Italy’s oldest and most historic motorcycle manufacturer Moto Guzzi celebrated its 95th birthday in 2016 by introducing a new pair of midsized models under the V9 designation, positioned in a range topped by the 1400 California as an intermediate step between the four-strong entry-level V7 models and the 1200cc Stelvio and Griso. The new two cruiser-inspired shaft-drive V-twins are targeted at quite different customers, with the sharply styled V9 Roamer aiming to compete with the Triumph Street Twin, Indian Scout Sixty and Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster in serving the everyday roadster rider, while the Bobber custom-style bike is a direct competitor to the Ducati Scrambler 800 in the lifestyle sector, and comes complete with an array of aftermarket accessories to help deliver its customers to the Land of Joy.
You can read the original magazine story by clicking HERE.
Comeback Kid
The debut of the V9 Roamer and V9 Bobber in the marketplace, after being launched at last November’s EICMA Milan Show, comes on the back of a 24-percent increase in deliveries for Moto Guzzi in 2015, when it sold 7880 motorcycles—a good step up from the 6358 shipped in 2014—and comes thanks to Guzzi’s Piaggio Group owner’s substantial dollars spent on new models last year across its entire model range, including the Vespa scooters which have kept Guzzi and Aprilia afloat through all the recent hard times, ready to take advantage of the current upswing in the global market, and especially in Italy.
The Roamer gets a larger-diameter front wheel and skinnier tire compared to the Bobber.
Under The Hood
To power the two new V9 variants Guzzi engineers have developed an all-new small-block engine to replace the one originally introduced in V35 guise back in 1977, and best known for use in the 750 Nevada for almost 20 years, an evolution of which continues in production today to power the various V7 models. This new V9 motor retains Moto Guzzi’s traditional transverse 90° V-twin pushrod OHV format with air/oil cooling, but has all-new cylinders, heads and more robust crankcases, and 84 x 77mm dimensions for a displacement of 853cc, against the V7’s 80 x 74mm 744cc layout. Power of this Euro 4-compliant motor is now a claimed 55 bhp at 6250 rpm, up from 48 bhp at 6200 rpm in the V7, which meets Euro 3 only, with torque up, too, to 62Nm/45.7 lb-ft at just 3000 rpm (against 60Nm/44.2 lb-ft). Moto Guzzi has also fitted a new lighter single-pin crankshaft and revised the wet-sump lubrication system to include oil-jets for the now slightly domed pistons to cool the motor better.
Those pistons are new, too, and not just because of the V9’s larger diameter bore. Until now, the small-block Guzzi engine has used the Heron head design first brought to motorcycling by Moto Morini 45 years ago on the 3½, which has the combustion chamber recessed in the piston crown, thus aiding combustion and enhancing fuel economy, leaving the cylinder head machined flat, with parallel valves. For the V9, Guzzi has moved to a more conventional hemispherical head design, each still with two valves and a single spark plug, with the compression ratio now raised to 10.5:1 instead of 9.6:1.
While the single camshaft is still located at the base of the cylinder vee, new rocker arms operate the now splayed valves, though adjustment is still via threaded adjusters at the rocker arm, similar to the V7’s setup.
The Bobber (pictured) and Roamer share the same 853cc 90° V-twin powerplant.
The V9 engine also has a new low-flow oil pump that absorbs less power to run, as well as a revised crankcase ventilation system to reduce pumping losses. Specifically developed for use on this type of engine, the new generation Magneti Marelli MIU/Mechatronic Integrated Unit ECU is matched to a single central throttle body feeding both cylinders via a Y-shaped inlet manifold, same as on the latest edition of the Heron-headed V7. Together with an auxiliary air intake system, a three-way catalytic converter in the exhaust, twin oxygen sensors—one for each exhaust pipe—and the total redesign of the engine, allows the new Moto Guzzi 853cc engine to meet Euro 4 emissions standards.
Also fitted is a new single-plate clutch with a 20mm larger diameter at 170mm and revised actuation to make the pull easier, matched to a modified six-speed gearbox with taller bottom and sixth gear ratios. In addition, the shaft final drive has a second universal joint to make room for a wider 4.00 x 16 rear wheel, so the swingarm side holding the shaft is angled outwards, instead of leading straight back off the engine, to make room for a wider rear tire, yet while still keeping the rear of the engine compact. Build quality seems high on both models, with an emphasis on “real” materials denoting plastic parts reduced to a minimum. The front and rear fenders are both metal, with the side panels, filler cap, non-adjustable brake and clutch levers, and forged footrests all made of aluminum. The stainless steel exhaust headers are also double skinned, helping to lower the heat emitted and prevent discoloring.
The Roamer also has slightly more trail than the Bobber but both have the same 38° rake.
Architecture
The two versions of the V9 share identical engine specifications and the same tubular steel duplex cradle frame, with a cast aluminum double-sided swingarm incorporating the shaft final drive housing on the right. This delivers a fairly rangy 57.7-inch wheelbase, with the non-adjustable 40mm KYB/Kayaba fork set at a 26.4° rake and offering 5.1 inches of wheel travel. The twin rear shocks are adjustable only for preload and give just 3.8 inches of travel. The Brembo brake package on both models features a single 320mm floating front disc gripped by a four-piston caliper, with a fixed 260mm rear disc and twin-piston caliper. Two-channel Continental ABS is fitted as standard. Both models also feature switchable traction control with a choice of two different settings, one for wet and one for dry riding conditions, giving newbies plenty of confidence for a safe ride, though with those relatively humble power and torque numbers, dry-weather traction shouldn’t be a problem.
The new 853cc engine is still unmistakably Moto Guzzi.
However, where the two bikes differ architecturally is in the front wheel/tire size, with the Roamer carrying a front 100/90 x 19 Pirelli Sport Demon mounted on a good-looking but skinny 2.50-inch 24-spoke cast aluminum wheel (with a 150/80-16 rear). But in a stylistic effort to recall the early cut-down bob-job custom bikes that returning GIs created out of excess military motorcycles post-WW2, the new Guzzi V9 Bobber has what amounts to a rear tire on the front wheel—a 130/90 x 16 Continental ContiMilestone, again with a 150/80 x 16 rear, this time from the same German tire manufacturer. Did Guzzi’s traditional Italian tire supplier Pirelli decline to produce such a bun-sized front cover? We’ll never know.
The Fun Part
A 75-mile ride around to the opposite side of Lake Como from Guzzi’s Mandello del Lario factory took us over the challenging and evocative public roads Circuito del Lario road race course, which, from 1921 onwards hosted the Italian equivalent of the Isle of Man TT in which Moto Guzzi first made its mark in competition terms by winning five of the 15 such events ever run, including the final one on the eve of war in 1939. Here, in climbing 1600 feet above Lake Como, the V9 Roamer proved to live up to its name, with its pulled-back handlebar and low footrests mounted only slightly forward delivering a comfortable stance that makes mile-eating a pleasure, especially allied with the torque and willing nature of the new V9 engine. While devoid of undue vibration thanks to the perfect primary balance delivered by the 90° cylinder format—there are no balance shafts—this is also extremely quiet in operation, so much so that for the first time on a Moto Guzzi you can actually hear the shaft final drive’s rear bevel and pinion turning—it’s not so much a whine, more the mechanical sound of gears engaging. Before, there were too many rattles and mechanical noise from the pushrod motor for you to hear that, but not anymore. Indeed, the whole engine seems refined and well made—though its pushrod format stamps it as a thing of the past in design terms, its execution is thoroughly modern, and Moto Guzzi’s R&D engineers at the Aprilia factory at Noale deserve great credit for creating it for production at Guzzi’s Mandello plant.
The light clutch made fighting rush-hour traffic in Lecco easy and untiring—this will be a great commuter bike—and the shift action of the six-speed gearbox is much improved over previous small-block Guzzi models, though you must still always use the clutch even for upwards shifts. There’s no tacho fitted to either model, just an analog speedo with a digital panel offset to the left to leave room for you to clamp your smartphone to the handlebar on the right, should you opt for the aftermarket MG-MP multimedia platform. So I can’t tell you how low down the V9 motor pulls, but it has a very flat torque curve from 2500 to 6500 rpm, though not a huge amount of grunt, so you still need to use the gearbox to row it uphill, for example. Yet pickup from a closed throttle is flawless, without the Ducati Scrambler’s jerky second-gear pickup. It’s worth noting that the digital box in the solitary instrument is illuminated so brightly that at night—or in a dark 1.5-mile tunnel carved through a mountain beside the lake—it’s hard to make out the small, closely packed numbers on the speedo surrounding it. (Honestly, officer.) That panel shows an odometer, partial and daily trips (with automatic reset eight hours after shutting down the engine), trip time, clock, instant and average fuel consumption, ambient temp, average speed, gear indicator—hooray! It’s needed on a bike of this torque—and a shift indicator that’s adjustable by the rider. But it’s still too brightly lit.
The Moto Guzzi Roamer at home in Italy.
The V9 machines are very easy and forgiving to ride, which will suit inexperienced riders on their way up the capacity ladder, as well as shorter riders, including women. They’ll also welcome the fact that the Roamer’s low 31-inch seat height (.2 inches lower still on the Bobber) allows people of most statures to put both feet on the ground at rest, thanks also to the way the seat narrows as it reaches the 3.4-gallon fuel tank. Though the longitudinally ridged sides to the tank look like the crease might dig into your knees, that doesn’t in fact happen, because the footrest position means the knees of an average height 5’10” rider nestle just behind the cylinder heads peeping out either side of the tank, probably because the engine has been rotated slightly forward to make space, or else because of the longish wheelbase making room for the frame to be stretched. Whatever the case, it’s a well thought out riding stance with adequate footrest clearance when cranked over in normal use, and what looks like a rather plank-like seat in fact also proved quite comfortable on our morning ride round the lake, and up into the hills surrounding it.
Dual Personalities
That, however, is where the two bikes proved very different, dynamically, as we climbed away from the lake through a series of tight hairpin turns followed by a slightly faster succession of third-gear curves. Since the rolling diameter of the two models’ front wheels is essentially identical with the tires fitted, there’s no difference between them on turn-in, though the Bobber does have heavier steering. But whereas the Roamer steered very predictably, with good feedback from the skinny front Pirelli, thanks to its bun-sized front Continental tire you couldn’t say the same about the Bobber. This has a flatter, lower handlebar that asks you to lean slightly further forward, making for a more aggressive stance in keeping with its looks. But that aggression is all show, not go, for the simple reason that it’s quite impossible to tell what the front tire is doing in a turn, because the deep sidewalls completely dial out any front end response. So you just hope for the best in laying the Bobber into a bend, and make sure you’re no longer squeezing the front brake lever as you do so, using the rear brake almost exclusively to slow you down in best American V-twin cruiser mode. It also under-steered repeatedly on me in tight hairpin turns—though I’ll admit that could be because I was reluctant put too much trust in the fat front tire that’s for sure a triumph of style over substance.
The Roamer by contrast delivers both of those, and felt easy and predictable to ride. As well as the grippy Pirelli front tire, the single front disc was probably a factor in that, because of the reduced unsprung weight and lesser gyroscopic forces it delivers compared to a twin disc front end, while at the same time providing quite sufficient bite to slow a 438-pound fully fuelled motorcycle into successive downhill hairpins without any sign of brake fade. It was also noticeable too that the Kayaba fork’s damping settings gave good ride quality in absorbing road shock on the Roamer, but were not nearly as compliant on the Bobber, presumably thanks to the fatter but also heavier front tire. Pirellis are renowned for being the lightest volume production tires in the marketplace, so the Continentals would be likely to start with that handicap in relation to the non-adjustable fork, even before the extra weight of the 16-inch front came into the equation to compromise the damping. But on both bikes the reduced rear-wheel travel compared to, say, the Triumph Street Twin with an identical KYB suspension package, meant that most of the Italian road imperfections got transmitted to the seat. Ride quality felt very “dry.”
Both bikes are forgiving and fun to ride for both the entry-level and experienced rider.
Eye Candy
What the Bobber’s handling problems when pressed tell you is that it’s a question of horses for courses. It’s probably unfair to criticize a hey-look-at-me style bike for not being able to cut it on a former public roads racetrack, so since customers for such a bike will probably buy it primarily for urban use, where most corners it’ll come across will be right-angle turns in city streets, I’m sure it’ll be perfectly at home there, especially with the extra cushioning in the sidewalls to absorb road shock from riding over manhole covers and the like—while looking cool doing so. For anything else, potential Guzzi V9 customers can opt for the Roamer. This is available in three different color variants, all of them with a glossy finish: Giallo Solare yellow with an attractive black graphic on the fenders and on the tank; Bianco Classico white with an elegant red graphic on the fenders and on the tank, and Rosso Rubino red with a pearl white graphic on the tank and on the fenders. The V9 Bobber however comes in just two colors, both with a completely matte finish—Nero Massiccio black with a yellow checkered graphic on the fenders and the fuel tank, or Grigio Sport gunmetal grey with a red checkered graphic on the fenders and tank. Unlike with its Ducati Scrambler rival, there’s no price supplement for any color.
Two very similar bikes with distinctive styling.
Not Lost In The Crowd
The 800-900cc twin-cylinder retro/lifestyle model sector is getting pretty crowded these days, with entries so far from Triumph, Norton, Indian, Harley, BMW, Yamaha and Ducati. Thanks to the well-made and thoroughly modern platform provided by their new 853cc engine, the Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer and Bobber are certainly valid contenders for the customer dollar and, as always with anything made in Mandello, offer something completely distinctive in the process—even more so in the case of the Bobber!
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SPECIFICATIONS: Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer / V9 Bobber
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ENGINE TYPE:
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90° V-twin, 4-valve, four-stroke
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COOLING SYSTEM:
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Air and oil
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DISPLACEMENT:
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853cc
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BORE x STROKE:
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84 x 77mm
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COMPRESSION RATIO:
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10.5:1
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MAX POWER:
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55 HP @ 6250 rpm
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MAX TORQUE:
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45.7 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
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FUEL SYSTEM:
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Marelli MIU, single-body EFI, integrated management of traction control on two levels
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EXHAUST SYSTEM:
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Stainless steel, 2-into-2, 3-way catalytic converter w/double lambda probe
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EMISSIONS COMPLIANCE:
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Euro 4
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TRANSMISSION:
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6-speed, w/final overdrive
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FINAL DRIVE:
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Shaft
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FRAME:
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ALS steel twin tube cradle frame
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WHEELBASE:
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57.7 in.
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TRAIL:
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4.8 in./4.6 in.
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RAKE:
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38°
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FRONT SUSPENSION:
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Kayaba 40mm
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REAR SUSPENSION:
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Twin shocks w/adj. preload
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FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL:
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5.1 in.
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REAR WHEEL TRAVEL:
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3.8 in.
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FRONT BRAKE:
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Floating single 320mm disc, Brembo opposed 4-piston calipers
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REAR BRAKE:
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Floating disc, 260mm, Brembo opposed 2-piston calipers
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WHEELS:
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Aluminum alloy
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FRONT WHEEL RIM:
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2.50 x 19 in. / 3.50 x 16 in.
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REAR WHEEL RIM:
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4.00 x 16 in.
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FRONT TIRE:
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100/90-19 / 130/90-16
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REAR TIRE:
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150/80-16 / 150/80 B 16
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LENGTH:
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88.1 in. / 86.0 in.
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SEAT HEIGHT:
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30.9 in. / 30.7 in.
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FUEL CAPACITY:
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3.4 gal.
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RESERVE:
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0.9 gal.
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CURB WEIGHT:
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438 lbs.
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You can read the original magazine story by clicking HERE.
