Breva 750 front end.

Have been out on my recently acquired Breva today and been getting to know it. I believe all to be well, as in I believe the bike may be behaving as well as it was designed to. That said I am a little disappointed with the front end when pressed. Braking in a straight line I seem to be able to use all the available travel even in the wet. On sweeping corners cranked over it seens to try and shake it’s head and also in slower corners properly cranked over on shell grip.Is there a common upgrade like “progressive springs” that folk are using? I can’t believe I am the first to put a Breva through its’ paces and find it flexing a little too much.

sounds like a fork brace might help too…

There is a brace under the mudguard.
Check your wheel bearings, they are fittted dry at the factory.

Also check the head bearings. A friend was having problems with her’s like you describe and when the head bearing were looked at Luigi had forgotten his grease brush the day is had been built.

Mine would give head shakes at about 30 to 40 sometimes. Never got to the bottom of it. May have been the tyres and road surface combination.

It is not bearings. I checked all them before I bought it.
I am confident the bike is performing to spec.
I just get the feeling I am riding on the limit of the spec and want to improve things a little.

No you are not.
As already mentioned check all your bearings. My MOT man said they were on the way out and a warning. I had checked them to be fine. They were shot.
Much improved handling and 5mpg better when changed.

Interesting. I’m surprised how the ride (general rather than suspension) on mine changes over 60ish. Better now I’ve taken the screen off, but still not quite what I expected. Motorway riding is very tiring.

Thanks for the tips on the bearings guys. However this sympton will not be caused by a tired bearing. This is a springing issue.

If I can bury the stanchions into the sliders up to the lower yoke in the wet on a smooth surface . . . . .

The front brake and tyre are both capable of much more than the fork springs will allow. Fork oil may slow the dive down, but on prolonged braking bottoming will still occur.

Hence my question, has anyone fitted progressive springs or a compressed air system as fitted on the V35 Imola II and probably the 650 Lario and 750 Targa?

I once borrowed a Breva and it was very pleasant around town, but once out on the open road it showed itself to be designed and set up for someone much lighter than me, nearly spitting me off when the right hand footpeg dug into the tarmac on the first roundabout I found. I am sure springs and a shock suited to your weight would help. I have always used Maxton to help me with this sort of thing.

That’s the politest way I have been called a lard ar$e.
Thanks Guy.
I am using their clip-on clamps on my V11 and like the them.
They will go in my black book.

Thank you.No pre-load adjustment I can see and I have just looked (and re-checked the head and wheel bearings).I would not expect any adjusters, this being an entry level Guzzi, probably built to a buget. I did 120 miles last Wednesday evening and 175 yesterday. It was only yesterday with building confidence the issues surfaced. Familarity breeds contempt and all that . I understand the sag but have not got into that yet. I was hoping someone would stand forward with similar stature and a pre-worked out solution I could mimmick. Would have thought someone would have cut this path before me. I wondered if the V7 cafe runs heavier springs. I did notice that the front tyre has a wide “V” profile wear pattern. I don’t think I could have done this in 300 miles and on previous bikes this “V” is narrower. So may be I am leaning more and running onto a smaller tyre patch on the ridge at the top of the V. Even so, this does not change the overly compressing front suspension. Looks like I have some measuring to do.

I’ve got a PDF of an article on suspension sag from MSL.Can’t circulate it for copyright reasons but if you pm me I’ll try to think of a way to convey its contentsAll the bestSteve

Thanks again.

If the front’s low that will steepen the steering head angle, that could make it ‘twitchy’

Thanks Mike, the yokes sits high on the forks and running the pirelli demon at circa 36psi. Presume you meant one of these two.

Unless I’m misunderstanding, what I meant was, you say, the forks dive too easily, i.e. springing too soft? If so, forks are being compressed down too far, and more or less on a permanent basis while you’re sitting on it by the sound of things (but I’m guessing), if so, that will make the steering head angle steeper than what it’s supposed to be.

Have you had the forks bottom out at any time?

I am 14st, so not exactly a beef cake, but not a teenage fly weight either. Braking heavily in the wet (as a test) on Sunday, I observed a lot of travel being used up. Probably within the sliders 1/2" from the lower yoke. This has led me to believe the springing may be soft. I repeated the same test last night in much more favourable conditions and although the suspension yielded still further, the front tyre was yielding before the suspension was bottoming, albeit on a smooth surface. I suspect they may bottom out if had braking is applied on an rougher road. I am now looking and the brake lever and the front tyre. The lever is not adjustable and not in an ideal position for my grasp. Therefore, my arm might be going rigid on heavy brake application, skewing the steering. The lever on my XPA looks like it may swap out and has some adjustment on it, so that will be my next test (being free). I have not started on the spinach calculation yet.

LOL I was not implying you’re a “fatty”, I was implying summat not right wiv fork springs.

Another thought ~ is the rear suspension a bit high so it’s like leaning forward?

Read some time ago that to be able to use Guzzi handlebar levers “you need hands as big as dinner plates.”

I can just about get 3 fingers around the brake lever properly. Did once try a log-leg lever then it failed MOT cos the bend was pulling back to the twistgrip. So back to the hand excerciser version…

I am probobly(!) more than 14 stone. The only suspension change to my lil’Breva has been to set the rear as soft as possible.
I always found the V1100 Sport far to stiffly sprung for the road.

if it’s diving too quicly would that not be under damped? not under sprung?from what i remember anti dive systems altered the damping rate not the spring rate