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Breva 1100: 100,000 Mile Report

Chris Jessop

Cruisin' Guzzisti
GT Contributor
Joined
Aug 24, 2017
Messages
398
Location
Yorkshire, England.
Our Breva V1100 clocked up 100,000 miles on Saturday 12th September 2020. It is our second Moto Guzzi to reach this figure. My wife, Jane’s 2006 Breva 750 currently shows 130,399 miles and it is still going strong.

We have owned the Breva V1100 from new and took delivery from Moto Strada in Shipley, Yorkshire on the 27th August 2005. The machine has been used solely for pleasure rides/tours during holidays and at weekends. It has never been used for commuting or when there’s salt on the roads.

Cosmetically the machine is in excellent condition and it certainly does not look like it has covered 100,000 miles. There are the inevitable stone chips of course but except for greying paint on the front of the engine the overall finish has held up very well.

The engine, clutch, gearbox, shaft drive, CARC bevel drive unit and all electrical sensors are original components and apart from routine servicing and maintenance have remained untouched.

Up to 78,000 miles it was serviced by Moto Strada but after they closed, I have done all the service and maintenance work. When we first bought the machine, where appropriate I went round all the fasteners in corrosion prone locations and applied Copperslip to the threads. This has paid dividends throughout its life because I have not come across any seized fasteners.

Oil consumption is still negligible and average fuel consumption is 43/45 mpg.

The machine was sold with Metzeler Roadtec Z6’s fitted. They have proved to be an excellent touring tyre offering good grip and stability in all conditions. I have not felt the need to change brands or type. Rear tyres average 13,000 miles and front tyres average 18,000 miles.

Brake pads are EBC FA244HH front and FA181HH rear. Front pads usually last around 32,000 miles. I replaced the original Brembo rear pads at 75,260 miles when I fitted a new EBC rear disc. The original disc had developed a slight run-out and was a MOT advisory at that time. The front brake discs are still original.

During our ownership of the Breva V1100 I have also covered 70,000 miles on our 2008 Buell XB12X Ulysses and 7,500 miles on our 2019 Moto Guzzi V85TT. I’m 6ft 3” so both the Buell and V85 are better suited to me ergonomically than the Breva V1100 but I can ride it long distances without too many aches and pains. Tours of the UK and mainland Europe plus frequent visits to the Moto Guzzi factory in Mandello del Lario have proved it is a more than capable long-distance machine.

What has gone wrong in 100,000 miles? Extraordinarily little is the simple answer. I don’t know whether it is down to its relatively pampered existence or just good luck, but it just keeps going and seems to thrive on high miles. To date it has been supremely reliable.

The following details are taken from the machines service record:

4,996 miles CARC bevel drive unit replaced under warranty recall. (April 2006)

12,789 miles Guzzi heated grips fitted.

38,519 miles Mistral road legal silencer fitted.

53,933 miles Guzzi 1200 Sport windshield fitted.

64,409 miles Rear wheel hugger fitted.

70,092 miles OEM catalytic convertor replaced with Agostini ‘Y’ connector pipe.

70,691 miles Battery replaced with OEM Yuasa YTX20CH-BS. (August 2015, 10 years old)

75,260 miles Original rear brake disc replaced with EBC MD840.

86,953 miles Front/rear brake hoses and oil cooler hoses replaced with HEL hoses c/w stainless steel end fittings.

87,099 miles Mirrors replaced with NOS Guzzi units.

90,416 miles Front brake light switch replaced.

95,430 miles Petrol tank insulation mat and all breather hoses on the machine replaced.

Centre stand replaced with NOS Guzzi unit plus new springs.

Clutch hose replaced with HEL hose c/w stainless steel end fittings.

Clutch master cylinder refurbished, new lid and seal fitted.

Front wheel spindle/axle, spacers and wheel hub seals replaced.

Alternator belt, precautionary replacements:

35,898 miles August 2010

54,095 miles January 2013

84,124 miles August 2017

Pictures below taken 8th, 9th and 12th September 2020.

IMG 2750 IMG 2756 2 IMG 2728 IMG 2722 IMG 2698 IMG 2685
 
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Fantastic reliability I'd say. That's a lot of combined miles with all those bikes. Do you ever drive 4 wheels? Other than nasty winter days that is.
 
That's a LOT of Miles of Smiles
I was thinking how long it would take me to get there at maybe 8,000 Km a year - a long time.
You have had yours for going 15 years now - many happy returns :party:
 
The original reaction rod corroded quite badly. The replacement is an Italian made Rosso Puro unit and is far better quality. It was fitted at 69,558 miles in September 2014. Cost was 168 Euro.

Pictures taken 8th September 2020.

IMG 2682 IMG 2689
 
It's interesting how different usage gives different results. My 2006 B11 has a youthful 62,500 miles on the clock and has worn out back tyres on average every 4000 miles, front discs at 48000, yet generally gets 50 - 55 mpg. What a good, reliable, comfortable bike. Roll on 100,00 miles.
 
Hi Chris. Thanks for posting this. It gives me much faith in the future.
My '06 came to me 7 years ago after the first two owners had given up. It suffered from every malady known to the early models;
Startus Interruptus, fouled injectors (from sitting a couple of years due to the aforementioned), a ready to blow fuel filter, deafening Carc rattle and most of all a totally buggered throttle stop screw, possibly because of stepper motor issues. It's the only bike I have ever owned that came home on a trailer twice!
Fast forward a couple of years. The last time the starter refused to, Mike Havens wire mod was in my mailbox waiting. That was in '15, and represented the end of 2 years of figuring things out. (I do my own work.)
Since then it has been a model of reliability, and has morphed into the finest roadbike I have owned. All day comfort, great range (380 km to reserve!) I love the informative dash and the smooth flexible power (only mod: 02 Optimizer). Never needs throttle for (hot or cold) starting. Nough said.
I am at an age where I am not shopping for the next best thing anymore, and troubleshooting and repairs is not as much fun as it once was. So with half your miles on the clock, the future looks good. Just ride and enjoy. With two good Carcs in the house, it's hard not to feel lucky.

Question: what is your thoughts on fuel filter service intervals?

Thanks again, and if I feel the need for a low mileage car in the future, I'll get in touch:giggle:.
 
Thanks for the feedback, it is always interesting to read of others experiences with this model. Good or bad!

The fuel filter (Mahle KL145) has been changed at every 12,000 mile service. The fuel pump assembly and seal are still original and in good condition. At around 80,000 miles I had to replace the disintegrating cloth-type outer sheathing on the wires that run from the fuel pump assembly.

I’ve read various articles over the years that have stated that the 2-valve Breva 1100 is one of the best engines ever made by Moto Guzzi. I don’t whether this is true or not, but if you get a good one they can be very reliable.
 
My B11 had done about 24,000 miles when I heard about the disintegrating fuel filters. I therefore changed it. I exchanged that one for a new one at 45,000 miles. No problems.
 
Oh for pity’s sake Chris, stop wiping her down and doing beauty shots with the camera and go ride the damn thing.

Doesn’t anybody ride their motorcycles anymore? :rofl:

That’s amazing! Well done, Sir! Especially if that was all done on your island! You’ve been everywhere, thrice!
 
After reading Chris’s article, I couldn’t agree more, the 2 Valve Breva motor “thrives on high miles”.

My 1200 sport (2007) is about to clock over 223,000km ( approx. 138,000 miles) and like Chris’s Breva, it has solely been used for pleasure rides/tours during holidays & weekends. (the bulk of which has been done 2 up).

I haven’t documented all the things that have been done to the bike , but I must admit , I did initially have a few issues . ie leaking Carc, original exhaust bracket cracking, warped rotors, tint coming off forks etc, etc

After the first couple of years of ownership (about 30,000K’s) it settled down.

By 170,000km’s it was getting a bit tired, so rings, timing chain, clutch plates etc where replaced, as well as having valves K lined.

Since then, I’ve had to replace rear shock & new front rotors. Put in a Wilbers 641 shock, built specifically for the weight of the wife & I, should of done it years ago as it has transformed the handling of the bike.

Now I’m thinking about doing the front forks; Mates of mine are saying “why would you bother, on such a old bike with so many K’s”, but my thought is there’s nothing currently on the market that appeals to me, it still goes like a train, and I have no doubt that , if I treat it with the same respect I have for the last 14 years (some say none) it still has a lot of life left in it.

The 1200 sport , a fantastic bike that continues to serve me well. A great piece of motorcycle engineering, that no doubt has had its life extended by the info I get off this site and the people it has introduced me to.


P1030561 P1030600
 
I like mine and its good to see that your gonna just keep riding yours and fixing things like the forks and shocks. There are not a lot of bikes on the market that have the look and sound of my Guzzi and I like that.... Cheers
 
My 1200 sport (2007) is about to clock over 223,000km ( approx. 138,000 miles) and like Chris’s Breva, it has solely been used for pleasure rides/tours during holidays & weekends. (the bulk of which has been done 2 up).

This absolutely floors me.

It’s incredible and wonderful and makes me absolutely crazy trying to figure out, where in the hell did you ride 138,000 miles in Australia? I’ve never been there but it’s my understanding that driving in the middle is brutal on every level. If this is true then,

Holy cow, you are hardcore!

My compliments.
 
To answer your question, most of the miles were done up and down the east Coast of Oz. Predominately back roads, trying to stay of major highways where possible. No doubt this has contributed to the shocks having such a hard life. But not all miles where done in Australia

I was fortunate enough to send the bike to Europe , with the Motoguzzi Club of Victoria, for a month in 2016 for Guzzi’s 95th anniversary in Mandello , which saw about 7000ks (4300 miles) clocked up thru Italy, Germany ,Switzerland etc. The cobbled stoned roads reminded me of some of the so called “good roads” we have in NSW.

We had also hoped to get there this year for the 100th, but had to cancel due to the Covid restrictions we have over here at the moment, with the international borders being closed. Hopefully they’ll open up for us to attend in 2022.

We have also sent the bike to NZ, for a month or so in 2018 which coincided with the “Burt Munro Rally” in Invercargill. Which saw a few more K’s added to the clock.

Since my last post a couple of “trips away with the boys” have been organised , so I’d say another 4000k’s will be added to the clock within the month, resulting in another set of tyres upon my return.

I’d love to get the mielage Chris says he can get out of a set of tyres, I can only manage about 7500km’s (approx. 4700miles) I’ll put it down to our “good roads” and riding two up most of the time. Be it Dunlop Roadsmarts, Metzler Roadtecs, or Pirelli Angel GT’s they all seem to work out about the same.

Time to go, and look at the map again.

Here's a couple more pic's....sorry couldn't resist

. P1 P2 P3
 
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