Sporting two touring-oriented ADV motorcycles, the 2021 Moto Guzzi V85 TT lineup returns with some motor and electronics package updates, and a bit more. There are two models in the V85 TT lineup—the Adventure and the Travel.
The moto remains 90-degree air-cooled V-twin with pushrods actuating the two valves per cylinder. For 2021, Moto Guzzi has revised the cam timing to improve torque at low and medium rpm. Appropriate changes were also made to the ignition to enhance the new valve actuation regimen.
Further updates to the ride-by-wire electronics package include two new riding modes. Joining the returning Street, Rain, and Off-road modes are Sport and Custom. The Sport mode is designed for more aggressive riding, while Custom gives the rider the power to create a personalized riding mode. Adjustable parameters include throttle response, traction control, and ABS. Carried over standard electronic features include cruise control and a TFT instrument panel.
Last year’s V85 TTs had tubeless tires mounted on wire-spoke wheels that required a tube. The wire-spoke wheels on the 2021 Moto Guzzi V85 TTs are now air-tight, so an inner tube is no longer needed.
2020 was to first US model year for the Moto Guzzi V85 TT and V85 TT Adventure, so the update is certainly prompt. We tested the V85 TT and V85 TT Adventure in the Winter of 2019.
For 2021, the two models are the V85 TT Adventure and V85 Travel. The Adventure is now the base model—despite the photographs, panniers are standard on both V85 TTs. The Travel gets additional amenities, including a taller windscreen, higher-capacity panniers, additional LED lighting, and adjustable heated grip. Also, the Moto Guzzi MIA multimedia app that connects your smartphone to the V85 TT is standard on the Travel and optional on the Adventure.
The 2021 Moto Guzzi V85 TT lineup is available in two bilingual colors: Giallo Mojave and Rosso Uluru. Giallo is Italian for yellow, and Mojave is a Spanish name. Rosso is Italian for red, as most of us know, and Uluru is the Pitjantjatjara name the indigenous Australians gave to Ayers Rock.
When the two motorcycles arrive on showroom floors in April, the 2021 Moto Guzzi V85 TT Adventure will have an MSRP of $12,990, while the V85 TT Travel will have a $13,390 price tag hanging from the handlebar.