V850X

[Chris Wilson]

Any noise on this one?

Chris.

[docc]

V85   OX?

[docc]

Oh, oh, okay. Sorry about the ox.

A new model of the V7, come V850:

[motortouring]

A road version of this Fast Endurance kit would be nice. Also as an aftermarket kit.

V7 850 Endurance racer (that is LeMans, isn't it?)

[motortouring]

I hope this is a very good camouflage :-)

 

[motortouring]

This was posted on the MGCN forum. I do have a kind of déjà vu.

 

[docc]

So, a V85TT without the tricker, more expensive V85 motor? The lesser V850 motor instead?

[pete roper]

So another parts bin turd. Recipe for wonder. Take the second most awful bike to carry the Guzzi name in half a century and make it even worse! Outstanding!

[docc]

11 minutes ago, pete roper said:

So another parts bin turd. Recipe for wonder. Take the second most awful bike to carry the Guzzi name in half a century and make it even worse! Outstanding!

Here, I thought there was a whole list of Goozie-turds in the last fifty years. The current V7/V850 is the "second most awful?"

What could possibly the Mostest-Awfulest?

[pete roper]

Last series carbureted Nevada. Few, if any motorcycles ever built have been uglier, more uninspiring and overweeningly drac, although the V85 comes close in my book. It really is an awful motorbike.

[docc]

1 minute ago, pete roper said:

Last series carbureted Nevada. Few, if any motorcycles ever built have been uglier, more uninspiring and overweeningly drac, although the V85 comes close in my book. It really is an awful motorbike.

The "Nevada" - That is easy to agree with, even for a novice like me.

The V85TT? the jury seems to still be out on that one.  Very, very confusing now between the V7/V9/V850 engines and what was different about the V85 motor (even if one does not care for the "TT" >dual sport?< chassis and design).

[po18guy]

The big block was long ago assigned the "tractor" appellation. IMO, the small block should be in a Harbor Freight generator. Sorry, but it has always been underwhelming, from 350cc and onward. A little brother who was never allowed to grow up. IIRC, the last Heron heads used by a major manufacturer was Chev in their 348 and 409, and Mercury in their 383 and 430, late 1950s-mid 1960s. Even though the Heron has flown the head, the engine's goal is to run under the hurdle rather than to jump over it.

[pete roper]

The V85 motor was launched with a lot of song and dance. It's a dry sump motor, (One presumes to combat the crankcase pressurisation issues as much as anything else.) has roller tappets and (Gasp!) Ti inlet valves. This is supposed to turn it from an obsolete, uninspiring, underpowered drossbucket into some sort of priapistic 85 HP monster!

It isn't. It's a low 60's HP, overweight slug with poverty pack suspension and all the character of microwaved scrambled eggs.

By all accounts they are selling like hot cakes! Obviously a lot of people desire a sort of unthreatening two wheeled blancmange as long as it has 'The full selection' of electronic gismodry to keep them *Entertained* as they ride.

 

Thats fine. I'm glad people like them, I really am. I'd rather pour burning wasps up my arse than have anything to do with one! If they are going to build a version using the even more miserable V7-850 motor it will just be more disappointing and yawn-worthy than the current V85.

 

[po18guy]

Pick the most boring and pedestrian of any maker's models and we see they sell a tonne of them. Plain Jane is the safe bet - although they do little to nothing for us true enthusiasts...(ahem!).

[Lucky Phil]

3 hours ago, pete roper said:

The V85 motor was launched with a lot of song and dance. It's a dry sump motor, (One presumes to combat the crankcase pressurisation issues as much as anything else.) has roller tappets and (Gasp!) Ti inlet valves. This is supposed to turn it from an obsolete, uninspiring, underpowered drossbucket into some sort of priapistic 85 HP monster!

It isn't. It's a low 60's HP, overweight slug with poverty pack suspension and all the character of microwaved scrambled eggs.

By all accounts they are selling like hot cakes! Obviously a lot of people desire a sort of unthreatening two wheeled blancmange as long as it has 'The full selection' of electronic gismodry to keep them *Entertained* as they ride.

 

Thats fine. I'm glad people like them, I really am. I'd rather pour burning wasps up my arse than have anything to do with one! If they are going to build a version using the even more miserable V7-850 motor it will just be more disappointing and yawn-worthy than the current V85.

 

The V85 is just an example of the vehicle manufacturing process these days. A pressed up crank with plain bearing big ends, cam drive sprocket machined into the crank main shaft and those are just the things I know about. Cars are the same, friction drive cams etc. The Lego world of automotive engineering. My DD Ford Escape recently at 85,000klm and 5 years of age had an about to fail tail shaft centre bearing. I troubleshot it in plenty of time and due to circumstances just took it to the Ford dealer to fix it. So the failed $60 bearing on the 2 piece tail shaft isn't replaceable, it's either remove it and take it to a tail shaft specialist for a $450 rebuild plus removal and re fitment costs or the Ford replacement of the whole assembly for, wait for it, $1700aud plus labour, so $2000aud total for a $60 bearing that's failed at less then 1/2 life. Welcome to the modern world of the mass produced automotive product. Now I see the latest small blocks have the EFI ecu along with the TPS and various sensors built into the throttle body as one unit. Got a running issue you want to sort out? Good luck with that in the future. A failed sensor in 4 or 5 years time? Yes sir that will be a gazillion dollars for a complete new ecu and throttle body assembly and we can have one for you in 3 weeks. Think it's a rare event? I've replaced a Guzzi ecu due to a failed baro sensor and I'm not alone by any stretch.

How did we get here? well part of the reason is that people allow themselves to be blinded by the "bling" and aren't interested in the "engineering". Too busy being mesmerised by the latest "connectivity" or "style" or free servicing or spec sheet shenanigans. In other words it's Style over Substance and the manufacturers oblige willingly because it's more profitable for them to churn out some piece of bling that has a service life before major issues of 5 years than produce a sound piece of engineering that will fill it's intended roll for many years and miles in a trouble free manner and if the odd unfortunate thing happens is capable of being rectified in a cost effective manner with a minimum of technical fuss. It's the world of accountants and profit margins over engineering. It's sad and pathetic but the consumer only has themselves to blame. 

Ciao