1969 750 GT

Exmoor beast

Exmoor beast

Hero member
Location
Minehead,Somerset, ENGLAND OF COURSE
Here?s the old girl finally dragged out of the garage, cleaned and test ridden. All  went well except for locking up the well worn front drum Brake on gravel Coming up to junction, you think Rossi was scared!
I have the original receipt for sale from owner in Italy to a German guy in 1987, TUV certificate etc and it all says 1968 but the DGM number is ?69. I was put on the register ( sounds wrong...) Laverdamania and it fits in with ?69 being chassis no.2550. It has the Ceriani bellows gaiters and Ceriani over centre clips which seem to be used in the press photos but not elsewhere. Apart from the Fiam horn ( I put that on ) And the side panel badges it seems to be All original , 22,000km on the clock. There is a toggle switch on r/hand side of headlamp which toggles nicely but doesn?t appear to interrupt anything electrical,  I?ll do more checks. When I bought him in ?91 the guy said he could contact the previous owner for the air box, but I didn?t follow it up, I?ve got a later ?coffin style? air box that came off Marnix?s CND donor bike.
190 psi cold compression on both cylinders and fires up instantly, no smoke or noises. I have spoken to my old mate Bob Dillingham who is currently making exact replica seat covers and foam squabs , he can also supply alloy bar trim with the ?T? channel  . Im humming and harring about the colour, originally it was metallic silver/blue ( still is under the side panels ) but I might go metallic silver like the one in the original Laverda brochure. I?m about to send brake shoes off for relining ( safetek) and Still undecided as to tyres- suggestions welcomed. Need all new cables before I start riding properly.

 

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Nice GT.
I have a couple with numbers approaching.
My 650 is n? 15.. something and also has the rubber gaiters on the forks.

Paul
 
Thanks! All the 650?s are in France it would seem. Mine was an Italian home market bike but was built right in the middle of the big order of American Eagles with a smattering of S?s . You can?t see in the pic but it has the air scoop Grimeca front brake, ?69 must have been the use up the bits year It?s Partly your fault I want to paint it silver, Black makes the tank look like a bread bin. The kidney shaped clutch bung and the gaiters are both flexible ( fork legs are like new) but the tank pads have gone hard. I?m going to strengthen the steering stop as that?s bent and the bars are a bit close to the tank .
 
Exmoor beast said:
Thanks! All the 650?s are in France it would seem. Mine was an Italian home market bike but was built right in the middle of the big order of American Eagles with a smattering of S?s . You can?t see in the pic but it has the air scoop Grimeca front brake, ?69 must have been the use up the bits year It?s Partly your fault I want to paint it silver, Black makes the tank look like a bread bin. The kidney shaped clutch bung and the gaiters are both flexible ( fork legs are like new) but the tank pads have gone hard. I?m going to strengthen the steering stop as that?s bent and the bars are a bit close to the tank .
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There were 52 650s made. At one time, I knew the whereabouts of 25 of them in France.

Holland and France were the biggest export markets for Laverda at the time of the 750s. Endurance racing had an important following in these 2 countries.

Paul
 
Exmoor beast said:
According to my book in 1971 an SF was ?995 in UK a Trident was ?691.36 and a 750/4 Honda ?751 so that would have put the Kybosh on sales. I don?t know how they were priced in France/ Holland but probably more favourably priced.
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They were a bit more expensive in France than the Japanese rubbish.

Triples were another thing. You could buy 1.5 Kwak Z 1000s for the price of a triple over here.
I think they were also quite a bit more expensive in the UK, but Pete Davies and the "Lamborghini of motorcycles" sales ploy made them sell. They didn't sell much over here.

Paul
 
A lovely early GT Jason ,lucky you,look forward to seeing it, mine was dull red,so went for white,even though it is a 73 bike if I park it in a lay-by like this,cars still hit their brakes :D I have the original seat on the shelf, but it needs new foam and probably a cover so be interested in your contact.


 
I knew Bob thirty years ago when he was recovering seats in his kitchen in Watford and now trades as Moretti Ltd and is on EBay as ?Bob the seat ?and has a factory producing all the parts.He?s going to contact me when he has finished a huge order to Japan! He is a perfectionist and a stickler for detail, I know he has to source the correct heavy grain vinyl and has made the hot pressing tool to get the ribbing right.
Your GT looks well, The white suits it, mine was the same colour as your drum 3c, I?ll try and put a picture up in original form Back in Italy.
 
That"s good to know,here is original the seat, but it"s flat as a pancake to sit on.! be good to restore it.I really like the metallic blue on the drummer,didn"t think I would until it was re done,does catch the light between silver and blue.I"d stick with that,if I were you.Have a look at mine in the real before you decide. My seat doesn t have the rounded back,changed design to a "lip"

 
Get thee behind me Satan- I?ve been changing my mind about colour - dark green-metallic orangey yellow, plum red- those stripey home market jobs- then I saw the Silver one on the brochure, then Paul?s Silver  ?S? ..decisions.. then you start to guilt trip me into keeping it original..back to square one! I must admit I like the idea of  originale . I?ll wait till I?ve seen yours !
 
Whilst you're at it with the seat, if you can have half a dozen wide seat base replicas made up, they'll find punters. I, for one and a certain Phil T.

Paul
 
Your GT frame is a first, wide type. 68-69 vintage. Incidentally, your side covers look strange, maybe not the right ones for the frame.. Wide frame = wide seat and wide tank for that matter. Not interchangeable with LJs.

I would need to go and have a measure in the garage tomorrow and get back to you.

Paul
 
I?ve had a look and it?s not that complicated a base- as seat bases go. Fibreglass would be really easy but  I will have a word with a man I know and see if a sheet metal one is possible- it?s quite a lot of work for what is an unseen seat pan.
I would be interested in your air box if you find one, Let me know your dimensions and I?ll check if mines the same, cheers Paul.
 
Easy too cast them set bases , and a simple mold to take,  want too try and make GTL side panels now there a complicated set up , and the tool tool tray with under cut sides , cant see why folk havnt made em , but the costings and what folk want too pay are the limiting factors . Ten Folk who want wide seat bases wont pay for its self thats for sure . The Laverda Cash cow , its a interesting thing .
 
I've measured the frames. The difference is at the front of the seat, hence, wide seat and narrow seat. Measured across the inside of the frame rails where there's the prongs for the seat, old frame is 16 cm across, more recent one 13 cm.

What sort of "prongs" do you have on the frame to engage with the seat? The pointed type or the later flat spade type?
Here's a photo of the front of the 650 seat base with provision for the pointed prongs.

Yes, I do have an early type airbox for sale.

Paul
 

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