I've owned my '22 V85TT for about 10 months now, and just turned 9200 miles. In contrast I owned my previous V7 for 2 years and put on about 4500 miles before trading it in on the V85. Guess that says something! I have the Adventure version (I believe it's called), with the hard cases and top box. I had the dealer add a centerstand, heated grips and engine bars.
Overall I really like the bike, but of course there are a few areas I want to improve. I thought I'd post some thoughts and questions here to see what you think.
The most serious issue is that it's really top heavy. I don't think there's anything to be done, it's a high bike and the engine carries its mass high as well. Fine on the road but you have to be careful paddling around in the parking lot and when coming to a stop. As one reviewer said, it's surprisingly difficult to do a feet up stop at a stop sign (i.e. zero on the speedo).
The other obvious issue is that it's a bit underpowered. I notice it mostly at freeway speeds, it would be really nice to be able to just squirt past cars doing the limit. It cruises fine at a true 85mph, but there's not a lot left at that speed. Once the warranty runs out I may well give Todd a call!
On to the (hopefully) fixable issues.
Windshield. I have a Cal Sci tall one, and while it's better than the stock shield there's too much buffeting over about 70mph. I'd really like to be in a smooth bubble and still be able to look over the top of the shield. Can anyone recommend one?
Instruments. I love the panel layout and look, but the speedo is hopelessly optimistic, 8-9%, and the gas mileage is equally low, compared to manual calculations. Is this something that can be tuned by the dealer? Actually my dealer (On Any Moto in Tucson) said there are a couple of software updates, anyone know what they do?
Indicators. I'd much rather have LEDs! Also I've lost one of the clear covers so this might be a good time to upgrade. I was riding with a friend on a new Mandello and I like those, are they compatible? Not sure whether they're LED. Would a generic led set off Ebay work? If anyone could point me to a how-to on replacing them (including the flasher relay), that would be great.
The only real issue I've had is that after the first service I noticed a slight oil weep around the oil filler cap. I thought it was that, but no amount of tightening and sealing helped. Then I realised that it was weeping from the engine case joint just above the filler cap, caused by loose case bolts there - one actually vibrated off altogether! Bought a replacement and tightened them all, fixed. Must have been an inattentive assembler at the factory.
All for now
Patrick Stirling
Tucson, AZ
Overall I really like the bike, but of course there are a few areas I want to improve. I thought I'd post some thoughts and questions here to see what you think.
The most serious issue is that it's really top heavy. I don't think there's anything to be done, it's a high bike and the engine carries its mass high as well. Fine on the road but you have to be careful paddling around in the parking lot and when coming to a stop. As one reviewer said, it's surprisingly difficult to do a feet up stop at a stop sign (i.e. zero on the speedo).
The other obvious issue is that it's a bit underpowered. I notice it mostly at freeway speeds, it would be really nice to be able to just squirt past cars doing the limit. It cruises fine at a true 85mph, but there's not a lot left at that speed. Once the warranty runs out I may well give Todd a call!
On to the (hopefully) fixable issues.
Windshield. I have a Cal Sci tall one, and while it's better than the stock shield there's too much buffeting over about 70mph. I'd really like to be in a smooth bubble and still be able to look over the top of the shield. Can anyone recommend one?
Instruments. I love the panel layout and look, but the speedo is hopelessly optimistic, 8-9%, and the gas mileage is equally low, compared to manual calculations. Is this something that can be tuned by the dealer? Actually my dealer (On Any Moto in Tucson) said there are a couple of software updates, anyone know what they do?
Indicators. I'd much rather have LEDs! Also I've lost one of the clear covers so this might be a good time to upgrade. I was riding with a friend on a new Mandello and I like those, are they compatible? Not sure whether they're LED. Would a generic led set off Ebay work? If anyone could point me to a how-to on replacing them (including the flasher relay), that would be great.
The only real issue I've had is that after the first service I noticed a slight oil weep around the oil filler cap. I thought it was that, but no amount of tightening and sealing helped. Then I realised that it was weeping from the engine case joint just above the filler cap, caused by loose case bolts there - one actually vibrated off altogether! Bought a replacement and tightened them all, fixed. Must have been an inattentive assembler at the factory.
All for now
Patrick Stirling
Tucson, AZ