Chasing Motorcycles – Page 7 – My journey through motorcycles, motorcycle related stuff, and well, just stuff

Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport – Day 7 – Time with the Suspension.

This is the seventh in a series of posts about life with the Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport. The previous post is here. Rattle, Rattle, Rattle… When I received the Breva, it was obvious that a previous rider had really clamped down the suspension and then proceeded to wring it out. The bike takes a big … Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport – Day 7 – Time with the Suspension.”

This is the seventh in a series of posts about life with the Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport. The previous post is here.

Rattle, Rattle, Rattle…

When I received the Breva, it was obvious that a previous rider had really clamped down the suspension and then proceeded to wring it out. The bike takes a big lean and really digs into turns much deeper than you think possible. Just keep on pushing on the bars, and the bike comes down — add throttle, lean, and you can really go deep and fast, much further than my limits.

I do a lot of riding on Los Angeles’ freeways, and as such, the concrete slabs and joints had my teeth rattling to a point that I finally started to dig in and see what I could do about softening up the ride, and making the big, irregular surfaced sweepers much more manageable.

The first thing I went after was the rear suspension; it has a big dial that says SOFTER/HARDER and shows a direction to turn for such. I turned it one click softer and rode, but it didn’t help much. Finally dialed in two clicks and it became much more manageable. Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport – Day 7 – Time with the Suspension.”

Moto Guzzi Breva – Day 6 – I Get Knocked down, but I get up Again…

The Breva is built like a tank. After taking a dump off the bike, I was able to get it completely fixed in just a few days, and except for a few cosmetics, it was absolutely safe and functional to ride (the brake lever is situated so I could easily use it without the knob). No other damage to the bike, not the engine fins, nothing to the Gas Tank, controls, nothing. Well thought out and built solid.

This is the sixth in a series of posts about life with the Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport. The previous post is here.

On Day 1 I wrote about my ride up from the Moto Guzzi Press Bike Parking area to my work in Santa Barbara and back home. The posting covered the characteristics of the bike and my first encounters with heavy traffic. What I didn’t write about was the BMW 5-series that changed lanes in front of me, causing a low-speed high-side onto the pavement.

There I was, on Los Angeles Avenue in Moorpark, inching between lanes at a red light. I saw a BMW jerk like he was going to change lanes or cut me off, so I grabbed a handful of brake and began to slow to a crawl, taking advantage of the Guzzi’s incredible low-speed characteristics. At that very moment a half-space opened up for the Beemer and he just jerked into it, causing me to panic stop. I was over on the paint stripe with less-than optimal tires — I stopped the bike — the rear wheel skidded and I went high-side over to the right. A guy in a pickup stopped to help me get up. The BMW was gone by the time I had my wits about me. I don’t know if he had done it on purpose or not, and nobody got a license number.

Just in case anyone is curious, a cager purposely turning into someone on a bike that is splitting lanes in California wil be charged with Attempted Murder/Assault with a Deadly Weapon. If you do this and get caught, you can probably plead it down, but you’re going to be out thousands of dollars in the process.

I walked over to the bike, Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva – Day 6 – I Get Knocked down, but I get up Again…”

Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 – Day 5 – Notes, Details and Nits to Pick

This is the fifth in a series of posts about life with the Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport. The previous post is here. A buncha miles down. What details of the Breva Sport do you like or hate? Transmission Having lived with a 36-year-old Eldorado Transmission for nearly a year and enough … Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 – Day 5 – Notes, Details and Nits to Pick”

This is the fifth in a series of posts about life with the Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport. The previous post is here.

A buncha miles down. What details of the Breva Sport do you like or hate?

Transmission

Having lived with a 36-year-old Eldorado Transmission for nearly a year and enough miles to really say that I know it, I had high expectations for the 6 speed on the Breva. I’m not disappointed. It is very smooth. It shifts like it’s supposed to. I don’t miss-shift except when I forget it’s a UJM pattern and not the reverse, GP-style shift that my personal bikes have. Neutral is accurate and easy to find, and I haven’t felt any false neutrals between gears.

The only “nit” that I would pick would be what seems to be some of lash in the transmission and drive train. When I’m moving from acceleration to deceleration and back, there’s a little “take up” as the throttle is applied that takes a little getting used to; i.e. if you’re decelerating into an apex and then just dump the throttle, you’ll get a little “wobble” when the motor catches up with the rear wheel. I adjusted my technique and this became less apparent.

Not having to deal with chain maintenance just makes me happy. Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 – Day 5 – Notes, Details and Nits to Pick”

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 – Day 3 Tweaks and Tech Specs

This is the third installment in the series. The previous installment is here. After two weeks of solid riding every day, one rain storm and a possible job offer that would require a move to Chicago, I capitulated to my wife, Sheila, and stormed our house, cleaning out all the junk and stuff that I … Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 – Day 3 Tweaks and Tech Specs”

This is the third installment in the series. The previous installment is here.

After two weeks of solid riding every day, one rain storm and a possible job offer that would require a move to Chicago, I capitulated to my wife, Sheila, and stormed our house, cleaning out all the junk and stuff that I would not want to take on a move. Benefits include a garage with enough room to park the bikes, a happy wife, and some time at the end of the day to tweak the bike’s suspension settings, go through the technical specifications, and jot down some thoughts with respect to what I would want in another bike (and who doesn’t want more bikes!) if it were to be my “go-to daily rider”.
Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 – Day 3 Tweaks and Tech Specs”

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”

Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport. A Bike for “The Most Interesting Man in the World”

Duende — “The meaning of duende as in tener duende (having duende) is a rarely-explained concept in Spanish art, particularly flamenco, having to do with emotion, expression and authenticity. In fact, tener duende can be loosely translated as having soul.” — Wikipedia I get a kick out of the Dos Equis Beer Commercial with “The … Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport. A Bike for “The Most Interesting Man in the World””

Duende — “The meaning of duende as in tener duende (having duende) is a rarely-explained concept in Spanish art, particularly flamenco, having to do with emotion, expression and authenticity. In fact, tener duende can be loosely translated as having soul.” — Wikipedia

I get a kick out of the Dos Equis Beer Commercial with “The Most Interesting Man in the World”. OK, so maybe it’s tongue and cheek, but I thought I would elaborate on it a little. What would this guy be all about on two wheels?

He’d be someone with nothing to prove to anyone — every ride is his own. The enjoyment of speed, implementation of technique, the sensations and mental stimulation. This, in my mind, is howhis (or HER) two-wheeled passion is assembled. This Most Interesting Person would choose a bike with duende; the emotion, expression and authenticity to match their taste and soul.

Moto Guzzi USA was sincerely kind enough to loan me a Breva 1200 Sport for 10 days. I will be logging my regular routine on the bike, 160 miles per day of riding from Northridge to Santa Barbara and Back, along with a few meet-ups with friends on weekends and some week nights.

Continue reading “Moto Guzzi Breva 1200 Sport. A Bike for “The Most Interesting Man in the World””

Back to Motorcycling Part 4 — 25,000 miles in 9 months

This is the final installment of the series of getting back into motorcycling. For Part 3 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here, and Part 1 is here. I’ve never done anything half-way. When I started riding I really wanted to get proficient, safe and comfortable with it as soon as … Continue reading “Back to Motorcycling Part 4 — 25,000 miles in 9 months”

This is the final installment of the series of getting back into motorcycling. For Part 3 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here, and Part 1 is here.

I’ve never done anything half-way. When I started riding I really wanted to get proficient, safe and comfortable with it as soon as possible. As I began racking up miles under my bikes I found that it gave me pleasures and satisfaction that I had never received in any car. The complete isolation from the outside world while being immediately in it presented a contrast that I never had driving a cage, where the radio was blaring, the air conditioning was on, the phone would ring, or my passengers would be talking to me.

The bike gives me the sensations without insulation. Riding through farmlands I can smell the onions ready for harvest. The smell of brakes alert me to big trucks ahead on downhill grades. The vibration of the engine and the road feedback tells me what my machine is doing at any given time. Where a car is insulated, the forces of cornering, braking, etc., more violent, everything on the motorcycle is there, and movement is smooth and flows with the physics of your motions and body. Continue reading “Back to Motorcycling Part 4 — 25,000 miles in 9 months”

And the Winner Is…

2001 Ducati ST2 11000 mi — came with all the bags (back one not shown in picture), Corbin Seat, an extended warranty for the next year, and a 14-month service contract from Wilson’s Motorcycle in Fresno (Yes, I have to make the 200 mile trip to Fresno to get the service – but I have … Continue reading “And the Winner Is…”

2001 Ducati ST2

11000 mi — came with all the bags (back one not shown in picture), Corbin Seat, an extended warranty for the next year, and a 14-month service contract from Wilson’s Motorcycle in Fresno (Yes, I have to make the 200 mile trip to Fresno to get the service – but I have family there that I actually like!).

I spent a great deal of time looking at everything else. I had decided on the Scura that Encore Performance in Prescott had for sale, but the price quoted me actually went up $250, to $6750, and the ST2 was $4400, with the warranty, service contract and bags. It just a new timing belt and valve adjust less than 100 mi before I picked it up, and it was a complete drive-away bike with no faults.

I’ve put 1000+ miles on it a week and a half later, and it is really something. My Guzzi is like a P-47; lumbering, powerful, raw and upright. The Duc is like an f-18 — just smooth and so performant — it does everything very well but still makes you feel like you’re really talented. The brakes are marvelous, and I’ve finally gotten over the “rocks in a beer can” sound of the clutch at idle. I do miss the torque and big flywheel of the Guzzi on it, because it really has nothing but angel-food cake below 3000 rpm. I’ve stalled it on slow move-aways from a stop countless times.

All told, the mileage is wonderful, seating position is good enough for now, and the storage is amazing. A little wider than the Goose, it is a little dicier as I split lanes. The seating position is also in the stratosphere compared to the Eldorado, and I feel like I’m sitting on a couple of phone books in comparison.

Should be a fun bike, and I’m positive that I’ll be able to get my money out of it if/when it comes time to sell. The build quality is super, and I have a feeling that it isn’t my last Ducati.

Getting another Bike… Guzzi, or?

I’m looking at my second bike — wanted a Norge but wife said don’t spend so much money (limit’s around 6500ish). So I don’t wear the eldo out, this bike would be ridden about 6-800 miles per week for the next 9 months or so, then this would drop by 75% to about 200mi when … Continue reading “Getting another Bike… Guzzi, or?”

I’m looking at my second bike — wanted a Norge but wife said don’t spend so much money (limit’s around 6500ish).

So I don’t wear the eldo out, this bike would be ridden about 6-800 miles per week for the next 9 months or so, then this would drop by 75% to about 200mi when I move close to my work. It’s gotta be dead-nuts reliable (at least by some warped standard that says my Eldo is close to that), and I’d like to be able to have a great bike to get through traffic in.

for those of you that went to the AZ rally and others, Jim at EPS has an ’02 Scura with LeMans full fairing, risers on the bars and Bags that look like two moving vans bolted to the bike ( but beautifully integrated). It has 10K miles.

02 Scura

Then, there’s BJ’s LeMans. I just love the look of this bike, but unfortunately I just don’t know enough to say that I could put big miles on it for nine months. Ed Milich says I’d be like one of Jerry’s kids if I rode it everyday, and cringed at the thought of “geezering it up” by putting on risers, bars and bags. It has 41K miles and Beej says it is solid. Gotta believe him. Here it is:

It’s for sale to anyone — come with a check made out to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital for $4K and you ride it off AND “write it off”. (There. Now you know, and if you want to buy it before I get off my brain and make a decision, all power to you, no hard feelings whatsoever.)

Then there’s an ST2 with low miles and adult owned for $6500.

I did consider many of the Oriental bikes and BMWs, but I’m just not going to want them after 9 months, and I hate selling stuff. Plus, I already have knowledge about Guzzi Maintenance, and Ducs don’t scare me, because I have a support network if I really, really need it. Prefer the Goose, though.

Oh yeah. Another acquaintance has a very nice SPIII in Montana. Price is great but I need to find a way to get it to here. Ride sounds good, but my new job really doesn’t give me the time off I need, and the plane tickets to middle-of-nowhere Montana can be dear. Still — Here’s a pic:

So I’ve been ruminatin’ and ruminatin’. I’m soliciting opinions because I need more input and I just don’t have the domain knowledge yet to really make a great decision.

There’s also a nice, nice 1984 850 T5:

850 t5 (1984)

Lotsa choices.

Here’s a poll:

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