750 engine numbers

S

smlav

Senior member
Location
Shropshire UK
Can anyone point me at a list of engine numbers vs model for Braganza 750 please.

I have a GTL with engine number 18089, but I blew the motor as a youngster in the late 70s, and bought a motor from a breakers in back of MCN. (200 quid including Dynamo and starter. those were the days).

The engine I bought and fitted is 15319, it was sold as SF2.

I’m intending to resurrect the bike, and would like to know more about the engine

thanks
Essem
 
The engine type is stamped into the case at the rear lower LH mount. At least that is as it left the factory... what's really inside you'd need to find out for yourself, almost everything is interchangeable. Big differences between GT/GTL engines and SF2. Carbs, crank, head, valves, cam and pistons. A few very late GTLs were reputedly fitted with SF2 motors, but these would have been considerably later than #18089. Many non-civilian GTLs were fitted with alternators instead of generators.

piet
 
Thanks guys. The 18089 I bought new in 1978, had all the GTL bits externally. I’m fairly sure the engine internals are GTL. Although I bought it in 78, I think it had been lying in dealers for a few years, they were selling it at cut down price and the battery packed up within a few weeks indicating it had sat uncharged.

The engine which I bought from a breaker*, I’ve just looked and has SF1 stamped at lower left engine mount. I fitted Guzzi Le mans 36mm pumper carbs to that engine. Back in the 70s, when money was tight, it was cheaper to fit an engine from a breaker than fix the original. However, I’m of a mind to return it to GTL spec for the refurb, I think the GTL motor is all okay except the crank needs sorting.

* I put a hole in a piston. Rode from north of England to London to see AC/DC at Wembley in ‘79. Chained the Lav to a lamppost outside Wembley, headed back up M1 after concert. I was mechanically inept in those days, and the weak mixture I’d set ended up with hole in piston. Rode 5 miles on one pot to service station.
 
Lucky you if you have kept the original motor all this time. It will be a fairly simple job to resurrect it from such a simple thing as a holed piston, if that is the only reason you replaced the motor (!!). What has happened to the crank? Regardless there is plenty of experience around to refurb Lav cranks too.
 
I fitted new pistons to the original, but there must have been bits gotten into crank. A few thousand miles after new piston it started clunking, and a replacement motor for a few hundred quid seemed easier option.
 
the used SF1 engine that you bought would have had PHF36mm carbs as stock earlier than SF1 they all had VHB carbs mostly 30mm, and a few early ones with 29mm, as Piet says some very late GTL's had 36 PHF's
and as Paul says, rebuild the GTL as a GTL, you will have unused parts that are worth money, the ND starter is worth well into three figures and might even start with a "4", (or more) on its own, the rest of the SF1 motor is not worth huge amounts because there is little demand, but the head and carbs are worth a few hundred, and under a ton for the block and pistons, this would help fund the cost of the refurb, get your crank done by Keith Nairn at Laverda Scozia, get your gaskets from Phil Todd, get your oil seals from Simply Bearing, get your vapour blasting from TSR.
CLEM
 
Thanks Clem, very good info. I had to buy the 36mm carbs separate to the SF1 engine. I had some mail with Keith and had come to the conclusion he’s the place to go for everything beyond my skills.
 
If you rebuild it as a GTL you will have one of the rarer Laverda models, even more exclusive than the SFC, and a very pleasant ride.
I enjoy my GTL #18005 and accept that it's much happier as an A and B road cruiser than a sustained high speed motorway missile.
 
arancia said:
If you rebuild it as a GTL you will have one of the rarer Laverda models, even more exclusive than the SFC, and a very pleasant ride.
I enjoy my GTL #18005 and accept that it's much happier as an A and B road cruiser than a sustained high speed motorway missile.
Click to expand...
If you want a high speed motorway missile, you don't want a Laverda, you want a car of some sort.

Paul
 
A GTL with a SF2 motor isn't necessarily a bad thing, the bike remains a comfortable cruiser, albeit a bit quicker than stock. It's just that the GT/GTL engine is such a totally under-stressed and enjoyable engine that spreads an air of supremacy, even though it is a great deal slower. ;)

piet
 
"If you want a high speed motorway missile, you don't want a Laverda, you want a car of some sort."

not so Paul,

at one time TOG was known as TiBMM (the intercontinental ballistic motorway missile) this was because as a busy contractorator, I usually had to be back at work in the UK for Monday morning, so Friday afternoon/night dash to a Lav meeting somewhere in Europe, enjoy the weekend and then 10-30 Sunday dash back to Blighty, this necessitates using motorways, which I don't enjoy so much now as I did then. In those days she would be cruising at around 150/160KPH, if I was solo, a bit slower, if Andrea was on the back due to her comfort and (maybe) giving TOG an easier life, times change and although that was prohibited and anti social at the time, in light traffic and fair weather, you could get it done, now though it is more prohibited and more antisocial and electronically controlled almost everywhere, and as I have found ou to my cost, speeding tickets from European countries do now make their way to my doorstep, plus I am getting older and that makes me less bothered about time, but I hope I never get as slow as you Paul, but I do like to be as safe as you paul!

This reminds me of a time when I was queuing up for the ferry at Dover, just after the finish of the IOM TT, and I came across some Germans on their modern pocket rockets at the front of the bike queueing lane, and was asked, "where are you going on that classic bike" and I replied "Copenhagen", they then asked "where will you stay tonight" and I replied "Copenhagen" they were all shocked and further quizzed me, they were stopping half way and were only going to Berlin, each to his own, you just don't get the same sensation from a Lav triple until you have sat above the motor at a constant 6,000 RPM for a while, many riders have never found that carb roaring sensation, they may well have revved their motors to that level, but very few have held it for any length of time, it is worth savouring, but difficult to achieve now excepting in Germany, which is a fairly big chink of exactly that trip. Danish rally, Silberstead germany (probably now finished) the Finjish and Swedish rallies, a UK rider would likely as not, take more or less the same route, if you doid want to stay half way for the night (which I have also done) the the Hotel hengelo (in Hengeleo) Holland is a great 4* hotel at UK 1* prices, very posh but very enjoyable with a hot and cold buffet breakfast to delight the porkiest of those amongst us.
CLEM
 
CLEMTOG said:
"If you want a high speed motorway missile, you don't want a Laverda, you want a car of some sort."

not so Paul,
but I hope I never get as slow as you Paul, but I do like to be as safe as you paul!


CLEM
Click to expand...
Just the words Clem :ROFLMAO:
Yes, the days of sitting on 6000+ for long stretches are likely behind me and my SF but having lived in Darwin it was the norm and we relished it. Two days Melbourne to Perth type rides also "required" it, for all the WA mob too, but today you would have your bike crushed and be walking and broke for years to come.
 
CLEMTOG said:
"If you want a high speed motorway missile, you don't want a Laverda, you want a car of some sort."

not so Paul,

at one time TOG was known as TiBMM (the intercontinental ballistic motorway missile) this was because as a busy contractorator, I usually had to be back at work in the UK for Monday morning, so Friday afternoon/night dash to a Lav meeting somewhere in Europe, enjoy the weekend and then 10-30 Sunday dash back to Blighty, this necessitates using motorways, which I don't enjoy so much now as I did then. In those days she would be cruising at around 150/160KPH, if I was solo, a bit slower, if Andrea was on the back due to her comfort and (maybe) giving TOG an easier life, times change and although that was prohibited and anti social at the time, in light traffic and fair weather, you could get it done, now though it is more prohibited and more antisocial and electronically controlled almost everywhere, and as I have found ou to my cost, speeding tickets from European countries do now make their way to my doorstep, plus I am getting older and that makes me less bothered about time, but I hope I never get as slow as you Paul, but I do like to be as safe as you paul!

This reminds me of a time when I was queuing up for the ferry at Dover, just after the finish of the IOM TT, and I came across some Germans on their modern pocket rockets at the front of the bike queueing lane, and was asked, "where are you going on that classic bike" and I replied "Copenhagen", they then asked "where will you stay tonight" and I replied "Copenhagen" they were all shocked and further quizzed me, they were stopping half way and were only going to Berlin, each to his own, you just don't get the same sensation from a Lav triple until you have sat above the motor at a constant 6,000 RPM for a while, many riders have never found that carb roaring sensation, they may well have revved their motors to that level, but very few have held it for any length of time, it is worth savouring, but difficult to achieve now excepting in Germany, which is a fairly big chink of exactly that trip. Danish rally, Silberstead germany (probably now finished) the Finjish and Swedish rallies, a UK rider would likely as not, take more or less the same route, if you doid want to stay half way for the night (which I have also done) the the Hotel hengelo (in Hengeleo) Holland is a great 4* hotel at UK 1* prices, very posh but very enjoyable with a hot and cold buffet breakfast to delight the porkiest of those amongst us.
CLEM
Click to expand...
Remember the time you went whizzing by on the motorway Clem and we caught up with you at the petrol station where you were waiting for the breakdown van?

We were home that evening.

We now have high speed rail links. Even the UK is going that way, 40 years late. Let the train take the strain.

Motorways are for cars, they're full of them. Which leaves the normal roads a lot safer for motorcyclists. And if you take the smaller roads, there aren't even any speed checks.

Paul
 
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