Any First Owners Out There?

[mauricejota7604]

Once out of Europe and into Iran, yes, we used the spare fuel tank. At the time it was a complete unknown on what lay ahead, not only fuel supply but the political situation. We arrived in Tehran 3 weeks after the American Embassy was seized. The goat tracks in the Turkish mountains severely reduced the tread on the rear tyre so with the help of a friendly carpet seller we eventually purchased a dirt tyre as a just in case. The desert in central Iran started off with a fantastic American built Highway that fairly soon was blocked off with piles of sand, the Americans along with many other expats had left the country. The track was pretty dire all the way into Baluchistan and finally to Zahadan................Did we use the spare tank again, no, not for fuel anyway, just a luggage rack 

What a great trip and story do you have any photos you could share?

 

[piranha-bro2]

Bloody hell! if the film based on the US Embassy staff getting away with their lives is anything to go by, I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere near Tehran at that time! Some pics and anecdotes would be wunderbar.

 

[Vince]

When I was appox 17 the overland route from England to Oz was open for a couple of years, and then The Shar of Iran was deposed and The Ayatollah Khomeini was installed I think the Soviets engaged in Afganistan and that ended that.

 

[dave48]

I bought my 78 Jarama new. Its not my primary bike but I still ride it a few times a year.

 

[breganzane]

My Dad bought my RGA basically new.  It was bought from one of the Eurotred sales guys who had been given it as a bonus by the company - presumably unsold stock!    It had 480km on it.

 

[Richard]

Okay, another dinosaur coming back out of the retirement home. 
October 21, 1977, Pomona California. The day after Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.  23 year old Richard Wiesner at Rickey Racer.
Proud owner about to ride back to Minnesota.
I still have the bike in the waiting room at my office.

 

[orionengnr]

A bit envious of you lot. Just a bit.

Started riding in 1969 at age 12, first bike was given to me (thrashed Jawa 175). Second bike was bought with paper-route money, a $150 Suzuki TS90.
Nearly every bike for the next 25 years was bought wrecked or blown up, and re-built by me a bit at a time, as money became available.

My first "really nice" bike was a 1980 Honda CB750F Super Sport, bought in 1980 for $2000 with 4k miles.

First brand new bike was a GL1800 in 2003. It's replacement, a 2008 GL1800, bought in 2009, is the last brand new bike I have bought.

That is two new bikes out of a total of 95 bikes I have owned. I hope to break 100 before I check out, but as far as buying any more new bikes, rather doubtful.

But that is okay...I never would have been able to experience all of the bikes I have if I had insisted on buying new.

Just bought my first Laverda earlier this year, 74 SFC in a million pieces, taken apart in 2000 or so. I hope to get it back together, but a long way to go.

Good news is I have several other bikes to enjoy in the mean time...
 

 

[mauricejota7604]

Okay, another dinosaur coming back out of the retirement home. 
October 21, 1977, Pomona California. The day after Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.  23 year old Richard Wiesner at Rickey Racer.
Proud owner about to ride back to Minnesota.
I still have the bike in the waiting room at my office.

Shpw us the bike now Richard 

 

[BlackJota]

It was Easter '79 when my dad and I left Adelaide "2 up" on my Yamaha XS 500C to travel to the annual Bathurst Easter bike races, then onto Sydney for a couple of days. That's when I saw a Brand New "78 Jota on the showroom floor of "Scott's Motorcycles Sydney". Had been a dream to own one. Between Dad and I we had $20.00 to put down as a deposit..See attached original receipt.. After depleting all my savings as a 4th year apprentice, and getting some bank finance organized the bike was put on a train in Sydney and shipped to Adelaide. We rode the Yamaha back via the Aussie South/East coast. There were no Laverda dealers in South Australia so I was on my own to service it and maintain it. Rode it for 10 years in and around the Adelaide hills, then onto  Queensland for the last 31 years.  Anyway, 41 years and 93000k's later we are both still together and doing Ok. The rest as they say is history

 

[3CBRG]

I bought same bike, same year, same dealer! Number 6263. Did your bike come with sticker on the tank?
Mine was not attached. Had to track it, and the Jota pipes down from Eade's.

 

[T.C]

Great story Barry, very nice work indeed  (bigthumb)

 

[Tippie]

Great story. Not many black Jotas around. I only ever saw a couple, one of them sat for ages at the Laverda workshop I worked at in Brisbane waiting for crash repair in 1981/2.

 

[BlackJota]

I bought same bike, same year, same dealer! Number 6263. Did your bike come with sticker on the tank?
Mine was not attached. Had to track it, and the Jota pipes down from Eade's.

Yes the Jota stickers were the tank when I bought it. I also had to get the Jota pipes sent from Eade's later.
Still have the original pipes wrapped in grease cloth.

 

[Exmoor beast]

I love the idea that people stick with a bike from new- it becomes a relationship. Bought my 1000s when I was 24 ,young and single - 28 years later , been all over Europe, IOM, back to the factory, fallen off got back on and still ride most weeks.
A salesman asked how much would I sell it for- not for sale- you?d sell it if the price was right- no, it?s not for sale and so on & so on. I said to him you wouldn?t sell your dog would you- he replied yes, for enough money- well your a  c@nt then, and rode off.

 

[Rusty Spokes]

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...mid 1970s. My Laverda 1974 1000 and I campaigned around the club races on the east coast USA. My daily driver was a R75/5. The Laverda was a bit too loud for every day commuting but was insured and licensed. On weekends I would gently ride the Laverda out of the city to "road test" gearing, tuning and tires then blast around the county roads.

Kept the bike in storage for decades as a companion and returned it to ride-able street trim in 2005. Got the longest distance ridden award at the Laverda Rally in 2008 from Piero. A truly great machine!

But I must confess I was not always faithful. I did ride a Ducati 750SS Imola replica in some endurance events too. The Ducati privateer team back in the 70s. I am the tall fellow with the beard in the middle. One of the trio of riders for the long events. From L to R. Rick, Jack, myself, "Radar" (a technical savant) and "Condor" the race manager.

My BMW R75/5.