Breva 1100

[Baldini]

Just read Alan Cathcart's test of the 1100 Breva in MC Sport mag. Cathcart has been around a long time & knows his stuff.

 

Couple of things: motor is apparently moved forward by 40mm to get more weight forward. I've always felt weight on V11 is way too much on the rear.

 

And... the 6 speed box is all new. I don't know if this is cos the new s/a arrangement couldn't have been made to work with the old 6 speed or if they thought the old box wasn't up to it. I'd be interested to know if internals are shared or not. The cases are clearly different. The V11 6 speed is short and could have run a much longer s/a, as on the MGS01 (it's even more unlikely we'll see anymore on that now there's a new gearbox?). But I just wonder if Guzzi decided that the original 6 speed was not good enough. After all the old 5 speed is still in production after 35 years!

 

Apparently the motor is revvy (lighter internals) & doesn't have the bottom end or mid range of the older bikes (sounds more like the mainstream which might be why the bike is getting good press reviews). Aside from that he is very complimentary about the bike, & reckons fit & finish is a huge improvement.

 

KB

[Martin Barrett]

BIKE were quite nice about it to. They seemed to get the idea it wasn't a sports bike but more like a BMW R1150R. But that didn't stop them taking the photos whilst looking like a knob in some sort of racing crouch. Why they can't just sit on the bloody thing I don't know!

[Paul Minnaert]

Ive seen the breva 1100 in flesh last week, a dealer in amsterdam has one.

It looks very good finished. The gearbox has no single component in common with the v11 gearbox. The 4 axcle design is gone, more like the 5 speed, all gears on one axcle. I think it's cheaper. It looks like a great tourer to me. All people with a calli will love it when they drive it, I suppose. CLose your eyes, and think what changes when the upper 30cm of the bike( tank/seat/tail) is exchanged for something else. classic. The griso will have a lot of parts in common I think. And why not. The same buildingblock strategy as used on tonti's and the daytona/centauro/sport 1100 range

[DeBenGuzzi]

I may look into one for a touring bike if they put them out in all black with hard bags like the one I saw. It looks like a real stand up cruiser. But only if its used I'm sure it will be priced at 13-15K ouch

[Lex]

I may look into one for a touring bike if they put them out in all black with hard bags like the one I saw. It looks like a real stand up cruiser. But only if its used I'm sure it will be priced at 13-15K ouch 

50937[/snapback]

 

MGNA is still saying $11,990 USD, add bags and a small windshield and it would probably be around $14K OTD. Expensive but not too bad these days.

 

Personally, I'm more worried about the comment "Apparently the motor is revvy (lighter internals) & doesn't have the bottom end or mid range of the older bikes". If that is compared to the cruisers that sounds fine, if that is compared to the V11 sport motor that is not fine, it seems like it takes away much of what I like about my Sport.

 

A part of the reason I don't ride Japanese bikes is their insistence on setting up their engines for race tracks, light flywheel and tuned for top end power. I think the V11 motor is a great compromise, enough low end and flywheel to be fun to ride slow and enough top end to be fun when you want to go a little faster. If MG tuned the Breva motor any "hotter" than the V11 Sport they will wind up with something I would not be interested in owning.

 

Getting worried,

 

Lex

[Baldini]

...worried about the comment "Apparently the motor is revvy (lighter internals) & doesn't have the bottom end or mid range of the older bikes"....

 

Lex,

 

It wasn't clear in the article what he was comparing it too. He kept saying "all previous Guzzis". But it would be in keeping with the way Guzzis have been going to make it more top end at the expense of bottom/mid. It seems to be what people want, least that's what looks good in a magazine stats column.

 

I'd agree with you. But like anything, best ride it for yourself & see.

 

It's very interesting that Paul says they've completely changed the box. Maybe it is just cost but it makes me wonder. Although it works well it has been the source of a few problems...

 

KB

[Guzzirider]

It is great that the Breva 1100 is getting good reviews and is priced sensibly.

 

It is not my cup of tea but if it sells well, and makes some profit for Moto Guzzi that will hopefully increase the chances of more new models being developed.

 

 

 

Guy

[callison]

The MGNA rep told me last year that the current Breva 1100 would be followed by a "naked" version and then a full up touring version. The engine is rated at 84 HP whereas the V11 Sport is more like 91 and the California types are somewhere in the 70's. These are not real world horsepower of course or we wouldn't have so many posters buying PCIII's and poking holes in their airboxes, but that would place the Breva 1100 engine solidly between the two extremes. Do lighter internals such as pistons, rods and clutch (did the clutch change?) really lessen the torque or is the faster revving engine merely masking the torque. I await the opportunity to take a test ride. In the longer run, I suppose I would wait for the full up touring version as I have a greater need for that than a semi-sport or semi-cruiser bike. But that tank... is just butt ugly. It's going to take a massive tank bag to hide that monstrosity, hopefully the touring version will hide it behind additional bodywork.

[Guzzirider]

My local dealer is flying to Mandello tomorrow to pick up a Breva 1100 and ride it home- it will then become his test model.

 

Lucky bugger!

 

Guy

[Ballacraine]

Well, I hope it works for them. I would like to see it sell as well as the V50s did in their heyday.

 

( Wishful thinking there, I reckon! <_>

 

Nige.