ADVICE ON BUYING A JOTA - BOUGHT A MIRAGE

gvhbiker

gvhbiker

New member
Location
Lymm, Cheshire, UK
Hi everyone.

I'm a mature motorcyclist (in terms of age if not mentality!) & I've been riding for getting on 50 years.

I've decided I want a Jota. I've resisted the urge for ages on the basis I've enough bikes (one modern, one off road & 5 classics), no more space & I don't ride the bikes I've got as much as I would like but I've recently come to the conclusion if I don't scratch this itch soon I never will, plus, you can't take it with you, so I'm going to take the plunge. Unfortunately I'll need to sell a bike to enable me to fit another one in the garage so it'll be a while before I'm in a position to buy but the decision is made so now it's time to do some research.

So, I know very little about Laverda's other than I want one. Are there any "buyers guides" anyone would recommend or can anyone give me advice regarding the do's & don't of buying one - other than the general advice & common sense applicable to buying any classic bike?

Plus, what's spares availability like?

Any advice would be massively appreciated.

Thanks

Geoff
 
Hi Geoff -

There are a number of threads with the same question - use the search function  :D

buying a Jota is a challenge as there are a number of bikes labelled a Jota which did'nt start life as one and there are some bikes out there like that , the definition is also quite variable but as a generality Slaters started it but then eventually the factory went onto sell their own produced version which in some cases / countries did not have the same components - for example my bike is an 81 series 2 Jota that came from Three Cross motorcycles built in the Breganze factory as such    - it is a interesting bike to ride with the weight quite high up - there is a lot a knowledge here and also on the ILOC forum and if you are in the UK i would suggest you join the club .

If you put a proposal bike up here with pictures the members will give you an honest opinion and in a friendly way they don't take any prisoners but thats only trying to tell the truth  - they can be a bit of a money pit but its about the riding and meeting like minded individuals - its an addiction buy one and you want another as its a very wide range of models away from the Jota - i have three now

If Grant on here has a bike you like - it might a good place to start - Parts like any classic bike can be obtained but things like castings now depend on broken bikes although Red in Australia is producing Clutch covers as those for Series 2 are getting rarer as the slave arrangement could cause a spilt in a little used bike .

Exhaust Clocks rear suspension etc all can be procured - smaller parts are harder but there are several European sources 

Good luck !     
 
As has been suggested recently, it might be an idea to get a test ride on a couple.
For one, they don't suit everyone and, secondly, if you only ride one, you won't know, despite it being Orange, if it's a lemon (not having a pop at Shaun, there).
Parts are, for the most part, readily available, though rarely cheap.
You could do worse than considering this one,
https://www.laverdaforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,100931.0.html
while not "a genuine Jota" (a nebulous description much loved by the hyper-optimistic sellers), few onlookers would be able to tell the difference and the price would provide a face-straining-from-smiling, riding experience, if you're the sort who'll like a Triple. 
 
If it is to confirm if you actually want one, a short ride on most Breganze Laverdas will likely turn you away, for most people they require a bit of time to learn to appreciate. The same was also often said of MG Lemans too. To get an idea if a particular bike seems like a good buy, a test ride would be a must in my opinion to show up wrong vibrations, noises, tuning problems etc.
 
first decide if you want a twin or triple Breganze era Laverda. Then decide if you want one of the rawer earlier bikes, or the later more refined bikes.

if you decide on a triple, then decide if you want a 1000 or a 1200.

then determine your cash budget, which will determine what you can actually buy.

in the minds of many a "Jota" is a 1000 with a silver frame and orange bodywork, truth is there is a lot more to it than that.

then, like any other old motorcycle, condition, condition, condition..... and mechanical history. Not very many totally stock bog standard 40 year old motorcycles around. Then price based on condition.

For a rider, my personal preference is for the 1200's, more torque, I have a 79 1200 and a 82 1200, both purchased in preference to a "Jota"....

For now at least parts availability is excellent, but the parts suppliers are aging and some are looking at retirement.

Seems like you have started with some preconceived notion that for you buying a Breganze era Laverda is buying a Jota, but you are also doing your research, good on you.  Let us know what you wind up buying.

Paul LeClair
 
Hi,
Before taking the plunge there are a number of things it might be as well to consider-

(1) How wealthy are you?-Have you seen the prices being asked for one now?

(2) How old are you?- They are heavy buggers to push around.

(3) How tall are you?- Relatively high seat and centre of gravity can be difficult in tight situations.

(4) Where do you live?-It won`t be much fun if you have several miles of city riding before reaching open roads-Neutral can be difficult to find at a standstill and you can`t sit for five minutes with the clutch pulled in as with a modern bike.

(5) There are no Laverda dealers,so you will have to be prepared to do a lot of the maintenance work yourself-Although specialists and good advice can be found-obtain a copy of the Green Book.

Good bikes though!
 
Jota is nothing special, a run of the mill 3C is at least as good and a lot cheaper. Jota is a myth attracting high prices.
A bit like saying, I want a green frame 750 SS without casting an eye on the other excellent old Ducatis.
If you're getting on in age, a 750 twin will suit you a lot better than one of those top heavy triples which your legs won't hold if you get off balance at a standstill. Performance wise , if you keep an eye out for points on your license, a 750 is equivalent.

Paul
 
Sir Sidney Ruffdiamond said:
Hi Geoff -

There are a number of threads with the same question - use the search function  :D

buying a Jota is a challenge as there are a number of bikes labelled a Jota which did'nt start life as one and there are some bikes out there like that , the definition is also quite variable but as a generality Slaters started it but then eventually the factory went onto sell their own produced version which in some cases / countries did not have the same components - for example my bike is an 81 series 2 Jota that came from Three Cross motorcycles built in the Breganze factory as such    - it is a interesting bike to ride with the weight quite high up - there is a lot a knowledge here and also on the ILOC forum and if you are in the UK i would suggest you join the club .

If you put a proposal bike up here with pictures the members will give you an honest opinion and in a friendly way they don't take any prisoners but thats only trying to tell the truth  - they can be a bit of a money pit but its about the riding and meeting like minded individuals - its an addiction buy one and you want another as its a very wide range of models away from the Jota - i have three now

If Grant on here has a bike you like - it might a good place to start - Parts like any classic bike can be obtained but things like castings now depend on broken bikes although Red in Australia is producing Clutch covers as those for Series 2 are getting rarer as the slave arrangement could cause a spilt in a little used bike .

Exhaust Clocks rear suspension etc all can be procured - smaller parts are harder but there are several European sources 

Good luck !   
Click to expand...

Grant isn't on here, he was pissed off.

Paul
 
Hi Geoff,
  I live just outside nantwich so if you want to have a look around a few laverdas and a brew your more than welcome.
  Just send me a pm and we'll arrange something around this nonsense that's about at the moment.
But you will find your favourite laverda is the one your riding that day.
Regards Andy 😁
 
Hi Geoff,
Before you do anything, consider this ---------

You buy a Laverda with you heart, its a living passion, something in your past memory is making you make this decision.
For me it was the first time an Orange tanked Jota came past - the noise, the general ambience yes that's what I'm looking for!

First of all then what is your first experience of a Laverda triple, your heart will tell you whats right?

Andy
 
I would add to the suggestions already offered a question.  Are you looking to buy a Jota with the notion that it is an investment?  If the answer is no, then forget about the name "Jota."  All this to-do with the name is meaningless if your intent is to buy a Laverda for the smile it puts on your face when you ride it.  Any triple can be tuned to Jota specs if that is what you're after.  These old nails responds quite well to modern upgrades of the carburettors, ignition and cams.  You can make the machine whatever you want, regardless of the name. 
Like Paul, I favor the 1200 triples in a mild state of tune.  They are relatively easy to live with and great fun to ride.
 
Its on a need to know basis Jim,
Ive got a guy who can do it , but you didn't hear that from me..
:-*
 
You mentioned you had five classic bikes. Well then I am assuming you know about the first year Triumph Bonneville's of 1959 which more now exist than the factory ever made. The same applies to Laverda Jota's. Here in the USA, almost all were made from 3CL's by the dealer as they were not legal (noise and emissions) to import.  Some dealers brought in real ones but many were made here. My 3CL when I bought it 20 years ago was advertised as a Jota but upon inspection was just a 3CL with Jota exhaust. And in some parts of the world, the 3CL, in standard form were sold as Jota's, and then there are the 120 Jota's. So just a word of warning if you want a real factory one.

Now if you just want a bike to ride:
Comfort wise, a RGS.
Want to have fun, a 3CL
Best torque and no vibrations, the low performance series 2 1200's.

The twins are slow unless it is an SFC.
All the triples are nice and can go fast.

If I were now going to get my first Laverda triple, it would not be a Jota but a 1975 or older 3C.
 
"The twins are slow unless it is an SFC." Total fucking bullshit.
The original post said he is after a Jota and almost everyone is trying to talk him out of it.
 
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