Report From Italy
REPORT FROM ITALY
CARLO PERELLI
NEWCOMER TO THE ALREADY comprehensive Italian scooter range is the Aermacchi/Harley-Davidson "Brezza" (Breeze) 150cc two-stroke three-speed scooter, five units of which have been shipped to the U.S.A. for evaluation by the Milwaukee Co. and possibly for sale in that country. Design of this model is straightforward and structure is sturdy. The single tube frame carries pressed steel attachments for the legshield, footboard, power unit, etc. Suspension is by teledraulic fork (front) and swinging arm (rear) with shock absorbers also of the teledraulic type. The 12" wheels (with 3.00-12 tires and 104mm 4.1" dia. brakes), following motorcycle practice, are not canti-lever mounted. The front fender and the handlebar-front light fairing are in fiberglass, pressed steel being used for the other parts of the body.
The orthodox 2.24" x 2.28" = 147.9cc two-stroke engine develops 6 bhp (at the rear wheel) at 5300 rpm on 8:1 compression ratio. Cooling is by fan, with a special tunnel exhausting from the inside of the body the air heated up by the cylinder and head, to achieve better carburetion. The big end runs on caged rollers, ignition is by 28W flywheel magneto with external coil on the left end of the crankshaft; primary drive is by gears and multiplate clutch in oil bath on the opposite side, feeding through an 18mm Dellorto carburetor; final drive is by enclosed chain, ratios 16.327 — 8.753 — 5.829. Weight is 198 lb. So much for the technicalities. Now, how does this "Brezza" behave? I've been using one of the first models off the assembly line for nearly 4,000 miles under every condition so I hope I can fully reply to the question. First of all, let's underline the engine's strong pulling power (max. torque of about 0.67 lb.-ft. stays practically unchanged from 3000 to 5000 rpm) which enables one to slow down in top gear to a shade over 12 mph without any protest from the power unit-transmission depts., extends the flexibility in spite of it having only three "cogs" and still makes for good acceleration.
Riding position is excellent and the various controls are well laid out, except the rear brake pedal (which, as on practically every scooter, requires a certain movement by the foot from its rest position on the board before pressing it) and the main front light switch (which is just under the front of the saddle, in the middle of the choke and fuel tank levers, but could be more conveniently placed on the handlebar, where there are the other "electric" controls).
Protection, road holding and handling are also okay and so riding on bad or wet roads is quite safe and clean. Braking, although reliable, didn't earn top marks, especially with the passenger aboard, but larger and more efficient "anchors" are now being fitted. Adequate space is offered to rider and passenger and efficiency of saddle and suspensions (together with the good riding position) makes for tireless going even on long distances or in the rough.
Gearbox and clutch both operate well, provided they work in the required SAE 20 oil at correct level, which can be easily controlled by means of a fiberglass screwon (by hand) tap with dipstick, on the side of the crankcase.
Talking of maintenance: it is easy, since the various parts that need it are easily reached after removal of the side panels, fixed in three points each with a practical system enabling quick dismantling. Some minor snags: there is no hook behind the legshield to hang bags, etc.; the small toolkit is fixed to the inside of the left panel and so cannot be quickly reached from the outside and the kickstarter travel brings the foot just under the passenger footboard, causing shoe-scratching.
Lifting the dualseat one gains access to the 2.1 gallon petrol tank (after running-in the mixture can be made up at 20:1 ) ; therefore there is sufficient autonomy, considering that consumption varies from 60 to 80 mpg, according to the use and load of the machine, the type of road, etc. Reserve is about 0.4 gallon and this is also ample. Top speed with the rider only slightly crouched is a shade over 50 mph; acceleration, as already said, is all right for such a machine, since 50 mph is reached in 25 seconds, changing up at 22 and 34 mph.
Summing up, the Aermacchi/H-D Breeze is a good utilitarian vehicle which can also give riding pleasure; and all at low cost. •
