Moto Guzzi V85 Concept One Step Closer to Production?
Piaggio patent filing for Moto Guzzi V85 shows it may be coming soon!
When Moto Guzzi released photos of its new V85 concept last November, there was no shortage of positive feedback from the ADV Riding community. The Moto Guzzi V85 was a unique departure from industry norms, featuring an exposed rear shock (made to look like dual shocks), minimalist bodywork and colorful retro styling. It was also powered by a mid-capacity powerplant adopted from Guzzi’s V9 series, an air/oil-cooled 850cc V-Twin pumping out 80 horsepower.
We’ve eagerly awaited news from Piaggio on their plans for the V85 concept ever since the news first broke. Now Motorcycle.com has dug up what looks like good news for fans of the V85. Moto Guzzi recently filed a design patent for the bike in Australia, which indicates we may not have to wait much longer for the official model announcement.
The patent filings included detailed photos of the bike and what was most telling was not anything new we saw, but how much was still retained from the original Moto Guzzi V85 Concept. Other than subtle changes to the tank, exhaust and rear brake caliper position, the photos filed in the patent look almost identical to the original boldly-styled V85 concept. And that’s good news considering how often exciting concepts get watered down before production.
Piaggio hasn’t confirmed a name for this new model but on the Moto Guzzi V85 concept page they give a glimpse of names being considered (e.g. Terra, Explorer, Bluster, Rover, Desert, Pathinder), including the ‘Stelvio’ name used for previous Moto Guzzi Adventure Bike models. The V85 Stelvio would be a worthy successor to the now discontinued Stelvio 1200 NXT killed off by Euro 4 regulations. We still have no confirmation yet from the manufacturer on release dates, but we’ll continue to share new details as they appear. Stay tuned!
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This is really great news! I’ve been eyeing this one since the concept was announced. Perfect balance of retro and modern design.
[…] a few weeks ago we got news that Moto Guzzi was filing patents on its V85 concept bike, a telltale sign that it’s moving closer to production. Now we’re […]
I estimate MG’s sum total justification to purchase a design patent (about $15k in the US, unknown cost in Australia) is for marketing reasons. MG is the only maker of a longitudinal V-twin, and I suspect it shall remain this way. IOW no other OEM is about to steal the V85’s cosmetic design.
The V85 concept bike looks infinitely better than the Stelvio.