TRAVERSE Issue 08 - October 2018 | Page 111

More than 30,000 fans of the Moto Guzzi brand con- verged on Mandello, Italy for the 2018 edition of Moto Guzzi's Open House. The historic plants played host to thousands of riders from all over the world who came for a special glimpse into the workings of this 100 year old manufacturer. The Guzzisti were treated to tours of the manufac- turing factories as well as the musuem that houses not only the very first Moto Guzzi, the 1919 GP prototype but also the first mass-produced Guzzi, the 1921 "Nor- male". While thousands of test rides were being booked, the Guzzisti were treated to traditional Italian street food and music, yet it was the music of the v-twins engines that most came for. A special treat was the centre-piece of the Open House, the first official glimpse of the V85TT, Moto Guzzi's new adventure bike. Thousands of test rides were preordered for the new machine, which are still available through the Moto Guzzi website. TRAVERSE revealed the prototype V85 in the last issue, now the public have been able to see the fully-fledged pre- prodution version. Moto Guzzi says the V85TT is a mixing of modern technology and classic Paris-Dakar design, providing a perfect bike for those "who like to point their finger on the map and leave". The air-cooled 850cc v-twin produces 80hp, the 90 degree tranverse engine sits within a newly designed steel tube frame which, Moto Guzzi claims will provide unparalled performance and handling. Moto Guzzi says " whatever your adventure idea is, the new Moto Guzzi V85 TT will make it unforgettable". U C TRAVERSE 111 T s