An Exceptional video

[Laverda SF]

Ron, your friend could not have had a 71/72 750SS as this model did not exist yet. They were only made in 1974.

In 1971 the 750GT was available and the 750 Sport in 1972. In late 1974 the square case 860 came out.

I may have used one too many "S"'s - GEEZE that was 50 years ago - How good is your memory ;o)

His Duke could have been a 750S not a SS. I guess we were racing around the years of 73 to 74. I do think he had a single disk on the front end with Borrani spokes.

In all it's irrelevant if you intended to race against a 70 Breganzie 750SF on the Moose Mountain Road with any motorcycle and expect to win during the 70's.

That my point ;o)

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PS:
Just consider I quit riding at 70 and sold my favorite ride 3 years ago (The only bike I bought NEW), a highly maintained 1970 Breganzie 750SFFFF+ (Never claimed she was an SFC) Personally, I would not want that SFC cam for the type of riding I did.

I sincerely hope you Guys, come my age, have experienced Motorcycles as long as I without severely crippling or killing yourselves and be able to talk about motorcycles in your old age..

I'm not always politically correct but from your comments I know I got your attention ;o)

I highly suggest you follow that Moose Mountain Road course on Google Maps, 20 miles out and 20 miles back - Guaranteed your bike will be percolating and you will be physically exhausted - Providing you did not dump her or hurt yourself.

The asphalt was in in pristine condition back then.

I raced that course for 20 years from say 1966 to 1988 when I got married and needless to say - That ended my racing.

I have fond memories of one of the world most grueling and respected off the grid racing tracks ;o)

I was down to micro seconds when to brake and shift from 7800rpm with my Breganzie on that course, intimate and defeat other riders.
It still baffles me just how much power them two little pistons can put out and the bike itself with its Hi-Balance and with great physical strength to over weight her, can grip the asphalt with the old Perille Rayon Belted Super Comps.

I can still see myself racing her say taking a left high speed (115mph+) sweeping corner. Right index finger on the throttle - Right leg bent at the knee over the saddle - Left hand on the clutch lever - Right foot dangling - Left foot on the end of the center peg - Elbow and Knee pads riding the asphalt with my eye's looking that the suspension collapsing as I twisted the throttle because if I gave her more throttle I would berry the shocks and SKID her out or high side. The Ceriani suspension was tops for it's it time but not without misgivings.

The SF is usually looked at being a rather top heavy every day Sport Bike or short range Tourer; But she's a racer at heart. The Duke 750S(S) and the SF where about identical bikes save that the Duke had a lower center of gravity with slightly less power. The Duke was fast and easier to ride then the SF but the SF was FASTER if you had the guts to man handler her.

One mistake in tuning the 750SF for racing and your in for disaster.

A last a time gone but not forgotten with either them beautiful rides.

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Just for my curiosity what the difference between a 72 Ducati 750S with a single Disk spoke Borrani wheel Vs say a 73 Dual front disk Disk spoke Borraini wheel compared to say a 74 Dual Disk Cast Aluminum wheel - I would say lesser COMPRESSION in the DESMO - All the same bike as compared to the SF models. Can't recall remembering a Duke 750S with Drums as compared to the 70/71 SF?

Drums Vs Disks, Spoke Vs Cast Wheels, Compression, Valve size, cam profiles, exhaust and various models of Dellorto Carbs... etc. The basic bike never changed for numerous years through the 70's because they were WINNERS. The Japanese could never match the handling of European motorcycles (Especially Italian motorcycles) in spite of their powerful engines through the 70's.

Then came the Suzuki GXER in about 1982 and put the Breganzie Triple DOWN and the Breganzie factory out of business.

Shamefully I did buy a 1100 GXER rather then a Breganzie triple at the time around 82/84 - Why because the Suzuki was faster and cost 1/2 the price and handled extremely well and could do 140+ mph - but I sold her after one season because she was not in my realm compared to my 70 SF that demand attention or she would kill me ;o)

 

[Dellortoman]

In all it's irrelevant if you intended to race against a 70 Breganzie 750SF on the Moose Mountain Road with any motorcycle and expect to win during the 70's.

I dunno about Canada, but in Australia you could end up in jail for racing on public roads.
All of my short racing career (late 70's - early 80's) was on road-racing circuits.

 

[Laverda SF]

The Moose Mountain Road was NOT a public HWY back then but rather a designated entrance to a Mine Site. We had Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) there on week ends enjoying the spectacle watching over thousands of people and could race a COP Cruiser on the Jack Pine 1/4 mile.

Between Mine shifts we put up Barricades with Police officers tending them on Week End summer months. Motorcyclists and Muscle Cars came from thousands of miles to attend with their families and camped in the Gravel Pits - It wasn't until about 1972 when there were fatalities that the Ontario Gov't put a stop to it.

It was truly a unique piece of Asphalt History through the 60's and early 70's, comparable to the Ilse of Man.

Personally, I never stopped racing the Moose Mountain Road up until about 1988 when I got married. 68 Volvo 123S, 69 Lotus Cortina, 70 Chev Z28 Camaro, 71 Chrysler 340 MAG Challenger - 56 Austin Healey - 73 Volvo P1800 - Triumph GT6 + - MG's... etc and more then enough of my share of Motorcycles.

Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin':

 

[Vince]

Many decades ago there was an event that would occur on the Northern side of Spit Hill, the major access road to Manly up from Spit Bridge. Even back then thousands used that road all the time. They would close the road for 3 or 4hrs on a Sunday and do hard acceleration display runs up that road with anything from F1 cars to whatever arrived. I have no idea how they got anything like that past the Powers That Be. Absolutely unthinkable these days.

 

[Laverda SF]

Vince can you Google Map it ;o)

As said the Moose Mountain Road was not for Public but designated as use at your own risk.

In other words there was no speed limit for that road at the time !

Needless to say the Mine Employees owned some of the fastest Muscle Trans Am Cars of the time.

Employee's of the Mine always raced that 20 miles to and from work.

I worked that mine as a teen.

They were Gambling Sheets who would Win - A guy by the name of Jack Bonus with a 1969 Mercury Cougar XR7 always won but I had him worried with my Dad's 68 Canadian Pontiac 327 4 Dr Sdn Strato Chief (Turbo 400, 3.57 12 Bolt Posi) - I would have won if the tires didn't melt off. I owed my Dad a set of tires and a hub cap for loosing that race. I spun out less then a 1/4 mile before the end - Almost ended up a lake - My 327 was as fast if not faster but that Pontiac was just too heavy, tires too small and the suspension weak - If it were not for that I would have beat him - LOL

By 72, if I were still working at the mine, my 71 340 MAG Challenger Rally would have creamed him save for the 304 Javellin, Nissan Skyline GTR or Toyota Crown. My 1968 Volvo 2000B 123S was no slouch either. Put 500,000 miles on that car through everything that the north dished out. Probably my favorite car; however, the 74 Volvo GTL with it's mechanical FI was something else. Aside from my 2001 Jeep 4 Liter Sport I still have a 2.3 EFI 84 Volvo GTL in the parking lot ;o)

It was common knowledge that no one dare use the Moose Mountain Road at shift times.