Moto Guzzi Breva 1100 vs. Buell Lughtning XB12Ss vs. Ducati S2R 800

Whether you got into bikes by watching Barry Sheene flicking a 'V' at King Kenny, by looping-the-loop on your granny's Honda C90 or re-living the cafe racer culture of your rocker dad's long lost youth, bikes like these three V-twins we have here make you eternally grateful that you made the leap from pedalling to twisting a throttle. And make you pity those who didn't. They're bikes meant to be ridden simply for the fun of it.

So simply for the crack, fortified for an Autumn day's riding by a stack of the Old School cafŽ's bacon sarnies and centrally heated by mugs of tea, we head south to Hampshire on this trio of V-twins.

First, however, the introductions. The Moto Guzzi Breva V1100 is, according to Moto Guzzi, the first in a new generation of bikes from the Italian outfit that marks the beginning of a new era. We've heard this one before, so we shall see.

From across the Atlantic we have the Buell XB12Ss Lightning. The extra 's' denotes that it's the new long wheelbase version of the Lightning XB12S that's intended to be more comfortable for its rider and less of a balancing act for pillions. Why the 's' is in lower case is a mystery. Lastly we have Ducati's Monster S2R. The air-cooled 800cc S2R has all the style (but not the ugly radiator) of the liquid cooled S4R but costs several thousand pounds less and fits into the Monster range between the little 620s and the bigger 1000s.

Within yards of riding the Breva V1100 it's obvious that Moto Guzzi is at last on the right road. The motor looks like Guzzi's classic twin but is totally new; the crankcases have been redesigned and the alternator moved from the front of the engine to behind the cylinders, so the lump is now shorter. Inside, the 77bhp twin has new con rods and lighter pistons, together with numerous detail changes. The result is an engine that's smoother and less clattery than any previous Guzzi twin yet still has plenty of character.

Both the Buell and the Ducati's twins encourage plenty of revs, but although the Guzzi motor is far more sophisticated than it used to be, it's still an engine that's at its most pleasant when you use the low-down grunt. All three bikes have the same quoted top speed of 135mph, but the Guzzi is the bike whose performance you can use the longest thanks to its touring bias and the optional screen.

The Breva's overall quality is a huge improvement. I remember looking at what I thought was a second-hand California, only to discover that it was a brand new one with factory-fitted rust. The Breva's a stylish looking bike, too. Some of the plastic chrome around the instruments is a bit tacky and the screen not pretty, but the rest is sharp and tasteful. Red stitching on the seat is a nice touch and the finish on the swingarm and subrame very smart. Compare its looks to the BMW R1200ST - another logical rival both in concept and in the showroom - and it's an obvious victory to Italy.

We spent several minutes trying to guess what the CARC acronym on the final drive unit stands for but soon gave up. Silly us. It's simply 'Cardano Reattivo Compatto' or compact reactive drive shaft if you want it in English. The driveshaft runs inside the swingarm casting and the shaft and bevel gear are allowed to float, which kills the rising and squatting effect you get with a traditional shaft drive when accelerating and shutting off the throttle. The gearbox is also totally new but, while a big improvement over the old gearbox, is still clunky and slow compared with Japanese boxes and more agricultural than a BMW Boxer's. It's the one part of the Breva that's holding it back in the past. But cheer up, Moto Guzzi, for we'll be coming to the Buell's gearbox soon.

Within only a few miles it's obvious that the Breva V1100 is a very different bike to the other two. The Ducati and Buell are perfect for today's bash along the A272 in Hampshire, followed by afternoon tea and the ride home; any journey much longer would have backs and arms starting to suffer. But the Breva is more tourer than fun bike. A comfortable seat and handlebars that look like sawn-off Pan European bars give a cross between a custom and touring riding position. In town the Breva feels slightly ponderous but on country roads the suspension is supple enough for comfort yet not so soft that the bike wallows in faster corners. Traditional Guzzists might bemoan the absence of the firm's linked braking system but the conventional arrangement is more than adequate, especially the rear stopper, which is a lesson to those manufacturers who think a rear brake is lever is just an alternative foot rest.

We also gave up trying to fathom out the Breva's on board computer - and Urry really is quite clever at this sort of thing. No doubt if we did 'RTFM' would become clear. Once sussed, the computer is a useful touring tool. A couple of buttons on the left handlebar allow you to flick between two trip counters, average and instant fuel consumption and maximum and average speed. The horn button is where your left thumb thinks the indiators should be, so each time you indicate you first toot the horn by accident.

Moto Guzzi offers a complete set of panniers which up the touring potential still further. They attach to subtle brackets that if you look closely you'll spot on the test bike. Even more useful is a five-gallon tank that gives the Breva a near 200-mile range.

All this gives the Moto Guzzi a completely different set of skills to the Buell. What the Buell does best is make you laugh and feel good about life. Right back to the birth of the Buell, it seemed that here was a perfect bike for those who wanted something very different from a race replica, who had the occasional American dream but who would not normally set foot in a Harley-Davidson dealer. Perfect: the Harley XR750 flat-track experience in a short, stubby package. Trouble was, the quality was rather suspect, drive belts snapped and the riding experience took a bit of getting used to. The basic appeal, however, never dulled. Buell hasn't ignored criticism and the bikes get better and better.

An increase in rake from 21 to 22 degrees and a lengthened swingarm has stretched the Lightning's wheelbase by 40mm. Enough to make a difference, but not to spoil the character - and by character we mean the Buell's incredibly quick reactions. The Lightning still feels like an incredibly compact bike; an old Honda 250 Super Dream would feel no bulkier. The standard Lightning is a bike that you must ride with some vim to get the most out of it. The more positive you are, the better it reacts. The Stretch retains the accurate and quick steering and is even more stable, but the big advantage is in comfort. While it'd still be way down the list of 'World's best places for a pillion' the seat is both wider and longer thanks to the longer rear subframe.

The best bit about the XB12Ss is its engine. Which is good because the thumping great 1203cc V-twin is one of the main reasons for buying a Buell in the first place. A lot of thought has gone both into the bits inside the engine and into the way the lump's mounted in the frame. Bags of torque you'd expect, but just how smooth and free revving the engine is comes as a surprise. Instead of using the low-down torque to blast out of corners and overtake cars, you find yourself winding up the motor just for the pleasure of it and the magic noise it makes.

Although the XB12Ss's natural habitat is city streets, our 100-mile countryside tear-up is the perfect out of town run for a bike that loses its appeal if you get ambitious with distance. The roads are damp, look slippery and the leaves are beginning to come off the trees. In rather more grippy conditions the Buell's slightly soft front forks would be more noticeable. And more noticeable still if this bike's back tyre was grippier and had more tread. The single rim-mounted disc is proof that effective braking is not about the quantity of hardware, but how it actually functions.

Buell has modified the gearbox to improve shift quality but it's still the bike's weakest area. With Buells it's a bit hit and miss as to whether you get a bike with a reasonable gearbox or a clunker. This Lightning has a transmission that's somewhere in between. Going up through the gears the change is precise if slow, but coming back down requires a hefty prod on the lever and some patience. Don't even think about clutchless changes. Buell tends not to stand still and will no doubt one day crack the gearbox issue so that it properly complements the engine and the smoothness of belt drive.

There's still work for Buell to do in quality control, too. Quite amazing that a bike can leave the factory with the main wiring loom in a position on the headstock in which it is crushed by the lock stops on a tight left hand turn. Steering lock is lost, the loom will eventually be ruined and there could be an electrical fire right up where fuel is poured into the in-frame tank. Pity, because the rest of the bike looks fabulous. Unique, more like. The exhaust, which would look horrendous on most bikes, fits the Buell character. The exhaust isn't the only part of the bike that produces noise.

It's not a bad idea to make the last few miles home on a Buell slow ones, because if you don't, the thermostatically-controlled fan that cools the rear cylinder will chime in and wake the neighbours with its leaf-blower level of puff.

Dickson prefers white stripes on red, Urry likes orange on black, and I prefer black on orange. Whatever your preference, it is almost impossible to specify an ugly S2R. Unless cash really is tight, I'd bypass the cheaper Monster 620 models and spend an extra grand on the S2R. The stacked twin tailpipes on their own are almost worth the premium. But you also a get a nicely fabricated single-sided aluminium swingarm and funky black multispoke wheels.

I have met the bloke who designed the Monster and I don't remember him being of a peculiar build, though he certainly built the bike for someone with weird proportions because the Monster has the oddest ergonomics of almost any bike. If you fit it, you will be right away; if not, it will take some getting used to. Once you've adjusted, however, the Ducati S2R is a treat. Girls, who as we know like Monsters, will love this one the more for its super-light clutch. The seat is 30mm higher from the ground than the 620's but it's still an extremely manageable bike.

Packing only 71bhp, the Ducati's air-cooled twin is the least powerful engine here, but only on paper can you see the difference. It doesn't have the Buell or the Guzzi motors' torque but it spins so freely that keeping up is no problem.

The S2R is a different type of bike to the Breva and, like the Buell, would be hard work over distances that the Guzzi will eat up. While not quite as hairy arsed and eccentric as the Lightning, the S2R has a wider spread of ability and is not let down in any one area. The gearbox, for example, is far lighter and more accurate than the Buell's. The Ducati's clutch is not only a slipper unit, but has a design whereby the pressure plate springs do not supply all the compression force against the clutch pack - in other words, the springs can be made lighter, and with it the lever action too.

The Lightning, even in this longer wheelbase form, is still a bike that needs to be hustled along. If you like that riding style you'll love it, but if you prefer a more conventional-handling bike that's easy to ride, then the S2R will suit you better. It feels light and nimble, with suspension that's well balanced front to back and an equally good ride quality. Your shoulders may ache but your backside will be fine.

Out of the three bikes the £5995 Ducati stands out as a bit of a bargain. Moto Guzzi also has a Breva 750 that it sells for £5199, but with only 43bhp this starter bike wouldn't stand a chance in this company, so the £6999 V1100 is the logical comparison. If you're after a European-built bike that's both more eclectic and cheaper than a BMW, then the V1100 is a perfect choice. Order the optional luggage and you'll be able to comfortably ride down to the Guzzi factory at Mandello del Lario and pat the chaps on the back for finally producing a Guzzi that requires no excuses. Putting the Breva third in this test seems unfair, especially as London to the Channel on either of its rivals will require a refill and a rest for the rider.

At £7845 the Lightning XB12Ss is the most expensive here. If you like your bikes mad and bad, then paying almost £2000 more for it over the price of the Ducati will be worth it. But if you want a bike that's more well-rounded and less eccentric, then the well-made and stylish Monster S2R should be your choice.

Whether you got into bikes by watching Barry Sheene flicking a 'V' at King Kenny, by looping-the-loop on your granny's Honda C90 or re-living the cafe racer culture of your rocker dad's long lost youth, bikes like these three V-twins we have here make you eternally grateful that you made the leap from pedalling to twisting a throttle. And make you pity those who didn't. They're bikes meant to be ridden simply for the fun of it.

So simply for the crack, fortified for an Autumn day's riding by a stack of the Old School café's bacon sarnies and centrally heated by mugs of tea, we head south to Hampshire on this trio of V-twins.

First, however, the introductions. The Moto Guzzi Breva V1100 is, according to Moto Guzzi, the first in a new generation of bikes from the Italian outfit that marks the beginning of a new era. We've heard this one before, so we shall see.

From across the Atlantic we have the Buell XB12Ss Lightning. The extra 's' denotes that it's the new long wheelbase version of the Lightning XB12S that's intended to be more comfortable for its rider and less of a balancing act for pillions. Why the 's' is in lower case is a mystery. Lastly we have Ducati's Monster S2R. The air-cooled 800cc S2R has all the style (but not the ugly radiator) of the liquid cooled S4R but costs several thousand pounds less and fits into the Monster range between the little 620s and the bigger 1000s.

Within yards of riding the Breva V1100 it's obvious that Moto Guzzi is at last on the right road. The motor looks like Guzzi's classic twin but is totally new; the crankcases have been redesigned and the alternator moved from the front of the engine to behind the

cylinders, so the lump is now shorter. Inside, the 77bhp twin has new con rods and lighter pistons, together with numerous detail changes. The result is an engine that's smoother and less clattery than any previous Guzzi twin yet still has plenty of character.

Both the Buell and the Ducati's twins encourage plenty of revs, but although the Guzzi motor is far more sophisticated than it used to be, it's still an engine that's at its most pleasant when you use the low-down grunt. All three bikes have the same quoted top speed of 135mph, but the Guzzi is the bike whose performance you can use the longest thanks to its touring bias and the optional screen.

The Breva's overall quality is a huge improvement. I remember looking at what I thought was a second-hand California, only to discover that it was a brand new one with factory-fitted rust. The Breva's a stylish looking bike, too. Some of the plastic chrome around the instruments is a bit tacky and the screen not pretty, but the rest is sharp and tasteful. Red stitching on the seat is a nice touch and the finish on the swingarm and subrame very smart. Compare its looks to the BMW R1200ST - another logical rival both in concept and in the showroom - and it's an obvious victory to Italy.

We spent several minutes trying to guess what the CARC acronym on the final drive unit stands for but soon gave up. Silly us. It's simply 'Cardano Reattivo Compatto' or compact reactive drive shaft if you want it in English. The driveshaft runs inside the swingarm casting and the shaft and bevel gear are allowed to float, which kills the rising and squatting effect you get with a traditional shaft drive when accelerating and shutting off the throttle. The gearbox is also totally new but, while a big improvement over the old gearbox, is still clunky and slow compared with Japanese boxes and more agricultural than a BMW Boxer's. It's the one part of the Breva that's holding it back in the past. But cheer up, Moto Guzzi, for we'll be coming to the Buell's gearbox soon.

Within only a few miles it's obvious that the Breva V1100 is a very different bike to the other two. The Ducati and Buell are perfect for today's bash along the A272 in Hampshire, followed by afternoon tea and the ride home; any journey much longer would have backs and arms starting to suffer. But the Breva is more tourer than fun bike. A comfortable seat and handlebars that look like sawn-off Pan European bars give a cross between a custom and touring riding position. In town the Breva feels slightly ponderous but on country roads the suspension is supple enough for comfort yet not so soft that the bike wallows in faster corners. Traditional Guzzists might bemoan the absence of the firm's linked braking system but the conventional arrangement is more than adequate, especially the rear stopper, which is a lesson to those manufacturers who think a rear brake is lever is just an alternative foot rest.

We also gave up trying to fathom out the Breva's on board computer - and Urry really is quite clever at this sort of thing. No doubt if we did 'RTFM' would become clear. Once sussed, the computer is a useful touring tool. A couple of buttons on the left handlebar allow you to flick between two trip counters, average and instant fuel consumption and maximum and average speed. The horn button is where your left thumb thinks the indiators should be, so each time you indicate you first toot the horn by accident.

Moto Guzzi offers a complete set of panniers which up the touring potential still further. They attach to subtle brackets that if you look closely you'll spot on the test bike. Even more useful is a five-gallon tank that gives the Breva a near 200-mile range.

All this gives the Moto Guzzi a completely different set of skills to the Buell. What the Buell does best is make you laugh and feel good about life. Right back to the birth of the Buell, it seemed that here was a perfect bike for those who wanted something very different from a race replica, who had the occasional American dream but who would not normally set foot in a Harley-Davidson dealer. Perfect: the Harley XR750 flat-track experience in a short, stubby package. Trouble was, the quality was rather suspect, drive belts snapped and the riding experience took a bit of getting used to. The basic appeal, however, never dulled. Buell hasn't ignored criticism and the bikes get better and better.

An increase in rake from 21 to 22 degrees and a lengthened swingarm has stretched the Lightning's wheelbase by 40mm. Enough to make a difference, but not to spoil the character - and by character we mean the Buell's incredibly quick reactions. The Lightning still feels like an incredibly compact bike; an old Honda 250 Super Dream would feel no bulkier. The standard Lightning is a bike that you must ride with some vim to get the most out of it. The more positive you are, the better it reacts. The Stretch retains the accurate and quick steering and is even more stable, but the big advantage is in comfort. While it'd still be way down the list of 'World's best places for a pillion' the seat is both wider and longer thanks to the longer rear subframe.

The best bit about the XB12Ss is its engine. Which is good because the thumping great 1203cc V-twin is one of the main reasons for buying a Buell in the first place. A lot of thought has gone both into the bits inside the engine and into the way the lump's mounted in the frame. Bags of torque you'd expect, but just how smooth and free revving the engine is comes as a surprise. Instead of using the low-down torque to blast out of corners and overtake cars, you find yourself winding up the motor just for the pleasure of it and the magic noise it makes.