on the test ride. I'm now racer, I barely push my v7 on canyon roads and am no where close to a skilled rider, so I'm not looking for something insane. I rode a BMW GS850 2019 and it felt like "enough." I'm not one of those people that needs it to be 0-60 in 1.1 second or top speed of 2000 mph or anything ridiculous. With my v7 I definitely find it lacking many times though especially when it comes to long travel around Southern California where most people on highways are going 75-80mph. Supposedly the v7-3's 6th gear and slight power bump fix this sort of. Around town I love it though I wish it had just a smidge more for romping around for the fun of it, but I can live with that.
What I don't want is to get the v85tt and then constantly feel like traveling is a chore because I'm pushing it to it's edge to just keep up at real world highway speeds when the bike is loaded, and I don't want to get to a dirt road or around town and have the bike feel sedated either. The BMW is only 10hp+ and 10 ft-lb+ difference of the V85tt at a 509 claimed weight. V85tt weight is 504ish? So that sounds like this bike could just be "enough" while getting an amazing character bike. Maybe I miss understand the midweight ADV market but ideally I'm hoping for this bike to get us somewhere where traveling is great (sure a 1200cc engine might be better) while staying light and nimble for urban and back country camping. Ideally, I think with a suspension upgrade and making the bike lighter through exhaust swaps and what not, you can get a real doozy of a bike with this one, at least I hope.
This review I think captures it pretty well on what I'm hoping for, and hopefully the test rides show the same:
https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/reviews/bikes/moto-guzzi/moto-guzzi-v85tt-2019-review
Specifically:
And it’s a lovely motor to use. Many bike engines are primarily about conveyance, because it’s a numbers game and easy to define and measure on a dyno readout. And there’s nothing wrong with that, if you want to get somewhere efficiently, quickly, smoothly etc. But surprisingly few bike engines are actually nice things to use just for the sake of it, in the same way an Apple watch might have a bazillion functions, but for telling the time with style an old Omega just sits better against your skin. The V85 TT is a bit more sophisticated than a clockwork wristwatch, but it has the same organic, analogue pleasure. Vibes are throbby not tingly; 80mph sits the engine bang-on at 5000rpm, which is where peak torque lives and means there’s enough grunt left to pull a cheeky overtake or two.
But this review is questionable and maybe too generous towards the bike because it goes on to say this which I think is bonkers crazy:
It’s probably on par with a bike like Triumph’s Scrambler 1200 XC – the road-based version – or Suzuki’s V-Strom. But against the longer-legged Scrambler 1200 XC, the V85 TT might struggle. And put the TT in the same off-road group as, say, an Africa Twin, F850GS or Tiger 800 XCa, and it’ll be back of the queue. KTM’s 790 Adventure would rinse it in an enduro.
This is the video version of that same review that was in Janguzzi's compilation youtube link.