Moto Guzzi Malaysia, through Didi Resources Sdn Bhd, the authorised importer and distributor of Moto Guzzi officially introduces its first Classic Enduro motorcycle, the V85TT in Malaysia recently. Mr Rewi Hamid Bugo, Chairman of Didi Resources Sdn Bhd speaking during the launch, “In Malaysia we have perfect roads to travel within the country or crossing the border to our neighbours, the V85TT suits the taste and demand of our bikers and we believe with this new classic endure will capture the hearts of both the young and old alike”
The short off-road media test ride gave us a glimpse of the V85TT handling, braking and feel albeit on an off-road trail which would be unfair for me to generalize my feedback on this Classic Enduro. Hitting the ignition, I felt a lateral jerk when the transverse 90° V twin engine kicks in. The same feeling I got on the Beemer 1100 GS decades ago. Something Moto Guzzi should improve on unless they intended this to be sort of a Guzzi signature, something like the Harley’s signature vibration.
The V85TT does not have a good weight distribution to go off-road comfortably, handle feels a bit too light and I constantly have to “feel” and counter it to keep the bike steady. The test model I was on was fitted with an anakee tire which supposedly have a better grip off-road. The feedback from our media journalists who tested the models fitted with normal road tires felt that it was extremely slippery which makes the ride not really enjoyable.
The V85TT has a 853 cc air cooled engine. Without a radiator and compare to other 850 cc motorcycles in the market, I felt its 229 Kg Kerb weight is on the heavy side. The good side of this Classic Enduro are, its fitted with Brembo braking system, digital instrument panel, upside down forks, comfortable seat, a uniquely designed petrol tank and generally an eye candy.
Let’s hope Moto Guzzi Malaysia will let us have a test unit soon to do a more comprehensive review. Let us know your thoughts on this V85TT.
Credits : Photos, Video and content by Justin Hong
