Fordychap
New member
- Location
- Forest of Bowland, NW England
Well, it’s been over 30 years - and I am back in the ILOC and have just purchased another Laverda…
Sorry for the length of this first post here… but my excuse is that I have 30+ years to catch up on.
I am privileged to have just purchased Andy Holbrook’s lovely Mirage.
I may have only met Andy once, but I am very pleased indeed to be the custodian of his bike now.
It is my eighth Laverda (I think - I lost count along the way) and I am very much looking forward to riding a “Breganze Bullet” once again.
There may be some “older members” of this forum (Clem?) who remember me (with two 500 Monty Mk1s, a whole slew of 750 SFs, two 180° Jotas, a 120° Jota, an RGS Corsa, and an SFC 1000)…
I also had a dubiously bad racing career, starting with the first Yamaha LCs and including some attempts at staying on a 750 SF and a Monty, then 8, 12 and 24 Hr racing on all sorts of kit, and even some short circuits and road racing. The odd smattering of Laverda rides in amongst there, too.
I think I mostly made up the numbers when racing, but I did have fun - at least until I got taken out in a big “off” in a classic parade in the USA in 1997. The crash put paid to racing - but not riding motorcycles.
I was probably more a “safe pair of hands” than someone setting any records (none!)—it is that which may have kept me riding classics and parades for several years.
I kept riding bikes, though—on and off — as work took me right around the world. I even had a Bonneville in Tokyo!!
LOTS of people helped me with all my Laverda purchases, repairs, and ownership, and a few sponsors, too, especially from 1980 into the early 1990s.
Just in case they are on this forum, I’ll name-check some of those whom I thank profusely now - and never did correctly at the time (what an ungrateful b*gger I must have been) - just in case I don’t get the chance again.
Firstly, Mick Hart, who was incredibly generous with his time, advice and knowledge - and his lovely wife Rita - I am just extremely sorry I never got the chance to say thanks properly while Mick was still here. An occasional Christmas card sent out to British Columbia was not enough, really. (RIP Mick)
Then, in no particular order, Massimo Laverda (again RIP), Roger Slater, Roger Winterburn, Phil Todd , the folks at Moto Italia as it was, Three Cross Motorcycles as was, and the irrepressible
Malcolm Cox, whom I recently realised I first knew 43 years ago!
Thanks too to Banstead Finishers, as was, Downland Engineering, John Roberts Motorcycles, Bob Gollner Motorcycles, and probably a load of others.
It’s been an emotional journey back to Laverda ownership, and for those who know Malcolm Cox - it’s all his fault!
Anyway, I hope to be out and about on the Mirage next year - certainly in the NW and maybe further afield if circumstances permit.
Oh, and it’s nice to be back.
David (Dave) Ford - aka Fordychap
Sorry for the length of this first post here… but my excuse is that I have 30+ years to catch up on.
I am privileged to have just purchased Andy Holbrook’s lovely Mirage.
I may have only met Andy once, but I am very pleased indeed to be the custodian of his bike now.
It is my eighth Laverda (I think - I lost count along the way) and I am very much looking forward to riding a “Breganze Bullet” once again.
There may be some “older members” of this forum (Clem?) who remember me (with two 500 Monty Mk1s, a whole slew of 750 SFs, two 180° Jotas, a 120° Jota, an RGS Corsa, and an SFC 1000)…
I also had a dubiously bad racing career, starting with the first Yamaha LCs and including some attempts at staying on a 750 SF and a Monty, then 8, 12 and 24 Hr racing on all sorts of kit, and even some short circuits and road racing. The odd smattering of Laverda rides in amongst there, too.
I think I mostly made up the numbers when racing, but I did have fun - at least until I got taken out in a big “off” in a classic parade in the USA in 1997. The crash put paid to racing - but not riding motorcycles.
I was probably more a “safe pair of hands” than someone setting any records (none!)—it is that which may have kept me riding classics and parades for several years.
I kept riding bikes, though—on and off — as work took me right around the world. I even had a Bonneville in Tokyo!!
LOTS of people helped me with all my Laverda purchases, repairs, and ownership, and a few sponsors, too, especially from 1980 into the early 1990s.
Just in case they are on this forum, I’ll name-check some of those whom I thank profusely now - and never did correctly at the time (what an ungrateful b*gger I must have been) - just in case I don’t get the chance again.
Firstly, Mick Hart, who was incredibly generous with his time, advice and knowledge - and his lovely wife Rita - I am just extremely sorry I never got the chance to say thanks properly while Mick was still here. An occasional Christmas card sent out to British Columbia was not enough, really. (RIP Mick)
Then, in no particular order, Massimo Laverda (again RIP), Roger Slater, Roger Winterburn, Phil Todd , the folks at Moto Italia as it was, Three Cross Motorcycles as was, and the irrepressible
Malcolm Cox, whom I recently realised I first knew 43 years ago!Thanks too to Banstead Finishers, as was, Downland Engineering, John Roberts Motorcycles, Bob Gollner Motorcycles, and probably a load of others.
It’s been an emotional journey back to Laverda ownership, and for those who know Malcolm Cox - it’s all his fault!
Anyway, I hope to be out and about on the Mirage next year - certainly in the NW and maybe further afield if circumstances permit.
Oh, and it’s nice to be back.
David (Dave) Ford - aka Fordychap
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