Moto Guzzi Review – Chasing Motorcycles

Moto Guzzi V7 Classic Owner’s Review — The First Week and Before

And so it was, upon the demise of my 1200 Sport and State Farm Insurance completely taking care of me, I took a hard look at what and how I would be riding over the next couple of years. The 1200 was a great bike and I fully expected to replace it. I purchased it … Continue reading “Moto Guzzi V7 Classic Owner’s Review — The First Week and Before”

And so it was, upon the demise of my 1200 Sport and State Farm Insurance completely taking care of me, I took a hard look at what and how I would be riding over the next couple of years. The 1200 was a great bike and I fully expected to replace it. I purchased it because I wanted it for the long distance tours I had planned to get to this year and the next few.

I realized that my new job and just-outside-the-city lifestyle really meant that for the next couple of years, 99+ percent of my riding would be within a 150mi radius, with many, many days of riding through the streets of Chicago at 30-ish miles per hour. This is not the venue, mission or best possible circumstances with which to operate a 1200 Sport. This mustang needs road. I need a bike that is a better choice for these distances, light on its feet and able to make me grin while I tackle the third-world roads of Chicago and surrounding cities.

You already figured that I’m getting a Guzzi? Well I looked hard at the Ducati 1000GT, the Triumph Bonneville and even considered a maxi-scoot. I hit the forums and asked more and more about the V7C. The more I heard from the people that actually owned it, the more I started warming up to the idea. Finally, I read a Wall Street Journal Comparison of the Bonneville, Sportster and V7 Classic.

So I now own one Continue reading “Moto Guzzi V7 Classic Owner’s Review — The First Week and Before”

Moto Guzzi California Vintage – Day 6 – Time to take ‘er home.

This is the sixth in a series of articles about living with and riding a California Vintage from Moto Guzzi. The previous one is here. I knew this day would come… Ok. It’s not my bike. I’ve shared that. I had less time with it than the Breva 1200 Sport. I took the Breva back, loving … Continue reading “Moto Guzzi California Vintage – Day 6 – Time to take ‘er home.”

This is the sixth in a series of articles about living with and riding a California Vintage from Moto Guzzi. The previous one is here.

I knew this day would come…

Ok. It’s not my bike. I’ve shared that. I had less time with it than the Breva 1200 Sport. I took the Breva back, loving the bike, but I knew that it had to go on, eventually, to a happy owner. This time it’s different. The Guzzi got under my skin. This bike is the “girl you take home to Mom”. I wasn’t ready to let go.

I woke up early and decided to take the bike from Northridge down to Newport Beach in Friday Morning Rush Hour to have lunch with a college buddy. I hadn’t really experienced the center of Los Angeles in very heavy traffic, and I figured that I-5 at 9am would be a perfect crucible.

This isn’t a short trip. Over 70 miles on LA’s inner city freeway into the heart of Orange County. I would be traveling across areas that are some of the busiest in the US. Names like East LA interchange, where the 110, 10, 5 and 60 all meet in a pasta bowl of roads, and further south, the “Orange Crush” near Disneyland beckoned. I would definitely be doing some lane splittin’ today. I hoped that the big, police-bike-inspired Guzzi was up to its heritage.

For a Cruiser, the Guzzi isn’t exceptionally wide. The seat is pretty mellow, really, and the bags don’t stick out further than the handlebars, as far as I could tell. The mirrors protrude slightly further, but not so much. Ride height is perfect for heavy traffic. You sit up high and can look all but the largest SUV drivers right in the eye. When you’re in the canyons between them, this and a good set of headlights is definitely a plus.

The day started out warm and proceeded to heat up to the typical, Santa-Ana winded Indian Summer day that is famous in the region. I can’t believe I moved from Phoenix for the cooler temperatures of Southern California only to find this. If you’re off the beach, you’re in the desert. Don’t let anyone fool you. A great test for the bike. Stifling hot, heavy traffic and a big cruiser. Not as much fun as canyon carving, but if you live in LA or any big city, considering the purchase of this wonderful, big Guzzi, you sure as heck want to know that it can live in traffic in tough conditions.

Off I go. Once onto the 5 South, I cruise in comfort until I reach the northern reaches of downtown LA. Traffic is backing up. I began to weave between the well-spaced cars as they moved along at 45-55 mph. Absolutely no problem. If anything the front windscreen was too efficient in that it moved the air around me instead of through the vents in my jacket. I continued as the traffic deepened and the myriad ramps of the East LA interchange approached, signaling that stopped traffic and real, slow-speed splitting was in my future. Continue reading “Moto Guzzi California Vintage – Day 6 – Time to take ‘er home.”

Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport — 1000 plus miles, back to the factory!

This is the ninth in a series of posts about the Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport. The previous posting is here. Nine Days, 1080 miles After nine days and more than 1000 miles, I possess a really good idea of what it’s like to live with the Breva 1200 Sport. I’ve previously given reasons for why … Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport — 1000 plus miles, back to the factory!”

This is the ninth in a series of posts about the Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport. The previous posting is here.

Nine Days, 1080 miles

After nine days and more than 1000 miles, I possess a really good idea of what it’s like to live with the Breva 1200 Sport. I’ve previously given reasons for why someone might want to purchase it, but I’d also like to give my observations with respect to what worked for me and how my riding style altered as I reeled in the miles.

1000 miles in less than 10 days, you

Not a “lean off” bike

On my Ducati ST2, I practice “lean off” turns from time to time as I ride it through some of the more aggressive stretches of roads in my area. I know these roads well and remember their eccentricities to the point that I can work on my technique. The big ST2 seat allows for movement of the rider around the bike.

The Breva’s seat locked me in place. Lean-offs were complex, and I found that I didn’t like the way that I upset the bike’s stance as I employed this technique. For me, I made much quicker time by adopting a more “Hailwood” approach, keeping my body smooth and silent through the twisties.

The Breva “wants” to be ridden in it’s own way. It’s good to know “how” a bike rides to decide if your “personalities” fit. I enjoy the diversity and investigation of different riding styles, so I don’t really have a dog in this hunt — but if you enjoy more focused techniques, I hope this helps you decide if the Breva 1200 Sport is for you.

Brakes and suspension tweaks really make it better

It makes a difference to adjust the brake/clutch levers to your style and hand size. Tweaking the suspension to your style/weight and road conditions makes the Breva a joy to ride. Spending time reading the manual will make your ride happier. Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport — 1000 plus miles, back to the factory!”

Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 – Day 4 – Monday Morning Commute

“I hope that those of you that are considering the Breva or another Guzzi will find my input into life with this wonderful bike helpful. I’ve become more and more comfortable with the Breva now that I’ve put just under 500 miles on it.”

This is the fourth installment in the series. The previous article is here.

I woke up late Monday Morning, nursing the remnants of a chest cold. After drowning it with a couple of cups of coffee, I showered and threw my gear on for the 90-mile ride to work. Bopping out the door and into the garage, the Breva 1200 waited, and I was ready to put my regular commute to the test, comparing this ride to my Ducati ST2, and other days when I take the ’72 Eldorado.

The cavernous tank of the Breva had served me well, but after 200 miles of weekend jaunts it was on fumes. I hopped over to the Mobile station across the street and stuck some gas in it, cursing that I had forgotten the mileage so I wasn’t able to get an exact MPG value — I’ll do this later I promise.

Off to do battle with the cagers on my Northridge-to-Santa Barbara-run. First leg of the journey is up Reseda Boulevard to the 118 freeway. The traffic is backed up and I split lanes between the parked cars for a ways, but the wide stance of the bar/mirrors combined with not-quite-completely-caffienated drivers not paying attention got me thinking that taking it easy might be wise until I’m more at home with this bike. After a few weeks with it, I estimate that the width of the Breva would be in lockstep with my “space”, and this would no longer be an issue. Funny how the pulled back bars of my Duc give me a sense of “narrowness” even though I’ve got a full set of Nonfangos on the back. Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 – Day 4 – Monday Morning Commute”

Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport, Day 2

(This is the second article in the series. The first one is here) It rained most of the day today. I took some pictures of the bike with the rain beads on it. Previous journalist riders had ridden the bike much harder than me, and had overheated the rear tire. This became more apparent as … Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport, Day 2”

(This is the second article in the series. The first one is here)

It rained most of the day today. I took some pictures of the bike with the rain beads on it. Previous journalist riders had ridden the bike much harder than me, and had overheated the rear tire. This became more apparent as it tried to lock as I rode it around a bit during a let-up in the weather. Didn’t last long, as I got stuck at my favorite Italian Deli (San Carlo in Chatsworth), sipping doppios and chatting with Giovanni, who owned a Guzzi Cardelino in Rome as a kid. Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport, Day 2”