Have recently taken delivery of a v85TT Travel, a really great bike with lots going for it but i find that progressive, smooth and predictable braking to a halt is a real challenge! Front Brembos extremely sharp with no feel (either on or off) and the rear foot brake spongy and totally ineffectual. I have not experienced this problem with any other bike
This of course may well be my own poor technique and lack of experience with a quirky Guzzi (any advice accepted, but not too unkind please!), or it may just be “the Guzzi way”, but I would be interested to hear if other v85TT owners have had a similar experience.
I have a V85TT Travel and the first week of ownership I didnt gel with the bike but after a long and steady run the bike felt part of me, I get what your saying about coming to a stop, I just slow it down before the moment of stopping and use a bit more rear brake as they do tend to nail the front if you use too much front brake, I must add that the more miles on the bike the bigger the grin, Well done Moto Guzzi for making a wonderful motorcycle
Thanks for your reply, I’ve been away from home for the last three weeks but am now back and looking forward to mounting up and getting to grips with the braking issue. As you suggest, it must be about getting familiar with a different animal so I’ll put in as many miles as I can before winter arrives …central Scotland is not ideal for all year round biking! Best wishes.
The very last couple of feet of brakIng should be rear brake only, it stretches out the bike rather than compresses it and tends to avoid those paddle like a duck moments.
I tend to be gentle on the brakes and last time I went out on the bike the front brakes didn’t feel so sharp, so on a quiet road I hit them hard a few times. That cured it.
The back brake didn’t seem to do much but then I tried keeping it on and accelerating, when I released the brake the bike shot forward so it must have been doing something. Strangely the back brake on my last bike, a BMW R1200RT felt much the same.
I’ve noticed the front brake lever feeling hard when riding in recent freezing temperatures. I rode along slowly for a few hundred yards speeding up and braking and it gradually softened up and started to feel like it does in normal weather. Maybe frozen calipers in my case, not sure.