Moto Guzzi V85TT Ownership Experience | Review
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- Опубліковано 6 чер 2024
- This video reviews my ownership experience of my 2022 Moto Guzzi V85 TT Centenario (Adventure). Spoiler alert...although I love the bike, it's been the worst ownership experience of any motorcycle I've owned, and I've owned many. Is my experience typical, or am I an outlier?
CONTENTS:
00:00 Introduction
00:43 Why a V85TT?
02:47 The Positives
03:50 Dealer Issues
07:36 Mechanical Issues - Авто та транспорт
I have the same bike, in the same color, and ordered it with the same accessories (heated grips, center stand, crash bars). I think you give your dealer more credit than they deserve. I mean, it's commendable that they acknowledged some mistakes, and that they offered the grips for free (my beef with my dealer is how outrageously expensive they are). But... the failure to install a lock cylinder properly (which is something so easy to test and detect, that it's alarming they didn't), a center stand that fell off (!)... or that they thought the Centenario had heated grips (my dealership didn't have that confusion somehow, they use the same systems, isn't that weird?). My point is that I'm not surprised that the bike has mechanical issues, as it's very likely the dealer prep work hasn't been done correctly (which includes, mind you, filling and checking fluids, including transmission's). The ECU problem could or could not be the dealer's fault, but everything else is 100% on them, and they wanting to be straight for free more than a clear indicator that they know this. If I were you I would have my next service on a different place.
In any case, thanks for sharing!
A good portion of my frustrations did stem from the dealer issues, and I’m sure I gave my dealer more credit than they deserve. My personality just makes me slow to throw people under the bus. I did check on multiple forums, though, and the rear drive (differential) is filled at the factory, and there is no way to check the amount other than draining it. I wouldn’t expect the dealer to do this, but maybe they should if they know it’s a common issue (which I now know it is). Regardless, thanks for the comments, and best wishes to you!!
@@MotoTherapy I have had three V85TT, one MK1 rode it 19,000 miles and a Mk2 rode 3,000 that got stolen and my current bike 20,000 miles always got home on all bikes, Traveled vast distances across Europe , In the UK the advise for some time is to check the Oil level on PDI , I think the ECU failure was a Temperature sensor failure from experience!!.. As already said I think the dealer is given to much credit. On a positive side stick with it. Get into the Guzzi way of life , it will pay dividends.
@@MotoTherapy This is what a PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION (PDI) is, aka "Setup". It's not just supposed to be money the dealer charges for nothing. They are expected and required by the factory, to check and verify everything on the motorcycle BEFORE delivering it to the customer. A simple inspection of the final drive would have easily revealed the excess oil. They didn't do their job. The ECU, is not a big dealing absolutely no cause for concern or angst at all. Electrical components can fail at anytime without warning. It's rare for a new one to go on the fritz, but not unheard of. I'm sure your new one will be fine. Also, though, could have been caused by poor battery condition which again wasn't checked properly at the PDI. I see this type of stuff all the time from every manufacturer. Motorcycle dealers don't employ mechanics anymore, just glorified parts changers. They just don't go through the bike stem to stern like they should.
@@scottmastrocinque Good observations. There’s plenty of blame to go around, and the result has been a frustrating ownership experience.
I am considering getting a V7. Is your dealer the one in Savannah?
Heated grips were never part of the Centenario package (I have a 2022). Dealership mistake.
Luggage racks are installed by dealership. Dealership mistake.
Center rack. Also not par to the Centenario package. Dealership problem.
Why ECU die? Yes makes you wonder... Not a problem I have even heard about before.
Dealer is supposed to check fluid levels before delivery.
None of your problems seem fundamental to the bike itself, but to the people who have worked on it.
I was thinking the same thing.
This bike does not have a way to check the level of the final drive fluid. So, kind of a bad design from MG. With most bikes, the fill bolt is also the level bolt, but not this MG. And an ECU dying! Crazy that guys want to give MG a break on that one! What are you supposed to do, carry an extra ECU along on your trips?! And the MG system that showed the heated grips as available, problem with MG. I've owned 4 Moto Guzzi's in the past, and I get the desire for the brand, but really it is just too much trouble. Unless you want some sort of co-dependent relationship with a motorcycle.
@@used2befast I’m a Buellista… of course I carry an extra ECM… 😂 I am considering the Guzzi as a replacement for my Ulysses. Either the 85 or the V100…
@@used2befast I’ve had a 2017 model year BMW F800GS engine that blew up after a few thousand miles; a bolt came loose in the engine. It got replaced under warranty. I’ve had a leaking shaft drive on a 2013 1200GS and its handlebar switches had to be replaced. I’ve had another model year 1200GS that had a bad rear shock. My wife had a F650GS from which the front brake caliper came off (dealer error) - can you imagine? I’ve had different recalls through the years, it seems like there is always something. The point being; new bike problems is not just with Guzzi. BMW is no different and look at all the KTM problems in the past five years. I’ve even seen a japanese bike, the african twin, sheer of it’s footpeg with a simple little sliding drop - because of a design flaw that the aftermarket circuit fixed and eventually honda changed on newer model years. All brands have their issues.
Agree most of the issues seem to be dealership blaming the factory, after all the the shaft drive oil wasn't an issue till after the 1st 900 mile service, therefore the dealership had two opportunities to check the oil level and missed it on the pre delivery check and 1st service if it was overfilled by the factory. The ECU is a worry, I've owned my moto Guzzi for over 16yrs and never had an issue with one, these ECU's are not even a Piaggio part they are just generic parts used by lots of manufactures. Very unusual for them to fail in that way but I understand your frustration and lack of trust in the Bike when it lets you down like this. I do think the dealership were totally to blame for not checking their fitting of the centre stand and this alone would make me question if it was somewhere I would want to take my bike to for servicing. I do think Moto Guzzi have a bit of an issue finding good dealerships with the ability and knowledge to service their bikes as even here in the UK we quite often have Moto Guzzi dealerships shutting down and new ones opening up. I would get on a Moto Guzzi forum and try to find a good Moto Guzzi dealership in your area that other owners have recommended. I know that won't be easy as they don't tend to have multiple dealerships in the same area, lets face it they don't sell in the same quantities as Japanese bikes. I do think you have been unlucky with your bike but I don't think your dealership have helped the situation at all. Hope you have no more issues and get the chance to enjoy owning a moto Guzzi as they are things of real beauty and character.
As an hobby rider for 20 years, I have learnt one thing for sure: when I loose my confidence in my bike, I immediately sell it. There is no way to carry on. This is what it is...
You are correct. The Guzzi has recently been sold. Thanks for watching!
I have owned three Guzzis with no major problems, but I support your decision. I have had motorcycles that have left me for dead on the road and I sold them immediately. @@MotoTherapy
At 28,000km on my 2021 V85tt, I have had zero issues.
It has never been at a dealer for service, except to shut off the service light; I set the valve clearances, change the engine oil/filter, trans oil, final drive oil, air filter, change & balance the tires myself.. and it just goes & goes.. some oil sweat has appeared at the oil pan gasket & front engine cover gasket; and one of these gaskets took 4 months to get, so I feel your pain about the Moto Guzzi/ Piaggio supply chain. I was fortunate enough to read about the over-filling of the final drive and the under-filling of the transmission, and addressed these problems immediately.
If it blows up now, I have had a good run with it 😂.
This is my 4th Italian bike and my 45th motorcycle in 53 yrs of riding; I knew what to expect after having 3 Ducatis, regarding the quirkiness of Italian machines -vs- Japanese bikes.
I will go for quirkiness & Italian every time over 'vanilla' motorcycles; I suppose I equate, to some extent, perfect reliability and no puzzles to solve with 'vanilla' and ultra reliable/ efficient Japanese bikes.
We are all fortunate
enough to have many models to choose from; I have also made purchasing mistakes over the years, and there are brands I will not buy again.
Many riders have had warranty/ dealer issues with new bikes; I wonder if the answer is to buy used and to do maintenance at home?
At any rate, I have never been stung by doing my own services on several new bikes, but also I have never had an issue with an ECU- which of course would require dealer assistance. It could happen to anyone of us next.
Over the past 40 years of riding 14 different bikes I've had four Guzzis...and never a problem with any of them. Two years ago I bought a V85 TT and I've had 20K miles of no issues. Yes, it did take me several months to get the tubeless rims that I ordered during the Pandemic, but beyond that little frustration, this bike is a very strong runner with no issues. Even the older Guzzis that I had years ago ran strong with very little attention to service intervals, etc.--hey, I was younger then and I didn't pay much attention to servicing beyond changing the oil. These bikes have an engineering history that goes back to tractors and farm machinery and that solid design is apparent.
What you are saying is why I bought one. What I experienced is something completely different. But as I said, I recognize that my experience is not everyone's.
I’ve had 4 Moto Guzzis- the last being the Stelvio. All had to have mods done for them to work properly - all had to have their OEM coils- plug cables replaced with NGK, all except the Stelvio, needed an ECU chip upgrade, the Stelvio needed a complete replacement of the “dash” instrument unit (fried in a rain storm). But once done, the bikes were simply awesome - guzzi is guzzi. An acquired taste. Cheers.
I really appreciate your video, I’m truly sorry about your experience, I almost bought one last year, I am hoping you keep us updated on your progress with your bike, I’m really glad I found your channel
Thanks for watching! There will be more videos as long as I keep the bike 😀
Really appreciate your candor and all the detail.
A bad start, for sure. But from my experience, trust the bike. I've done far over 100.000 km on Moto Guzzi. Just got the V85tt, too and made more than 10.000km in two months and love it. The technical base is rock solid. Hope you can experience that, too. I wish you a great time with it.
Thanks for sharing, I've had no problems in 6000km but I concur with dealing with Guzzie but I have given them slack for covid logistic issues with oil filters etc. Beautiful scenery in your video!
I loved your fair review. I hope you had all your possible problems and you will enjoy rest of your ownership.
Thanks for sharing your experience, although I'm sure somewhat painful. I really hope you are through with all these problems that never should have occurred, especially 3 years I to production. Best of luck, and please follow up with another update in a few thousand miles, good or bad.
Thanks for your honest, yet at times painful recollections of owning this bike. It must have been disappointing to have gone through this. I hope that things start to improve.
Hello; sorry to hear about your troubles; I just purchased a 2022 V 85TT Centenario really loving the bike no issues so far; just brought it in for my first service 1100 miles on it and asked that they change all the fluids rather than just the engine oil; to ensure that it came right from the factory with proper amounts. Good luck to you going forward! Thanks John
Wise request at your first service! Glad you've had a great experience so far. Best wishes!
Thank you for taking the time to make this review. I have been seeing only glowing reviews, and it is good to take a negative perspective into view.
I am ready to get a second bike, coming from my 2016 Vstrom 650 (which I love) and 60,000 miles, I do care a lot about reliability. My choices are tiger 900, V85tt, and T700. Still making the decision, but thank you for helping with it.
Glad it was helpful for you! Best wishes with your decision!
Excellent review... Well delivered!
Thanks for watching and for the kind words!
I was looking at the same bike at a dealership in Charlotte. Nice looking and good features. I hope you have better luck moving forward.
Thank you very much. Indeed, that information helped me with my final decision for this bike. Thumb Upz
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the video. I bought my V85 new and had small issues with the dealer, and sucks the closest is 3.5hrs away, but no mechanical issues. My ECU's mounting area does have one of the clips cracked, but that's the only damage. My shaft oil was filled with too much oil but never saw it leaking and replaced all the oils, fluids, valve adjustments myself at 900 miles. The valves were pretty off and spark plugs pretty black after only 900 miles so I replaced the plugs as well. My gas mileage went up a little after that. I made a video of mine with all the mods I've added and put it on my channel.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I will check out your channel 🙂
At the moment i am contemplating to switch my trusty 1200 Sport for the new VT 100. Good luck to you, keep safe and have fun. Thank you for the honest report!
I always liked those 1200 sports. Is yours a 2008? Has it been reliable?
Hello from the Uk. Thanks for being honest with your report on your Guzzi . I think a lot of people have trouble with Guzzi's but just learn to live with the faults and call it character. Ride save.
I hear what you're saying about Guzzi enthusiasts. Maybe I'll be one someday. As it stands, however, I don't find my ECU dying and stranding me in the middle of nowhere to be very endearing.
This is the reality. Somehow I would like the opposite of that character. :) Drop by when have time. You may like it.
I too own a Centenario, and yes , the supply chain problem for parts stinks. My dealer was great, they basically ordered me Givi crash bars, as they knew it could be a while for the OEM bars. The givis are better, and look better. As a 40 year plus rider, this little Guzzi may be the best ride I have had, maybe I am just old?. I have resigned myself to the fact all maintenance, and most repairs are up to me, as my dealer is 2 hours out. The stock Dunlops are OK, but basically street tires , with a few grooves, yet i have put a few thousand miles of gravel, dirt, and road on them with varying results. I am looking at putting some 50/50 tires on this winter. Good videos, I subscribed.
Thanks for watching and for the feedback on Guzzi. I'm doing my best to reset my outlook! Best wishes!
Bought a V85 TT travel some 5 months ago and most of your problems, heated hand grips, paniers , etc are included on this version. Very satisfied with the bike so far as I had enough of speed and racing. However the switch from FJR 1300 to the Guzzi was a cultural chock in driving. Seems dealers in USA are not the top level, but here in Belgium my VRA dealer is top, service and friendly. Overtime you will appreciate the bike where it was made for. Keep it safe.
Thank you for watching and for your response. Drink a Westmalle Tripel for me if you can, too ;-)
Hi, i had the same problem with oil from final drive, but was an easy fix, and bike is running perfectly, really love the machine, hopefully the gremlins are over for you, and after another bit of mileage, you will have faith again
Thanks! I hope so, too!
I really think you got Friday afternoon special as we have centenario as well and not a single problem with it in 6K+ miles. Love the bike ❤
wow - what a story. I appreciate how cool you are in your narration, I would be mad. I have had several Moto Guzzi's since the 80s (my first bike was a V35), and I live in Italy. I never had good experiences with MG dealers, in summary not in the least customer oriented. At least you have a good dealer I understand. True that MG has always had chronic quality problems, in the sense that many people - like me - have totally reliable bikes, but then there are those who experience failures even in simple components, or parts that are not expected to fail (eg, alloy wheels splitting in two halves...). The overfill you mention is a typical quality problem, as well as the central stand spring snapping. In addition, as you say, tracking of parts (that boils down to configuration management) is poor.
I'd say that by now the "debugging" should be over, so you could trust your bike. The reviews and YT posts one finds on that model are positive, I am sure you are aware about it. I hope and wish that you will enjoy your ride. I do still enjoy my 1000SP2 that I bought new in 1985 and brought me all across Europe.
A fair, measured, non-sensationalised video covering your ownership experience. Good work mate. I can see why all this stuff gave you some bad vibes.
Wow, it seems that you got everybody's bad luck given to you!! So sorry to hear this as our bikes are like a baby to us and we don't want to see anything go wrong with them. I got a similar bike history to you, having owned small enduros like DT 200, KLR, and larger Tenere, sports bikes like GSXR 1000 k4 or Fazer 1000, 2 FJRs and so on. I am currently in love with the new Moto Guzzi Mandello and plan to purchase one. I just hope that I am blessed with good luck as I hope you are from this point on. Thanks for the honest review.
Thank you for the great video! This kind of experience that has kept me from taking the leap into the Italian bike market. Paraphrasing how Fortnine put it in the engine break in video, "the Italians are here for a good time, not a long time." There's not a great dealer network in The States for Italian brands, and then the general lack reliability/durability reputation they have garnered spooks me off stuff like Moto Guzzi and Ducati. It just sucks that nobody else, more specifically Yamaha or Honda, makes a shaft driven midsize ADV bike.
As this video is over a year old, I hope you had no further issues and that you've been able to take the bike on many great trips and adventures!
Thanks for your thoughtful response. In the end, I sold my V85TT and bought a GS. I’m not thrilled with the size of the GS, but it rides like a dream, the dealer network is better, and I have had a fantastic purchase and ownership experience with it so far (8 months and 5K miles).
Having once lived in Italy for 3 years, I probably should have known better, but I let the sexiness of the machine (my heart) override my knowledge of Italian quality and the poor U.S. dealership network (my head). Shoot…I have an Italian brother-in-law who lives in Italy, and he refuses to buy Italian cars, etc., for the same quality/reliability reasons. He leans toward Japan. Italians do a fantastic job with aesthetic and presentation, but not as well with quality.
@@MotoTherapy The heart wants what the heart wants, as they say. It really is a sweet looking bike and the character and uniqueness has a strong pull. I don't think anyone can blame you for hoping for the best.
Funny enough, I shy away from the BMWs for the same reasons, though. Just enough quirks and issues that are expensive on an already premium priced bike to keep me away. That, and there are no dealerships within any kind of reasonable distance to me. The price of living in the middle of nowhere, I suppose!
Thanks for sharing, I owned my V85 now for almost 2 years along with 2 more bikes from the Piaggio Group, I am just about to post my new video as well, and spoiler alert, I came to the same conclusion. Great bikes in their own right but I just don't trust them! I can relate to your troubles and the best advice I can give is if you really like the V85, have a backup that you trust, at least that is where I am at for the moment.
I appreciate your candid views. I bought one of the first 2020 models in the summer of 2019. It has been fine. But, in your case, I think the dealer let you down a bit even though they redeemed themselves. They have known about the overfilling for some time now. The dealer should have checked before letting you go with it and the stand issue is really unacceptable as you are experienced and know that when one of those springs pops, it can cause serious injury. As for the genuine accessories, yes, in the best of times, it can be a slow process, at this point we have not recovered from supply chain problems with covid.
I hope you soldier on with it because they are really great, but if not, good luck on your next machine.
Thank you for the encouragement, and for watching!
Started off sounding a bit soft and whiny with a 5 minute rant about grips, but ultimately I agreed with your conclusion, thanks for sharing. I have desperately wanted a Moto Guzzi since drooling over a 1000S in bike mags in the 90’s, and the Le Mans before that, the most beautiful bikes ever made. Similar to you, the green V85 TT Centenario is both an intriguing and stunning looking bike. But I would never buy one. Why? Because you simply cannot trust a Moto Guzzi with an ECU on a long haul trip. It breaks down miles from anywhere and you’re screwed. Beautiful, but sadly not to be trusted. Japanese bikes for the win.
Thanks for you honest review ! Im about to buy a V 85 TT and while doing research on this bike I found out that there is an issue with some sealing within the cardan drive. That my have cause the issue with the oil u talked about. A statement from Moto Guzzi says, that this sealing-problem concerns the V85 TT models built between may 2019 and september 2019.
I have head about the issue you described. Mine is a 2022 and the dealer confirmed the leak was due to the factory overfilling the rear drive/diff. Best wishes to you with your bike purchase!
Thank you for sharing your tenuous ownership experience with your fellow motorcyclists. I am very attracted to the V85 because it is beautiful and, per the specs, it is just what I want. However, reliability and service support are my priorities. So I'll think twice. Thanks again for a very good video.
The bike is easy to work on yourself, so don't let one mans bad experience shy you away from a bike that has had many other trouble free experiences. If you're willing to work on it yourself it's a great bike compared to most as everything is so easy to access with the engine layout.
You are 100% correct in saying your experience is an Outlier Situation... everyone everywhere, USA and globally, all the reviews, short-term and long-term both, are all total love-fests, as you pointed out. Observation Number One... the oil over-fill was a factory problem from Day One, I'm surprised the factory hadn't resolved that, and I suppose also surprised the dealer didn't confirm it. Which reminds me, I need to confirm that on my own V85TT. I have a "Guardian of the Oreos" model and so far, (still very new) I am super-happy with it. And that is based on some 45 years on motorcycles of every sort and nationality. The Guardian comes with everything already installed, except heated grips... I'd inquired as to adding heated grips, the dealer had them in stock, I saw the box, but between the grips and the labor to install he suggested an electric, heated First Gear jacket, gloves and controller might be a better option for the same money? After contemplation I chose to go that route, figuring a warm core and warm hands are better than warm hands only! They also make heated pants and sox... I don't ride in freezing temps but my hands are very sensitive to cold weather and then take forever to warm back up. They were nice enough to install the power lead for me on delivery day, no charge. Observation Number Two: If you open up the seat, you'll see that the ECU is made by Magnetti Marelli (not sure of the spelling here, the sticker covered up the whole name) but between those guys and Bosch that is the huge share of the "ECU Producer's Membership Club". Moto Guzzi does not make the part; they buy it just like everyone else does. Double-extra kudos to your dealer, cannibalizing another bike for the ECU swap was an awesome and unexpected result for you... good luck getting a car dealer to do that for you! But I think I'd call the ECU failure just a freak occurrence, upsetting yes, but you've been riding the bike ever since and have had no problems, at least none mentioned in your post. I struggled greatly on the model... Centenario, the yellow-white-red, in-your-face model, or maybe the travel? The Centenario is an awesome livery, I was set to go that route when the Guardian popped up. As my final observation, I too am in South Carolina, down here in The Dirty Myrtle. By your description of the time to the dealership I'd suggest you look to the north and an hour's less travel time, the folks there are absolutely awesome and as I mentioned they have parts in stock. You might be able to get your crash bars there, but since the heated grips are goanna be free, and installed free too, I imagine you'll wait on the shop to hook you up on that. Since I was already watching, I went ahead and did the Like and Subscribe thing and watched some of your other posts... especially thanks for all the route info included in the Views and Brews... I've ridden much of that general area but at least a few of those roads I did not recognize, I can add them to a route map for use after the mountain snow season is over!
MM made the ECU for Harley when they made their first fuel injected bikes back in the late 1990’s. They were flawless although no way to modify them for aftermarket exhaust, intake or cams.
I have a V7 stone, virtually the same engine (detuned) and drivetrain..4200 miles with zero issues..I absolutely love this bike, more than any cycle I’ve ever owned. Seems like most of the issues are dealer issues.
So you're saying that a bike you have barely used (4200 miles) is a good example to test reliability?
mine has 9500 miles in less than a year
Always intrigued by MG’s good looking offerings.. always put off by the few and far between support locations (USA).
Great video. 😅 I like the non BS straightforward matter of fact presentation. Had similar experience with my 07 BMW 1200GT. Have 109,000 kms and it just checks all the boxes for me still. Hope you find yours. Cheers
Sorry to hear mate , you have had a bad run . In general terms I hear they are very reliable ( with the exception of the overfilled rear shaft ) but as you say at least the dealer had been honest about all the other stuff.
I loved the ride on the v85tt 2019 but at 16000 miles it stalled at low revs. It took the dealer nearly 2 months to find the issue after "fixing" it twice. Once on a service. I traded it in for a gs and a 3 year warranty. Gear linkage and now I've more boxes
I feel your pain. My KTM 1290 SDGT had the same type of teething issues during its first year of life. 21K miles later I still look at it and ask myself: will the beast strand me today?
Welcome to 2022 bud
Sorry to hear you had these problems and it definitely taints what should be the pleasure of ownership. Its good that you recognize its an issue with a particular bike, unfortunately yours, as here in the uk they get good reviews too. I would have considered one but they are too tall for my extra short legs.
I am sorry you had these legitimate issues. I took mine on the Dempster highway and the bike took a thrashing without any problems. The right front fork seal got damaged but that was a common issue with many bikes in those conditions. Hope you have good luck with your bike from here on out.
Thank you!
Great ride
I appreciate your video. I bought a 2022 Guardia D'Onore and I'm about to do the first (900 mile) service on it. So far I have had nothing but positive experiences with my ownership of this beautiful bike. This model came with all the bells and whistles that I wanted except the heated grips, but the dealer had them in stock and it was easy for me to install them. My dealer is also over 3 hours away, which is not really convenient, but they have been great to deal with. Hope you have all the problems taken care of and will have a wonderful experience from here on.
Thank you! Congrats on the bike, and best wishes to you, as well!
Agree in full. I too have recently acquired a Guardian of the Oreos, working toward that 900-mile first service so that I can thereafter do it all myself. Not looking forward to the long drive, 4 hours depending on traffic, but I have other interests in the area so at least I can rationalize the drive.
Contrary to you, I have an excellent experience with my V85TT. 23000 kms on the clock in less tan two years and very happy. I started riding motorbikes in 1975 and had very different driving experiences along the years on many motorbikes, Japonese and German. This Guzzi is really a pleasant bike, also for the passenger.
Glad you had a good experience with the bike!
@@MotoTherapy And satisfying experience with the dealer as well (in France).
Thanks for the review that I needed to hear. Having owned two KLR’s 650s, two DL 1000 Vstroms and now sitting in my garage is a 2018 Kawasaki 1000 LT Versys with over 90,000 miles on the clock. All of these bikes have never failed me, and have been ridden to very high mileage. I was on the fence of dumping my Kawasaki, and buying the V 85TT but with your review, I wonder if I could ride the Moto Guzzi as if I have ridden all my pass bikes, I live in Southern California and there is a Moto Guzzi dealer down here. Just don’t know if I want to deal with all the headaches and hassles of owning the V 85 with such poor history of dealer support. So the big question is Moto Guzzi versus time tested Japanese bikes?? Just don’t need to be broke down, waiting for a component that could take months to get to me. Again thanks for the great review ride safe, ride, sound, keep the rubber side up.
Thanks for the comment. I have had a wide range of bikes, and the Japanese ones have always been trouble free, too. This Guzzi is my first Italian bike. I do like the way it rides, but It will probably be my last, due to the combination supply issues, support issues, and reliability issues I’ve experienced with it.
Had a diecast Moto Guzzi toy when I was a kid in the early '70s, it had blue tank. Saw a near identical modern Moto Guzzi in the dealership recently.
Unlucky with the ECU? I've had one fail also(not guzzi). Wouldn't stop me buying one?
Definitely jinxed. I own a 2021 v85tt, co-lead this countries community of 2021+ V85TT owners (roughly 65 members) and know the Dealership and master Technician all too well... simply put not a single bike has had any issue like yours... and the fact that we live and start our climbs at 8400 ft on rough Gravel and demanding Andean Mountain roads have proven that it's the bike to own for that and 2up traveling on highways as well. As far as parts... heated Grips ONLY come on the Travel Edition... and we are still on a Global Supply Chain nightmare... so I think you'll be just fine and will truly enjoy and appreciate the bike you have.... after a messy start.
Encouraging words. Thanks, and best wishes!
Thanks for sharing.. How is this Guzzi on the off-asphalt stuff? I don't want an ADV for single track or enduro terrain but I want to be able to ride where the pavement ends; dirt, gravel and un-maintained roads with ease. I also want to be able to ride BDRs with it.
I can’t speak to the off-pavement characteristics yet, as I’m still waiting for my crash bars to arrive before putting it through it’s off-pavement paces. Thanks for watching.
Hopefully you have gotten through the initial teething problems with your V85TT and you’ll have a better experience going forward.
They are hard to get parts for. It seems like it takes months to get accessories and parts. Your dealership sounds like they know how to work on the bikes which is a plus. I got the taller windscreen on mine and it makes a big difference. Mine came without the top trunk when I bought it and like your grips it took months to come. I think having a good tech at Guzzi dealerships is very important. Best of luck!
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, sad to hear that it’s not so good…..I owned and used Moto Guzzi 1200Sport in the past, never faced any problems. In general it’s a good brand producing good and beautiful motorbikes, but still Italian….don’t expect Japanese or German quality (I owned also Yamaha and BMW, can compare) 😅
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Sounds like mostly a dealer issue, with supply chain issues. I have a 2020 and no issues. My dealer is pretty good though, AF1 racing.
Guzzi V7 owner here, I feel your pain. Great bikes but really poor dealer back up. My worry is also as these become more electrically biased there are a whole host of other problems. I went through 3 co2 sensors and a very expensive speedo under warranty. My Suzuki SV that I use for commuting and is really abused has been faultless, dealers great etc. MG really need to up their game if they are to aim at the premium market.
Guzzi is semi famous, but when you look into it, they're a small company. Parts take forever. Corporate communications are lacking. Warranty support is glacial. That said, it sounds like you dealer service really isn't cutting it. Apologies are nice, but it would be nicer if it wasn't necessary. After my break in service, I've just done my own maintenance and documented it. It's easy, and that way I don't have to wonder what some disinterested kid did to my bike while daydreaming about moto gp for 12 bucks an hour. Hang in there man!
Depends where you live I think. I live in Europe, owner of two Guzzi’s. Never had any problem with ordering parts.
Thanks for sharing. And here i am willing to pull the trigger on a new MG V7, stories like this make me wonder if its worth it. Same situation as yours - dealer is at about 3hrs away from me(and its in another country).
Oh how angry i would have been if this was my story.
As for the exact model - got one local rider, who owned a V85TT - he decided to end it after 19 000km of use - traded it for a new Suzuki V-Strom 650 at the same dealer after his MG broke down two times in the middle of a long trip+had multiple small issues.
So this makes me wonder even more. Too bad that there are so few retro bikes that are more powerful then 35kw (basically Triumphs only)
Best wishes in your decision. Safe riding to you!
Had an Aprillia which is the same company. I had electrical gremlins and kept losing the rectifier at nearly $200 a pop. They could never track it down. I loved the way the bike rode and handled but I was used to Honda drive it, put it away and drive it some more reliability. I took a chance and bought a Triumph. The bike has been trouble free for 4 years and I joke mine is Triumph by Honda. Reliability is a must when you are going far from home. I hope you got your grips and it has been all good from here on. The thing with any Italian bike is parts and accessories. There logistics are terrible. If anything mechanically breaks you are looking at serious down time. The Italians have style and heritage for sure as well as great on road dynamics but you just can't expect Japanese brand level of quality control or parts logistics. Good luck.
I have a V7. Knock on wood it’s been great. But dealership networks have always been the sore spot for Italian bikes. I’m 150 miles from the nearest dealer. I do normal maintenance myself.
I had the stand do the same thing on a demo bike, they sorted it, nec minute, no headlights, ride abandoned, not interested thanks, left the Guzzi where it sat.
Re the heated grips, sounds like ya got bitten by sales technique 101............... always say yes to the customer query. Been there got screwed too, now it's always a counter query from me. "If ya say yes and its not on it, no sale, are we clear?"............ Never had an issue since. Makes me chuckle when they squirm and offer some excuse to '"go and check" ................ hehehe.
Great vid man, love the sound and camera set up styles, makes for a relaxed watch, cheers, shiny side up eh.
Yeah, I should have known better about those grips. But damn, he was convincing 😂
Honest review, appreciated. I have exactly the same bike, so far first 10.000 km no issues at all.
You seem to be unlucky, the oil issue I would not see as a major failure, the positive side of it, it was overfilled not underfilled.
The ECU though thats is a major failure, I would expected the dealer to clarify the root cause. Internal failure of the ECU as a result of a chip shortage maybe? A power surge can be ruled out with proper diagnostics, that might resolve your worries, a dealer has a role in that.
The sales issues I would blame the dealer for, you seem to give them quite a lot of credit.
I tried to be gracious, but you are correct 😀
Just a thought, this sounds like the Shop setup the bike and created these issue. I am not sure this was an OEM issue. I don't know your dealer, but I would look around at other who purchased from them and find out if they have had similar issue.
I bought two M-G's. Both had issues that should never happen.
Never again.
I've put over 17,000 miles on my 2020 V85TT. I've had none of the issues you mention, but its unfortunate you drew a a bad one. I'll post a review as well on my channel.
I'm glad you've had a good experience, and I'd love to see your review!
Hi, thanks for your video. One question comes to me; why did you sell your KTM 890 Adventure to end with this Motoguzzi which is specs wise way lower, isn’it?
A few reasons for selling the KTM. At the time I purchased it, it was my only bike and I was about to ride the TransAmerica Trail, so I needed a middleweight that could do everything (highway and technical trails). More recently, I purchased a smaller 300 dual sport for technical riding, so I sold the KTM to switch my larger bike to the more touring oriented V85TT. Also, the KTM had some issues that KTM was refusing to cover under warranty (TFT condensation and a front-end hop), and I found that to be irritating.
I have a KTM 890 Adventure R that I was thinking of trading for a Guzzi lol. I am afraid the KTM will leave me stranded! Either electronically or from chewing up a cam.
The one time I had an ECU problem was with a BMW. The original one had been damaged by a previous owner messing about with the electrics, so all the accessory circuits were blown. The dealer tried to fit a new one. It took several days of them trying to get it to work before they realised that the one they had received had already been coded to another machine, so it's fortunate that the cannibalisation your dealer did, didn't have the same problem.
These ECUs certainly leave us helpless when they go kaput. My ECU failures have been limited to this new Guzzi and a 15 year-old jet ski. I also once thought the ECU might be failing on my son’s older truck, but it turned out to be a low battery voltage issue. I replaced the battery and viola-the computer was happy and the problem was solved.
Hopefully things will settle down and you'll be able to just enjoy it moving forward.
Thank you!
It might be that the factory kinks are gone and you'll have no big issue going forward. Anyway good luck those are beautiful bikes n thanks for the video
Let’s hope so! Thanks for watching 😀
Also please try the upmap upgrade
Sorry you were given a bit of the run around on your initial purchase. The timing of delivery of parts was a common issue due to all of the covid related. I am glad my dealer was easy and had free set up and installation of my accessories and then they delivered it to my house 170 miles away. WAs this a multi-line dealership, or MG only?
Multi-Line. Glad you had a positive experience!
My Wife and I have a pair of 2022 v85's, Luckily apart from my wife's bike leaking from the final drive which was "checked" at the first service they have been great although my dealer experience was poor. We have done 8000 miles this Summer and now they are garaged for the winter, we will see what 2023 brings. We ride a pair of BMW GS650 through the winter, they have been problematic over the last 50,000 miles but I think now I have got to the bottom of the issues! If you do the miles, shit will happen but your experience is terrible, hopefully Guzzi will sort you out (We are in the UK and Piaggio service is shocking here as well.) Keep the faith
My first ADV bike was an '02 F650GS Dakar (I bought it used). It's the one bike I wish I had never sold! Thanks for sharing your experiences, and best wishes!
You can get Oxford heated grips for a few dollars as a stop gap. They're excellent. Certainly warmer than anything Yamaha can come up with.
I have Oxfords on another bike...they do work great, as you say! I am just holding out for the OEMs, as they more cleanly integrate with the bike's menu (the Oxford control box is clunky/ugly).
By “a few dollars” you mean $100 USD?? The way u said it made it sound like sub $30
Hopefully everything settled down with your V85 for you to enjoy it.
Sounds like same dealer I had similar issues with that will never lay a hand on my Guzzi again. Great bikes unfortunately no dealers or service support here in SC.
Sorry to hear you had similar dealer issues! Have you had any experience with Team Charlotte? If I need warranty support again, I might try them--I've heard positive things. Here's to smoother sailing for us moving forward!
@@MotoTherapy I know 2 people who’ve dealt with the Charlotte service shop and they were just meh. Fingers crossed to not having any issues!!!
I owned V7 carbon dark the bike was great.But without a designated dealership in my country there was no support.also since they they were hard to come by the price was over global pricing taking account exchange.
Experiencing similar part supply chain issues with my Tuareg 660. Dealer said their site showed heated grips and the phone interface in stock in Atlanta and should have them in a few days. Two and a half weeks later, still waiting. Dealer says the parts system just shows a picture of a truck, meaning they shipped, but they do not get tracking info so can't look into it further than that. Piaggio needs to get their dealer parts/supply system sorted. I don't blame the dealer since they can only work with what the manufacturer gives them. No mechanical issues yet after a few hundred miles and some mild off road riding.
Thanks for adding your experience. Hope you have smooth sailing from here forward!
Sounds very frustrating... but very fairly conveyed.. well done
Thanks for watching and for the feedback!
Sold my 5 year old 2014 Moto Guzzi California and bought a 2017 California left over. I thought it would be an sensible upgrade as the 2014 was starting to get a little long in the tooth. The new bike cost me very little after selling the '14 so money wise it was a no-brainer ... Now I'm wishing I kept the 2014 as the 2017 has been problematic. When coming to a stop the bike stalls, if it doesn't stall it'll idle around 800 rpm or so which causes the bike to shake. It'll then bounce back to around 1200 rpm or so and smooth out. I took the bike to the dealer and they put in new plugs and adjusted the valves and said everything was fine which it was for a while. Now it's doing the same thing and it's not yet due for a service. Also, when at idle people tell me they smell gas so I think the fueling is off. Again, the dealer tells me the bike is fine but I know it's not. So, I'm probably going to trade it in on a new bike but not sure if I should go with the V100 Mandello or not. Loved my 2014 California Touring and I wish I never got rid of it. I'd kinda hate to write off the brand for the one bad experience but sometimes that's all it takes.
Thanks for sharing your experience...I hope things smooth out for you in the future!!
Trying to maintain equity with more modern, powerful machinery is not very clever. The basic engine is old technology and designed for more moderate power levels. I have a Roamer, 55hp, plenty of character, cruises all day at 70 in top and has enough grunt to overtake without trauma. It is light, low CoG and handles beautifully. Guzzi needs to do what Guzzi does best, buils character, comfort and mechanical simplicity.
Thanks for this. Back to the Japanese bikes for me.
Wow.. I'm with you. You have to trust your long-haul bike. In Oct. I was planning a solo ride down Baja to Cabo. If I didn't trust the bike I was taking, I would never attempt a ride like that. PS. I had to cancel the week before I left, wife needed neck fusion surgery.
Thanks for the commends. I hope your wife had a good recovery!
Hopefully the liquid cooled new Stelvio is out soon with the V100 mandello engine.
Darn! I was really excited about the V85TT. Air cooled, not too much tech, Shaft Drive, I can adjust the valves without taking off the tank, not too big, not too small. I had ruled out the KTM 890 Adventure S because of tech problems riders experienced, including repeatedly going into limp mode, and the dealer can’t seem to fix it. My question is, do you think the KTM is more reliable than the Guzzi? Did you have problems with it? I currently have two Harley’s, a 1999 Sportster and a 2001 Eglide, both are carbureted with absolutely no tech. I guess even if you have a little bit of tech it can go wrong. I also have a 1986 BMW R80RT with carbs and no tech. And no problems. I’m really leary of buying a new $14000 bike only to have to take it to the dealer with tech problems. Like you said, it’s hard to take off on a trip if you can’t trust your bike. I just found your channel so I’m curious to see what you do. Keep the shiny side up.😎👍
I'm not familiar with the limp mode issue on the KTM 890 Adv. My 890 had its issues (TFT condensation, front wheel hop, etc.), but none of the issues ever left me stranded. The only issue on the V85TT that left me immediately stranded was the ECU failure, which was likely a rare issue. That said, I would not buy either bike again. Both also included poor dealership and corporate experiences, in addition to the bike issues. My next mid-to-large bike will be a 1250GSA or (most likely) an Africa Twin. I never had a single issue with my '18 Africa Twin...I only sold it because I needed cruise control due to multiple right shoulder surgeries.
Best wishes to you moving forward!!
Thanks for this video and your feedback. My nearest Guzzi dealer is in Denver area. I live in northern Wyoming, so a 7-8 hr drive depending on weather. Hmm. Honda’s are hard to beat and I have a local dealer. I wish they would bring the new Trans Alp to the US. I would probably buy it. 😎👍
@@billfish5913 Yes, the sparse Guzzi dealer network is also a major issue, should you ever need warranty or dealer service work...or a part when something fails during a cross-country ride.
Damn! It’s always a gamble with Piaggio but I heard similar stories from KTM and BMW. You need a bike you can trust so get a different one. Considered the Tiger 900? I’m happy with that one.
A friend of mine had the frame break on his 900 Rally Pro. No notable abuse other than typical ADV drops. Truimph blamed it on his aftermarket crash bars and refused to warranty it. So, I've not really considered one, although they are quite capable bikes! All that said, yes, I will be looking for a different bike if I can sell this Guzzi.
Nice bike, plenty of character. Hopefully a few teething issues and it will run the next 50,000 miles with no problems. When your nearest dealer is 3 hours away maybe a Japanese bike is the best option, more trouble free than Guzzi and BMW. Id forget the heated grips and ask the dealer to buy you a good pair of battery powered heated gloves.
My Keis gloves are heated on the outside, but not the inside. I assume they're designed to work with heated grips.
Either way, without deflectors, the wind at 50+mph is enough to negate most of the heating when it's cold enough outside.
I am in the process of looking at and purchasing an adventure bike and based on your review...the Guzzi it out!!! Wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole
I'm another outlier .. 2022 v85tt, I also have had 2 factory faults, after dealer first service I went on a 3,000km ride in Europe and halfway round found the rear brake caliper loose and one bolt missing, potentially catastrophic. Then after the big trip got a flat battery from a failed stator, currently being fixed under guarentee. Dealer issues, as well as failing to check the torque on all fixings. They filled the bike with the wrong spec oil which I had to point out to them, and remind them that all modern air-cooled engines need the highest performing correctly specc'd oil. I was riding in the hottest part and time in Europe, I suspect that major damage would have resulted with the wrong oil. It has taken quite a struggle to get the dealer to own these failures.
I own 6 other bikes so am no novice, and like you really enjoy the v85. Trouble is it's uncomfortable riding with your fingers crossed. !
Glad you avoided injury with that brake caliper incident! Your final phrase sums it up well: “It’s uncomfortable riding with your fingers crossed!” 🥲
I won’t even get near a Guzzi solely because the dealer near me is horrible
I have a 2022 as well. I have not had the issues that you are. Supplier issues let alone international supplier issues is somewhat to be expected right now. The ECU is a fluke. However, what bothers me is these freaking dealers and how much they charge for freight and set up and all this other crap and not actually do their checks. I work for a dealer for about 15 years and we were very thorough about creating our own checklists for pre delivery. Some of these dealers are charging ridiculous amounts for setup and not doing it is b*******. Love my bike. But I can totally see how you would be Really frustrated
Great Info, just wondering why you traded your KTM 890 for the Moto Guzzi V85TT, thanks
The KTM dealer was not wanted to warranty things that should be warrantied…I also wanted a reliable long-haul bike, and I thought it would be fun to “go Italian” since I had once lived in Italy for 3 years. I was wrong 🤣
@@MotoTherapy Thanks for the reply, I am seriously looking at the Suzuki V-Strom 800DE for it reliability , just wish it had cruse control .
@@ER-mo3wq Yeah, cruise is critical for me to avoid pain. I understand your hesitation. Best wishes with your search!
I rode this bike and I plan to upload my test ride video very soon (still in November). My general feeling about this bike was positive and it seems to be well made. Sure, I heard of some problems like yours. I also had an Italian bike and it caused me problems, but... this can be with any bike these days. Somehow I switched to a Japanese machine and now I have a trouble free ride. You got my like. Keep up.
Exactly, that's why whenever I start to feel atracted to an Italian bike my conciencie always tell me "ride easy trouble free", nothing like the peace of mind...
@@ricardoezequielneira1795 Just have to agree mate. :) Can check my content. You may like it.
@@RRRRefuelRideRace I will ! Thanks mate !
@@ricardoezequielneira1795 Thanks a lot bro.
Around 1981 I was visiting my one of my local bike dealerships , who still deal with many bike manufacturers and employ many people , to buy some spare parts . A new bike , a 750cc Yamaha V twin Virago ( I think it was called ) had just been prepped for its excited owner to take away . I had not seen one of these , so I waited about being a bit nosey ! So the engineer tried to start the bike , it made an effort to start and then refused to turn over . The spark plugs were removed and oil poured out of the spark plug holes . This was because the crated bike had been inverted in delivery and the oil had seeped above the pistons ..... What I am trying to show is that japanese machines can have teething problems , even if it was not the factory's fault ... probably in this case . In this happenstance the conrod's were bent by the oil not being compressible at the first start up , Whoops . ( A friend worked at the dealership , so I got the full story . Another thing , at least one Japanese manufacturer designs in faults to occur at certain mileages , so if a customer does not follow t the letter his service schedule at a proper dealers then those parts fail . My own bike at the time was designed to fail if the carb butterflies were not swapped out ... the brass butterflies would snap and disappear into the combustion chambers , wrecking pistons and valves . What a devious world we live in eh ? Thankfully I was told about this potential failure and had a chance of replacing the parts on my very second hand bike , due to me having a friend in the right place . Nasty but unfortunately true .
Hey, This experience with Moto Guzzi is a bummer. I own a 2018 V7111 and at 11k have had no issues other than a faulty kill switch. You've been more than kind with the dealer. As far as the factory issues go there are no excuses for poor workmanship or poor set up. I love mine but, can understand your mixed emotions.
I've owned a Guzzi and several other "exotics" (Piaggio MP3, Hyosung 250, and currently a Benelli 302s). What gives me the most willies is the dealer's lack of knowledge and experience when you buy one of these smaller brands. Since they don't sell a lot of bikes, they don't gain the same level of shop experience with any one model as they do with, say a Honda. So, bottom line is, you have to convince yourself to accept that risk of ownership. I rode my Guzzi V7 to Springfield, IL from eastern PA without incident, but knowing what could be in store for me if I had a major breakdown is troubling to say the least. Add to that the fact that, at least in my opinion, the level of mechanics' experience nowadays isn't what it used to be. That's a sign of the times and the sophistication of modern bikes.
Excellent observations. Thanks for sharing!
I sold a 2010 DL650 VStrom and picked up a 2020 V85TT Traveler, no regrets but then I understand Guzzi ownership having owned a few since1980.
Such a shame that you've had such a bad experience. I've ridden the very same Centenario hard from new for 16,000 touring miles, often in very harsh conditions. So far, it's been the most reliable bike I've ever owned. My only issue has been a tiny oil leak in the engine casing, which they fixed by resealing the parts in an afternoon.
It just shows that peoples' experiences are so reliant on the reliability of individual bikes. Hopefully it won't give you any more trouble.
Thank you for sharing!
Ditto that! It seems that MG either gets it right the first time, or you have 2-3 warranty issues. My dealership is a good one, but parts availibility /delivery is really poor. My V85 now is 2 years old with 25,000 miles on it and going strong! Once you get the "bugs" out of it YOU'LL LOVE IT!! Put up with it, the best is yet to come!
You sure had problems pile up. 4k miles on my 2020 with no problems. I never heard someone call the V85 having a "horizontal " motor before. Regarding the heated grips and engine guards why not get aftermarket? I waited over 2 months for a fuel part for a 2009 Harley sports sportster that was used for at least 13 years. I think the dealer didn't do a proper set up as rear oil level should have been checked.
Why not aftermarket? Because I was stupid enough to pay for them (grips and crash bars) with the bike purchase.
I ride a guzzi v7 and went to the annual Guzzifest rally for members of the Moto Guzzi club GB.
There was a dealer there with various models including a V85TT.
This is the national rally ,a chance to shine ,to make sales to the converted ,pushing on an open door., the dream sales event.
It broke down.
Oh no!! I needed that story-thanks! 🤣
Sorry to hear of your poor initial experience. Givi engine guards, part # TN8202 for Moto Guzzi, $125- ×- at Revzilla. Heated grips are generic. Motorcycles do not have differentials. Once your machine is set right i will last a long time. Ive got a 2019 V7 stone, 10,000 mi and zero troubles. I know of Moto Guzzi's with over 100,000mi on em and those machines ride as good as new. It's commonly said by owners that these machines aren't really broken in until 20,000mi. These are hand made machines, by Italian craftsmen who like to toss down a glass ot two of wine at lunch on Fridays. Once your bike is set right you will be fine. Cheers
So your problem is with the supply chain and dealer issues?
Yes. As well as Guzzi's inventory tracking system, factory setup, bike components, and communication (lack thereof) by Piaggio's U.S. Customer Care office.