Strange 750 Breva Electrical Behavior?

[SLDMRossi]

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

[moto-uno]

 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

[SLDMRossi]

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

[Guzzidad]

   My bet--- voltage regulator shorted out

[guzzisteve]

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.

[SLDMRossi]

Good idea ...thanks.

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

SR

[SLDMRossi]

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

[GonzoB]

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

[Kiwi_Roy]

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.

[SLDMRossi]

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

[guzzisteve]

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.

[steven c]

 I'm glad you got it sorted Steve , the 750 Breva is a great bike.

[Muzz]

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.

[SLDMRossi]

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