Issue 131 : October - November 2003
The ACE
Take a Breva
Roland Brown
Bristol Show
Gremlins
Buell's on Test
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The ACE
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Take a Breva
Motorcycles have long since stopped being the preserve of hardened bikers who ride through all weathers on naked uncomfortable bikes. The modern motorcycle is now a comfortable easy to use form of personal transport for the more mainstream-riding members of the general community at large. These are people that are used to good specification levels from even the cheapest and most basic of cars. People who are in good jobs that have no time to tinker with machinery, but who want to make the best use of what leisure time they have out on the open road. People who want an easy bike to ride, one that is comfortable and will cover large distances if need be, but at the same time be useable on short journeys. Bikes that are modern and pleasing to look at and are socially acceptable by the non-riding community without loud exhausts. Enter Moto Guzzi's new Breva named after the southerly wind that blows over Lake Como in northern Italy bringing the good weather. Close to the shores of the lake is the Guzzi Factory at Mandello del Lario, which has produced this new bike aimed at heralding a new wave of machines that will bring them back to the fore in the 21st century. The Breva is intended to breathe new life into the historic name and remind people that they were once at the forefront of new technology. The Breva is also designed as an entry-level machine that will still give pleasure to experienced riders whilst giving that all-important feeling of history and quality behind the product. It is the first of a new line that will see more powerful bikes equipped with engines bigger than the 750 unit that currently powers this new model. The modern, clean simple lines of the bike are intended to take the fear out of riding the bike. There is no fairing to worry about, which will also keep down servicing costs and the weight has been kept down to help encourage female riders into the saddle. In fact there is a lower saddle for shorter riders as an option! Make no mistake this is an important bike for the factory and the first since it was taken over by Aprilia three years ago. First shown at Intermot last year it is now on the roads of the UK, but I was given the chance to ride it around its native roads in Italy before it hit the dealerships. Guzzi were keen to show that they have produced a bike that can be exciting as well as being more mainstream than most.  Our route took us along the shores of the famous lake, the roads following the contours of the glaciated hillsides and taking in the towns and villages as well as the odd stretch of motorway type going. The first thing that you notice is the number of people who turn and look as you drift by and in a motorcycling country such as Italy this is quite impressive. Attention has certainly been paid to providing a classical look that will not quickly date like some Japanese machines! People seemed to like what they saw and a quick blip on the throttle reminded them that while the bike may have been toned down to meet current Euro 2 standards, it was still a V-twin from the company that built the fabulous V8 all those years ago! The next thing that dawns on you is the riding position. This has been kept upright and conventional without the need to place all your weight onto your wrists. The peg to bars to seat relationship has been well thought out from the design stage to provide a natural riding position.
However, while it is a new bike it can trace its heritage back to the carburetted 750 Nevada, a cruiser that first appeared in the mid-eighties. Not that there is much of it left apart from the crankcases and shaft drive and despite the fact that it only puts out 48 bhp the way it delivers it is so vastly different to before. The air-cooled 90 degree V-twin is far tighter than one normally expects from a Guzzi motor and it is quieter too thanks to better materials and general engineering. It is more sophisticated as well with Marelli fuel injection feeding the two cylinders. Certainly it is responsive enough and the bike will pick up and move with a fair turn of speed, it is no slouch despite the lack of bhp. It pulls well from a little over 1,000 rpm and from double this it will accelerate all the way to its top speed of just over 100mph! Around 5,000 there seems to be bit more urge applied to things and if the bike is revved past this in every one of its five gears it will provide a very entertaining ride. Even used in this manner, which was certainly not how it was intended to be used, the single plate clutch works well and is light in operation. The gearbox is a revelation snicking into every gear with a precision normally unknown on a Guzzi and it does not jump out of any either - progress indeed! The shaft drive is excellent and you do quickly forget that you are on a shaft drive bike, it playing little part in your conscious thoughts! While the engine may thrive on such use the chassis does not, or at least the suspension starts to have difficulty in coping. The 40mm conventional forks have no adjustment and the twin Pailoli shocks at the rear have only pre-load to cope with pillions or luggage. In normal use these softly sprung and damped items provide a comfortable ride and cope well with everything except the most undulating road surfaces. In sports mode they have difficulty in coping, which is probably why there are an optional set of shocks in the aftermarket catalogue! The twin spar frame though shows no sign of flex even when the bike is pushed hard. The fairly conventional steering geometry means that it is light and the bike gives a neutral and predictable feel through bends which is always reassuring. The fairly narrow, by modern standards, Pirelli seventeen-inch tyres grip well and contribute to the feeling of general well being and light steering. Lock-to-lock turns are easy on this bike thanks to good weight distribution, the upright riding position and the light clutch operation. A single disc at the front always seems to look funny these days even if it is gripped by a Brembo calliper and backed up by a similar item at the rear. However, this set-up is sufficient to cope with what this bike has to offer in the way of performance and also thanks to the decent engine braking provided by the motor. The dashboard is not as high tech as some, but is clear easy to read even in bright sunlight and gives all the information you could possibly want, including warning of possible icy conditions. This shrouded by a small screen, which sits atop the round headlight and does a reasonable job of keeping some of the blast off the rider at motorway cruising type speeds. Guzzi have certainly taken the fear factor out of riding with this bike, it is very user friendly. It is therefore surprising that they have not supplied a centre stand or adjustable span levers for those with small hands. However, after a day in the company of this new entry level bike I came away impressed, especially when you consider the fact that it will be just £5,284 OTR in this country. Some things such as the suspension and single disc are areas that have been shaved to bring it in at such a good price, but overall the quality and basic product is very good. An owner can soon upgrade if they feel the need, although I think most people who will buy this will be more than satisfied with the whole package that has every right to bear the famous Moto Guzzi emblem on its eighteen litre fuel tank. Personally I will wait until the bigger version comes out or the trail bike version of this, although the concept Griso is also coming soon. Let's hope the Breva continues blowing as well as it has recently! Ian Kerr  |
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Ian Kerr explores the beauty of lakeside Italy on a home grown real world thoroughbred.
It is a very comfortable bike and even the pillion position has been well thought out as well to ensure rider pillion harmony, not to mention long distances.