2003 Moto Guzzi Breva V 750 IE - Motorcycle.com

With its visually singular engine in full view and an erect riding position, the Breva is a true roadster, a do-it-all kind of ride with a pinch of sporty stance. Good to see that under the scrutinizing eyes of the design-conscious Aprilia management, no skimping or half measures were taken on details. Plenty of sculpted cast alloy brackets, a small smoked screen and Brembo Gold series brakes give the Breva an air of quality not usually found in entry-level bikes.

Start the Breva and it settles immediately into that typical Guzzi rock and roll--shocking if you're coming from an oriental ride but nothing special compared to a Beemer or a Sporty. The EFI and Lamabada thing have the engine pumping steady right from the word go, and a few twists of the throttle reveal a response that's really quick and requires zero effort--no more heavy-sprung carb slides to lift here. Amazingly, clutch-pull effort has been reduced to made-in-Japan levels, no mean feat for a single-disc auto type clutch. The smooth and easy operation theme continues with sweet-shifting gears.

As it would turn out, this bike is all about sweetness and friendliness. After a few minutes of riding towards the mountains in front of Mandello del Lario shore with quite heavy traffic around, the Breva conveys a feeling of total ease of operation. It starts with a textbook standard riding position and very light and intuitive steering. Then, with peak torque coming on so early, the Breva shoots forward nicely with short throttle bursts. Just as well, the engine soon shows that although it'll climb to almost 7K when given time, there isn't too much point in taking it past 5.5K rpm. Trying to keep pace with the quick local Guzzi road testers that accompanied us journos for the ride, it soon become obvious that on this twisty mountain road the best trait of the Breva was its agility. A short wheelbase, wide handlebars and narrow tires make the Breva one quick-steering bike, and even in ultra-tight hairpins I had no trouble apexing earlier to make my move on the other oh, yes you can already guess.... this journo demo ride soon turned into a mini hill-climb race and the Breva can be fun as long as you don't forget that you're on touring-spec Bridgestone BT45's and that twin shocks are still twin shocks.

In fast bends the Breva was not exactly sat on rails over the bumps. So handling is just pretty much level with most entry-level bikes, but not really in the league of the Monster 620 or BMW CS650. Then again, it's a bit pointless to force wiggles out of this bike, the Breva is really into a different game. After separating from the balls-out riding group, I could take things easier, let the Breva chug along at a less frenzied pace and even enjoy the view. The seamless pull of the engine really encourages you to do so and even points out that Guzzi have indeed the longest track record with EFI. Heck, this thing pulled out from some really slow turns in the wrong gear from as low as 1500 rpm. As for top speed, no straight stretches long enough ever appeared, but at 90 mph the Breva was still pulling so my guess would be about 100-105 mph. For light to medium range touring, the Breva engine supplies a nice, smooth cruise at 80 mph, with just enough light and unobtrusive vibration to let you know there's a V-twin pumping down there and not some hydrogen fuel cell. With its comfy seat and suspension dialed in at the stiff side of plushy, the Breva felt like it could be ridden on day-long loops without much strain. The small smoked fairing does reduce wind pressure on the torso, and the straight bar bend puts you in good balance with wind pressure up to 85mph.

Guzzi's intentions with the Breva become even clearer upon looking at the "loaded" version of the bike that was on show. A hard luggage kit hints at touring duties and no less important, there is a "lady's saddle" option which lowers saddle height by a useful 1.5 inches. Hats off for giving the height-challenged--male or female--some consideration. And just like the way the California 1100 was the unexpected winner in many a cruiser comparo, the Breva might yet turn out to be one of the better deals out there for entry level road riders. In Italy it's going to undercut the Monster 620/BMW 650 price by a few hundred Euros, and it's a much more lavishly finished and equipped machine than the way-cheaper Japanese 500 twins--a classic case of business school strategies put to good use in identifying a market niche, married to good classic looks. The Breva is not going to make anybody's blood boil, it's too refined and elegant for that, but as a groovy machine that you'd be happy to send your young sister/brother/wife on for their first ride, it's hard to fault.