V50 (Nato Model)

[jihem]

I've been wanting a V50 for years, for town use or small two up trips, and two models are popping up right now around Brussels, so i wonder if I'll do the jump and get one...

 

The first one is a straight 1979 V50

 

 

while the second one is very cool indeed: a 80'ssomething V50 Nato model.

 

The Dutch army ordered some back in the eighties and I think it looks great: kinda legit ratbike

 

But i know nothing about small blocks. Does anyone around here have some insights about reliability, weak points, strong points ?

 

thanx !!!

[chris a]

Nice little bikes.

valves,piston rings and guides don't seem to last more than 50,000km.

ignition system is neither that appropriate in it's curve or easely fixable if it goes south.

Forks are spindly and benefit hugely from a fork brace.

original switch gear and finish is crap but the nato 's paint may be better !

Excellant city and backroad bike imho .Lots of spares around seconhand .

generally despised by the "Big block" owners to their great loss:P

Chris

[dlaing]

I really miss my V65SP.

It was light weight, got about 50MPG US, and so easy to ride compared to my beastly V11.

But it was a bit of lemon

The V50's are known to be more reliable than the V65, so I'd like to get one someday....

But what are part availability for these bikes????

Are the 700cc Breva as durable and reliable as the V11?

If so, a Breva converted to Monza trim would be very appealing.

[Skeeve]

Are the 700cc Breva as durable and reliable as the V11?

If so, a Breva converted to Monza trim would be very appealing.

 

From reports, the 750 Breva only needs the small block sump spacer available from the Guzzi aftermarket to make it the finest small block to ever escape Mandello del Lario: owners are that pleased. The only reason it requires the spacer is because of the inadequate oil volume Guzzi seems content to bless the small blocks with ex-factory.

 

It's because of the great reviews of the 750 Breva that the Brevona even came to market. Despite the less-than-helpful tweaking of the original 750's styling, the big block Breva has still managed to be something of a sales success.

 

That's why the new "V7 Classic" is expected to do so well; it's basically a tarted up 750 Breva, and that had finally started to make a bit of a name as a perfect all-rounder. Now that Suzuki has severely bludgeoned the naked SV650 with the ugly stick, the small block Guzzi might have some legs despite its higher price point & lower equipment level [single front disc, lower performance.]

 

If you can find a NOS 750 Breva cluttering the sales floor and swing a good deal on it, you'd be hard put to find a better "town bike" w/ the ability for an occasional all-day tour, or so I'm told.

 

Steve Natt used to do the occasional ride report on this on-demand cable show when I lived in Long Beach & had Charter cable. Loved the show, but the usual "reporter" was this little blond bimbo w/ the most grating voice ever: she must have been boinking one of the producers, there's no other way to explain her continued dominance of the episodes available. She was pleasant to look at, but since they didn't close caption the shows, there was simply no way to watch the ones she hosted [poor MTV-style shaky cam techniques didn't help either.] Anyway, one of the very few episodes Steve Natt hosted, was one where he rode & reviewed the Breva 750. The short story is, he admitted even he didn't expect to like the bike as much as he wound up doing, and by the end of the show gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up, while acknowledging its shortcomings.

[Slavomir Musilek (R.I.P.)]

before V11 I had a Breva for one year. Bought used from Germany with 1680km on the clock. Has been running and starting nicely. Perfect all-round runner. -10°C - +30°C no problems. One day, at about 8000km on the odo, the cardan broken. Was however replaced in the warranty (some forgot recall from previous owner?). I can only recommend as a second bike. Even I was a beginner it seems too underpowered just after 5000km on it...

[Guzzirider]

Am I right in saying the NATO versions have a kickstart?

 

Don't know too much about smallblocks- been years since I owned a V65 Lario, but the best advice I can think of is don't pay too much- you can pick up a V50 in England for just a few hundred quid- some people want to ask silly money for them, but there is not a great demand so they can be obtained dirt cheap.

[roberto tenni]

Check the steering head bearings. These bikes have seperate races and loose ball bearings and it can be pricey to buy the complete set - 4 races and 44 balls - if you can find them.

[mike wilson]

Am I right in saying the NATO versions have a kickstart?

 

 

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7547

You can see the pedal just below the exhaust pipe and in front of the pipe/silencer junction.