Author Topic: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?  (Read 589 times)

Offline SLDMRossi

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Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« on: March 20, 2021, 05:03:35 PM »
Bike's just sitting there with the ignition off. Both the Tach and Speedo needles repeatedly swing from about half the range...up to full range...back to half range...up to full range, etc. Non stop. And won't return to zero. Meanwhile, green and red indicator lights are simultaneously blinking on the instrument cluster.

Anybody ever hear of it? It's a 5,000-mile bike that's been garaged its entire life.

Steven Rossi

Online moto-uno

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2021, 05:08:03 PM »
 Have you tried disconnecting the battery for a few minutes ? You didn't mention if this was with the key on or off !
 Sounds like something you'd see around Halloween :) , Peter

Offline SLDMRossi

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2021, 05:13:39 PM »
As indicated, ignition key is off.

With battery disconnected, needles stop swinging and lights stop flashing. But...the needles still don't return to zero, and remain parked at about half way.

And Halloween's still months away...

SR

Offline Guzzidad

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2021, 05:19:50 PM »
   My bet--- voltage regulator shorted out

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2021, 05:19:50 PM »

Offline guzzisteve

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2021, 05:36:51 PM »
Pull dash, clean pins on both sides of connectors with batt disconnected and put back, hook up & try. Some things in dash are live with key off. Seen it before. It's old enough to have junk on pins, even garage queens need it.
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Offline SLDMRossi

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2021, 07:01:20 PM »
Good idea ...thanks.

Otherwise, I know what the answer's going to be. Replace Instrument Cluster...

SR

Offline SLDMRossi

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2021, 05:03:55 PM »
Problem solved...bad Instrument Cluster. Thank God I have the best Moto Guzzi dealer in America...right here in Connecticut...who even has parts on the shelf, having bought out a couple of old Dealerships recently. Obviously, I'm talking about Jim Hamlin at Hamlin Cycles in Bethel, CT.

Steven Rossi

Offline GonzoB

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2021, 08:34:48 PM »
You aren't replacing the instruments are you???

What you described happens once each time you connect the battery. The instrument needles do a sweep. Then they are supposed to stay put until you turn on the ignition, when they do that sweep again.

If the needles do their stuff intermittently with the ign off, it sounds like either a bad connection at the battery, or more likely at the instruments. As guzzisteve previously recommended - a clean up of the contacts is a good idea. I use DeOxit.

Gonzo
My '07 Breva 750 Projects: MCC cruise - Luggage - Shorter Shocks -

Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2021, 08:53:20 PM »
You aren't replacing the instruments are you???

What you described happens once each time you connect the battery. The instrument needles do a sweep. Then they are supposed to stay put until you turn on the ignition, when they do that sweep again.

If the needles do their stuff intermittently with the ign off, it sounds like either a bad connection at the battery, or more likely at the instruments. As guzzisteve previously recommended - a clean up of the contacts is a good idea. I use DeOxit.

Gonzo
That makes sense to me, the battery connection is intermittent Scrape the battery terminals and apply some Vaseline and do the same where the battery negative connects to the chassis.
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Offline SLDMRossi

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #9 on: March 27, 2021, 09:35:03 AM »
Yes, I'm well aware of the normal pre-sweep.

No, the cluster is bad. It got to the point that with the Battery disconnected/and assembly unplugged, both the Tach and Speedo would come to rest at 1/2-mast...and stay there! Which is where they are with the cluster on the bench. The replacement unit solved it immediately...

Thanks,

SR

Offline guzzisteve

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2021, 12:53:44 PM »
That's the reason they made a 2nd version for the later V7C in around 08. They had issues also and had a dash flash. I changed a few B75's and Nevada's. It's great you got Jim there, pretty good dealer. Hamlin Cycles.
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Offline steven c

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2021, 05:19:32 PM »
 I'm glad you got it sorted Steve , the 750 Breva is a great bike.
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Online Muzz

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2021, 05:38:41 PM »
I'm glad you got it sorted Steve , the 750 Breva is a great bike.

True that.  As I removed the chicken strips in the twisties on a ride yesterday I thought the same thing. :thumb:
Muzz. Cristchurch, New Zealand
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Offline SLDMRossi

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Re: Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?
« Reply #13 on: March 27, 2021, 06:24:16 PM »
Turns out that those instrument clusters are pretty poor quality. Everyone seems to be aware of the 1100 Breva issues (like leaks), but the 750s seemed OK. Until I took the original/bad one apart to take a look. Sort of had a "third-world country" feel about it.

And oh by the way, if any lighting ever goes out anywhere within it...there are no bulbs that can be replaced. All LEDs within the housing...

SR

 

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