Moto Guzzi's Wind of Change
MOTO GUZZI'S WIND OF CHANGE
ROUNDUP
"BREVA" IS THE wind that keeps the sky clear and sun shining over Mandello del Lario, where the late Carlo Guzzi established his motorcycle factory on the shores of northern Italy’s Lake Como back in 1921. The name, first applied to the Breva 750 three years ago, was intended to mean that Moto Guzzi’s dark days had blown over. It didn’t quite turn out that way, as parent-company Aprilia hit financial straits just after the debut of the bigger and more luxurious Breva 1100 at the Milan Show in 2003.
The money trouble meant all was silent at Moto Guzzi, but now the Breva 1100 is finally in production, looking much leaner and better styled than the fat-tanked and chunky prototype.
That the big Breva is finally on the road is due to the simple fact that Moto Guzzi-and the rest of the former Aprilia Group-now is part of the larger and more financially sound Piaggio Group, the Vespa people. Piaggio CEO Rocco Sabelli gave the green light to the Breva 1100 project immediately after having added Guzzi to his corporate responsibilities late last year.
With all that development time, the Breva appears quite finely honed. The venerable air-cooled, transverse 90degree V-Twin has undergone a number of evolutionary changes. Displacement remains 1064cc (as on the V11 models), but shorter, lighter pistons allow use of 4mm-longer-yet-10-percentlighter connecting rods, which reduces engine vibration.
The new heads with mild 9.6:1 compression ratio feature twin sparkplugs to improve combustion while allowing reduced spark advance. As a result, torque delivery is improved and emissions are reduced (a catalytic converter resides in the large stainless-steel silencer). Weber-Marelli EFI with 45mm throttle bodies delivers fuel. Claimed output is 86 horsepower at 7500 rpm with peak torque of 63 foot-pounds delivered at 6000 rpm.
Significantly, the alternator has been relocated from the front of the engine to up in the Vee (as it was on the original V7 of the 1960s) which makes the engine much shorter than that used in the V11 range, allowing a more-forward engine mounting and better weight bias. As part of the new cooperation between the motorcycle brands under the Piaggio umbrella, it was on Aprilia’s recommendation that the engine was also mounted higher to raise the center of gravity, aiding turn-in response.
One of the most important elements of the Breva powertrain is the new, fiillfloating-crown-andpinion unit of the shaft final drive, as first seen on the prototype.
Dubbed CARC (the acronym translating from Italian as “compact reactive shaft drive”), the system eliminates chassisjacking associated with shaft systems.
The Breva’s tubular-steel double-cradle frame is allnew, and doesn’t use the engine as a stressed member. Solid connection comes only at the rear via what Guzzi refers to as “the spider,” a casting that creates a very stout connection between the engine, gearbox and frame. The front engine mount is by two simple elements of flat steel plate that act as “leaf springs” to absorb vibration generated by the secondary imbalance of the 90-degree V-Twin, preventing said vibes from reaching the rider.
If there was ever a great place to introduce a roadster
like the Breva, it is in the sweeping roads through the hills of Chianti, in the Tuscany region of northern Italy near Sienna. There, for the bike’s international press introduction, the $ 11,990 Breva 1100 felt beautifully at home-fast, agile and comfortable, perfectly neutral in high-speed comers. The engine is incredibly smooth compared to past Guzzis, with a pleasing surge of power at 5500 rpm. The new six-speed gearbox is outstanding, never making a harsh noise or missing a shift, while the hydraulically actuated clutch is very light to operate and progressive at engagement.
The chassis-with conventional Marzocchi 45mm fork and hydraulicpreload-adjustable single rear shock-is easy-steering and ever composed, under power or while using the excellent four-pot Brembos. The handlebars are a little high, unweighting the front end and causing less-than-neutral behavior in slow comers. Other than that, the riding position is ideal for comfort and handling.
If this new Breva is any indication, the skies may have finally cleared over Mandello
del Lario.
Bruno dePrato
