1200 TS

H

hkraanen@xs4all.nl

Junior member
Hi all,
Maybe someone can point something out on this matter for me.
I have come across a 1200, registrered first owner april 1982, but with chassis# 2167, which would mean 1979?
How come it took 3 years for a bike to leave the factory, before it got its registrationpapers?
It's a TS, for as far as i can see, with , the longer triangular sidepanels, RH shifting, Corte e Cosso shocks, Marzocchhi forks.
What's the difference between a 1200 T or TS?

Could it have spent 3 years in the 'showroom'?

Suggestions welcome, thanks, Hein
 
Hi Hein,

I used to have a TS Mirage and as far as I could tell, there is no difference between it and a 1200 TS, except for the badges and the flared downpipes.

On the time spent awaiting sale - not unusual for some Laverdas to be in stock for a while. Depends on how many were built. I thing late 1976 / early 1977 Jotas were the ones that lingered in showrooms the longest. As a far I know, a result of very high production numbers, high prices and low US demand (quite a few US bikes being shipped back to Europe and still took a while to sell).

All this from memory....Wanted one at the time, but dealers were firm on price  :(

3 years sounds a long time, but you never can tell....although a 1979 1200 would not have had the long triangular side panels.

Pete
 
It's a TS, guess they have always been slow sellers then.

I see a lot of 180 triples in Spain where they were registered years after production date. They use year of registration here, not year of manufacture.
 
Over the years there has been massive confusion between the 1200T and the 1200TS.This is because a factory brochure was produced to cover both models, at the top in large letters was the script that went something like "Laverda 1200T/TS" with pictures of both models, I cant locate mine at the moment (hope I didnt sell it) but this is where it all comes from (I think).I have even conversed with people, one of them bought his bike new, who insisted that there is a model (which he owns) called a 1200TTS, and you can see why, I mean there is another one called "1200" (and while we are at it none of them are even near 1200, closer to 1100 in fact at 1116cc).The 1200 Mirage TS is the one with strange engine cowlings and handlebar fairing, but what people miss is that from new it should have the Jota big valve head, that is, if its a series one, series two did not (thankfully) have that head.

There have been many questions as to why the factory installed the engine cowlings, some say styling, other say aeordynamics, but what I say is that it is a mix of both, but the real reason for it is that the Laverda brothers intended the TS as a long distance high mileage, comfy yet still quick tourer, which it is, those engine cowls are fitted, they do a great job of keeping the engine clean in the most filthy conditions, even after many thousands of wet miles the sides and back of the motor stays clean, the front still gets blackened by road dirt, but then you dont see it.Unless you have had a few days of eight or nine refuel stops you will have missed the best part of riding a TS, there is many a time when I have been riding with friends who had fatigeued after an hour or two, even collapsed on the grass at a filling station, and its great fun at 90MPH on the motorway to draw alongside your mates on their unfaired bikes while they  are hanging on for dear life and getting strangled by the chin strap, and just rasie a mit, and give them a cheery and relaxed wave from inside the screen.
CLEM
 
I would find it uncomfortable to tour on a TS that (as standard) has Jota bars and a handlebar fairing. No wind blast to lift the weight off your wrists.
I have seen some with cut back fairings (or more commonly the fairing removed entirely) so they can fit touring bars to it.
I agree it makes a nice big soft, torquey tourer, but why is the fuel range so crap? I always found the 1200s to have worse fuel consumption than the 1000s as well as a smaller tank size.
 
Thanks to all,

Pete, it does happen to be a 1979 produced 1200 TS (not a Mirage) with the 'big' triangular side panels. Handlebar fairing and engine cowlings seem to be missing.
Clem, Is it only a Mirage when the badge is on the side panels, or is every series one (this one has black headers), but no Mirage badge, in which case it would have had different striping if I'm right? Where there any Mirage's in Holland anyway?

Hein
 
Hein

I believe all European TS1200s were that .Mirage paneled TS"s were UK only,

I changed my panels to Mirage ones only because I prefer it.(It was Spanish)It also now has a RGS head but with standard A11 cams which I think they all did.I could be wrong here but I think only the standard Mirages had 4Cs.I always get confused here,
 

Attachments

  • P1010005.JPG
    P1010005.JPG
    154.2 KB · Views: 29
Others may speculate about states of tune, handling and what not.  I've always be astounded by those hideous front indicators fitted to the Mirage 1200TS models sold in Europe and perhaps other markets.  They are a horrible afterthought.  My Mirage has front indicators on stalks, as god intended.  :P
 
Just bought a nice 1200TS, one owner bike with only 20,000kms from new. Needs a fair amount of recommissioning due to the amount of time it has been stood but it is in lovely unmolested condition, tab washers as folded by the factory etc.


    Keith.
 

Attachments

  • 014.JPG
    014.JPG
    94.2 KB · Views: 53
  • 017.JPG
    017.JPG
    58.9 KB · Views: 27
sweet,have a whole spare set of bodywork but I expect it came with it with one owner, but you wouldn"t want to go there Keith. :D
 
Mine are original grey ,think the red draws the eye too much. Arty thing you know :D
 
Hein5960 said:
Where there any Mirage's in Holland anyway?
Click to expand...

Mirage's where never officially sold in Holland.
I believe it was a UK thing to give the types a name, starting with the Jota.
Where in Holland the 500 was just called 500, in Britain it was called Alpino.
In Holland the first series 1200 was just called 1200. Later came the TS with first and second generation engines, both called 1200TS but never Mirage.

Hans
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top