Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128210
Nice package: The Breva offers an entertaining mix of power and handling, making It a practical and efficient twin that Is a cut above most entry-level two-wheelers. "We wanted to create an entrylevel model, which would allow us to attract new customers to the Guzzi range, as well as to motorcycling as a whole," says Moto Guzzi's 41-yearold CEO Roberto Brovazzo, who for the past twelve years has been Ivano Beggio's eight-hand man in plotting Aprilia's rise to prominence and who, since 2000, has been tasked with overseeing the resurgence of both Moto Guzzi and Beggio's other recently-acquired trophy marque, Laverda. "We want to enlarge the Guzzi family of riders, which should include a greater number of younger customers as -well as more women, and the Breva is the first stage towards achieving that goal, as well as to allowing former motorcyclists to return to the fold with a bike which is fast enough for them to be entertained, without thinking they must try to ride like Valentino Rossi in order to master it. We see the Breva as a means of introducing the enjoyment of motorcycling to those who are new to bikes, via a higher level of performance and all-round usability, without sacrificing the convenience they've become used to in other more basic forms of two-wheeled transport." So the Breva is an anti-scooter, then - a motorcycling alternative to twist-'n'-go transportation that is practical and efficient, just as a scooter is, but also fun and enjoyable to ride, which a scooter isn't really. It's also arguably a step up from a street single like BMW's designeresque F650CS, or even a V-twin midi-cruiser like a Yamaha XV550 Virago, in that it offers a level of performance that can entertain, leading effectively kept the ailing company afloat long enough to allow it to be rescued by Aprilia. But the new model has what amounts to an allnew engine, retaining only the Nevada's crankcases, and chassiswise shares only the swingarm and shaft final drive unit with its cruiser ancestor. Not so much a breeze of change, then - more a hurricane ... (Left) The twin Paioli shocks are pertlaps the weakest link in the Breva's proverbial chain. Adjustable only for preload, their action leaves something to be desired over rougher tarmac. (Center) The Marzocchi front forks are hardly sophisticated, but very competent at soaking up road undulations. The Breva's Brembo brakes (320mm up front, 260mm rear) offer plenty of stopping power in oneup riding situations, but you should plan ahead when carrying a passenger. (Right) Heart of the matter: The Breva proves that there is still plenty of spunk left in Moto Guzzi's air-cooled two-valve twin. This particular version derives from an engine first Introduced In 1986. cue I e n e _ s • APRIL 23, 2003 31