I have just been offered a 2005 Brava 1100 with 6k miles, it appears mint and is equipped with Guzzi panniers,top box tank bag and screen all for £3500.
I know nothing about the Brava but it looks a good deal, I used to own a Stelvio and that went owing to impending cam failure.
What goes wrong with Brava’s, are bits easy to source and does £3500 sound OK.
Many thanks in anticipation of some Info and I’ll let you know if I buy it.
Mine’s an '05, I paid slightly less than £3k, with screen but no luggage, and more miles, so yours sounds about right.
Faults? The instrument console can mist-up in the wet, causing warning lights to appear unpredictably. Stick a shower cap over it in the rain, sorted!
Good things? It’s a two-valve engine, easy to service (even the FI can be done at home with a laptop), and no cam problems.
Personally, I find the bike very comfortable (Dijon to Sevenoaks in one day), the suspension supple, the brakes good but not stunning. I stuck a Quill can on mine, and it sounds lovely! The engine is a joy to ride…
Is it the 1100 Breva’s dashboard that has no shield, so rain and spray can just go straight into the back of it? In which case a screen is quite essential. Or am I thinking of the Bellagio? Or Griso?
Thanks for the replies.
The bike has been left with me for the week, I have ridden it with my wife on the back for 50 miles, it was comfortable and we both liked it.
After a few miles it was very natural and no thinking was required.
A few tingles in my fingers, needs new tyres and servicing.
I did notice the LHS indicator warning light did not work and it looks like the back of the speedo has been levered off in the past.
The hand book does not list changing warning lights?
Are new speedo’s easy to obtain and is there any other nasty bits that habitualy go wrong?
Trying to remember stuff from USA Guzzi forums, I think you can send the dash off to be fixed, to somewhere in Holland?
When damp, mine would suffer intermittent indicators (I mean, sometimes they just wouldn’t work) and spurious “High Beam” warning lights. There are logic circuits in the dash, which control all sorts of things. The warning lights are LEDs, so not easy to replace. I think the problems are caused by water getting in around the glass, with nowhere for it to get out at the bottom. The water causes corrosion on the PCBs in the dash. There are two tiny vents to let air in. Drilling bigger drainage holes is one suggested remedy, but careful with that drill bit.
As said above, I make it wear a shower cap in the rain, or if I leave it out overnight…
I had a 2005 Breva 1100 dis about 30,000 miles wish I had never sold it. I bought a Stelvio too
I had a failed warning light on my Breva, but replaced the dash with a new one @£200. The price looks good to me. The extras would have cost best part of a grand when new.
OK, so I bought it!
Spent the morning cleaning and checking.
Took the wife out for an afternoon ride, ice-cream etc.
She loved it, said it was comfortable again!! a little bit of numb bum when we got back but I’ve never had a bike without one if these fitted!
We were amazed that there was much more room than the Stelvio.
I’ve just ordered new tyres, the current ones are squared off and occasional it feels like riding on ball bearings.
The wind off the screen hits my helmet and cause a lot of noise but no buffeting, I’m 6’1" would a Laminar lip help?
Quite chuft I bought it now, looks like the money for tyres, speedo etc will be well worth it.
Must go and strip and grease the suspension linkage.