Modify and be damned
- Thread starter Andy J
- Start date
Wouldn't that be 1947 rather and did Francesco Laverda really design one of Italy's first 4 stroke engines?
Ian D
Hero member
- Location
- South Australia
That is one hell of a photo.
Piero was very impressed with what we were trying to achieve with the race bikes in that we were trying to extract more power from a triple engine compared to what had been achieved in the past
His comments to me when he bought the bike back in to the pits, he was very impressed with the power and the torque, commented that he felt it was one of the most powerful triples he had ever ridden
That the bike handled fantastic but the brakes, "too much the brakes, too much" to which I just replied "go faster"
That 2017 race meeting where Piero rode the bikes was the very first race meeting either bike had entered, both bikes have come a long way since then. We ran a best time of 1min, 49.6 secs at Eastern Creek at that meeting compared to Matt doing 1min, 43.3 secs couple of weekends ago
Be interesting to see what he would say about my race bikes now after 5 years of further developement
Photo of Piero on one of the bikes
170324.EC_0689
A little story from that Easter Creek race meet. I was in a small group at the stand the Oz Laverda Clubs had built chatting when I asked who amongst that group had ridden the V6 as I looked at Alan Cathcart expecting him to raise his hand. What I head next surprised me a lot. It seems Red had ridden it around the car park to the display area that morning given the nod from the owner. I guess that describes what he thinks about Reds Laverda work well enough. Just after that, Mr Cathcart started asking very enthusiastically if Steve B was about with his Twin Cylinder race bike, it was one bike he hadn't managed to ride and was really keen to fix that up.
Sir Alan Cathcart asked me at that meeting if we could arrange for him to ride one of my bikes at a track one day as he wanted to write up a ride report on them. I was okay with the idea, just that we never hooked up again to make it happen
Still time I suppose, should send him an email to see if he is still interested
We did give Mark Bracks a ride on one at Hidden Valley that year (2017) and he wrote up a ride report that appeared in Retro Bike, here is a photo of Bracksey giving it the berries at Hidden Valley
TNPL6838
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What I like most about the two bikes above, despite the modification, the outline is still immediately recognisable as an iconic 1970/80s Laverda triple.
That was the aim Andy, surprising the number of people who don’t notice the wheels or forks but comment on the brake calipersNot only modified, no, she was also introduced back to her roots for character building in 2019 ...
Jo, I do Hope health permitting that I’ll be able to take the old Jota back to Breganze next year for the 75th
Just booked my tickets today for the rally this year. So looking forward to getting back to Breganze Tom
Cosi
Hero member
- Location
- Kingscliff
Bracksy also rode my RS that year, just another bike slut…Sir Alan Cathcart asked me at that meeting if we could arrange for him to ride one of my bikes at a track one day as he wanted to write up a ride report on them. I was okay with the idea, just that we never hooked up again to make it happen
Still time I suppose, should send him an email to see if he is still interested
We did give Mark Bracks a ride on one at Hidden Valley that year (2017) and he wrote up a ride report that appeared in Retro Bike, here is a photo of Bracksey giving it the berries at Hidden Valley
Tippie
Hero member
- Location
- Dr?bak, Norway
Unmodified tiddlers?
The racers were heavily modified. 11 000 rpm pushrod singles any one.
There were some explanations and parts in Cor Dees' museum about those little racres.
Paul
Gerald
Hero member
Lothar made the comment that Laverda changed from Ceriani to Marzocchi, which to my understanding was because Ceriani stopped production. I've often heard that Ceriani forks handle better than Marzocchi, in OEM setup. Old wives tales or some truth behind the statements ?
I have and continue to change my bikes as I please.
Gerald
I have and continue to change my bikes as I please.
Gerald
helicopterjim
Hero member
- Location
- near Lone Butte, BC, Canada
Beucars
Hero member
- Location
- Central Europe
My Ceriani equiped 3C feels more compact and lower center of gravity compare to my Marzocchi Jota, hence better suited for mountain riding.
All personal ofcourse...
Laverdalothar
Hero member
- Location
- Germany
Not sure what drove the decision, Gerald, just an observation that there was change over time even on standard bikes. Even the last 1000 SFC's and I think also RGS Corsa got Koni shocks, as recommended by Uwe Witt. The 1000 SFC used THE fork of it's time, the M1R, which even - in a BMW own configuration - found it's way into the production of BMW and was one of the highlights on the Ducati TT1, which made Uwe Witt suggest it to the company for the RGS 1000 SFC. So - if the company wasn't interested in improving the bikes - why all these (and many, many other...) changes?
GregT
Hero member
- Location
- Christchurch NZ
I was there when Cathcart crashed the Britten. Standing watching next to Ron Grant we thought he'd lost a gear as he'd start to accelerate out of corners then slow then accelerate again. Turned out it was set up for the hippy and as soon as he put power on it ran wide. The hippy of course was power sliding it out of corners so the setup sort of made sense.For him.
He'd had trouble getting heat into the rear tyre too. Couldn't ride it agressively enough to really warm it up.
Talked to him on the stretcher waiting for the ambulance and he explained what was going on. Mike Sinclair had arranged the ride and was definitely not happy about the outcome. Mike lives just round the corner from me now.
The dangers of riding other people's bikes for a living.
Modifications. Well I was asked to turn a 1200 into a racebike with zero previous Laverda experience. Power was easy with modern cam forms available. The factory profiles from what I could see are not really up with current play. Valve springs etc all aftermarket and easy. Enough power to break the gearbox mainshaft once so far - which I think Red told me is a good indication it's making plenty, lol.
The gearchange we found was not either reliable or quick. So there's been a lot of work grafting in a different positive stop system and tidying the drum. Yes, it's better - but still not up to a 80's Suzuki standard.
Coming to the big Laverda after years of building racebikes reminded me of so many other Italian bikes. They all have peculiarities of concept and design which may work or may have to be worked around. If you want to see a Laverda up front you must accept that a shitload of modifying has to be done.
He'd had trouble getting heat into the rear tyre too. Couldn't ride it agressively enough to really warm it up.
Talked to him on the stretcher waiting for the ambulance and he explained what was going on. Mike Sinclair had arranged the ride and was definitely not happy about the outcome. Mike lives just round the corner from me now.
The dangers of riding other people's bikes for a living.
Modifications. Well I was asked to turn a 1200 into a racebike with zero previous Laverda experience. Power was easy with modern cam forms available. The factory profiles from what I could see are not really up with current play. Valve springs etc all aftermarket and easy. Enough power to break the gearbox mainshaft once so far - which I think Red told me is a good indication it's making plenty, lol.
The gearchange we found was not either reliable or quick. So there's been a lot of work grafting in a different positive stop system and tidying the drum. Yes, it's better - but still not up to a 80's Suzuki standard.
Coming to the big Laverda after years of building racebikes reminded me of so many other Italian bikes. They all have peculiarities of concept and design which may work or may have to be worked around. If you want to see a Laverda up front you must accept that a shitload of modifying has to be done.
Laverda gear changes, more art than Science. Missed shifts were what motivated my very early in my ownership swap from the left change back to the right change, not to mention the insanely crazy mitre long rear drum brake cable needed for the right side rear drum. I still occasionally miss a gear but I think the early boxes had less dogs than the later bikes. Not sure on that point.
Andy J
Hero member
- Location
- Isle of Man
My Viking buddy is seriously considering whether to try and fit a Benelli Tre cassette type gearbox into one his triples to overcome some of the gear shift issues, plus also to make changing gearbox ratios easier for different race circuits.
SteveRocker62
Full member
- Location
- Bucknell,Shropshire,UK
For normal road use,not hanging around either, never had a real issue with any of my Laverda triples. Like sex just take it nice and easy and slowly slot it home. Obviously technique not suited to racing where it is always more wham, bam, thank you ma’am. Take your pick.