QUICK FANG: Moto Guzzi Breva 750IE – Warm 'N' Guzzi

 

Apparently, Moto Guzzi named its Breva after a warm, gentle wind that adds to the pleasure of life on and around Lake Como, near the Moto Guzzi factory in northern Italy. It’s a pretty good fit really, given that Moto Guzzi’s charming 750 middleweight is a perfect bike for no-stress commuting and touring.

 

It’s a retro-style bike that showcases Moto Guzzi’s heritage – powered by an air-cooled, across-the-frame V-twin engine with shaft final-drive and traditional styling. Twin analogue clocks cap off the attractive period look.

 

One feature that breaks with Moto Guzzi tradition is the Breva’s brakes, with its Brembo-caliper-equipped single discs front and rear being quite separate.

 

Firing up the engine and giving the throttle a blip produces the signature ‘torque rock’ movement that feels just right on a Guzzi.

 

On the road it provides the authentic middleweight commuter/tourer riding experience. It has the characteristic Guzzi gearshift that feels a little vague compared with conventional Japanese, chain-drive bikes. But it works and you soon get used to it.

 

When you wind on the throttle the engine’s torquey response is textured and reassuringly robust but never fierce, demonstrating all the hallmarks of a traditional two-valves-per-cylinder, air-cooled engine. The kind of enjoyment that comes from touring on bikes of this ilk is more about mellow satisfaction than adrenaline surfing. Having said that, the Guzzi has more than enough performance potential to outrage the fun police.

 

The single front disc offers plenty of power and decent feel. The suspension happily and competently soaked up everything my tour of Melbourne’s leafy eastern suburbs threw at it.

This example was traded in by an older rider wanting to move to a big cruiser. It comes with a pair of Moto-Guzzi-branded hard panniers to bolster its touring credentials. It’s a comfortable bike to ride that can be readily managed by small and large riders alike.

 

It has 64,000km on the odometer. The tyres look about 90 per cent. All paintwork and plating is in lovely condition. A couple of marks and a small tear on the pillion section of the seat vinyl are the only blemishes on an otherwise unmarked bike.