Anyone recall this Laverda

Laverda probably enjoyed a higher profile here in the UK amongst the great unwashed than in some other countries ........

Personal experience of this ....... ( in the `nineties ) ...... middle aged car drivers in a seaside car park who knew all about "special cams and exhausts " ; a young guy in a car explaining to his parents what a Jota was ( I was on a Mirage , but I didn`t mind ) .......a young woman in another seaside resort in Cornwall ( not a bike rider ) , who knew exactly what a Jota was .....

More recently ( within the last ten years ) , a postman delivering mail in his van who stopped when he saw the Mirage , and again had heard of the Jota ......A bloke repairing a cottage roof who climbed down his ladder and walked over when he spotted the Mirage , and again , although not a rider , knew all about Slaters and the Jota ......

Plus countless other similar encounters with car drivers at traffic lights , filling stations and so on ( including relatively recently ) ....... all these people were familiar with , or had heard of Laverda motorcycles ...... as I said , this is something which probably applies more so here in the UK , rather than in other countries ...... the memories linger on , even , suprisingly , amongst non- riders ........

BTW ... If Aprillia had put the 1000 V-2 into production , would owners have had to put up with " yeah , that`s just a `priller copy mate " comments , in the same way that SF owners had to put up with " yeah , that`s just a Honda copy mate " in the past ? ........ :) .........
 
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rocketonarail said:
Laverda probably enjoyed a higher profile here in the UK amongst the great unwashed than in some other countries ........

Personal experience of this ....... ( in the `nineties ) ...... middle aged car drivers in a seaside car park who knew all about "special cams and exhausts " ; a young guy in a car explaining to his parents what a Jota was ( I was on a Mirage , but I didn`t mind ) .......a young woman in another seaside resort in Cornwall ( not a bike rider ) , who knew exactly what a Jota was .....

More recently ( within the last ten years ) , a postman delivering mail in his van who stopped when he saw the Mirage , and again had heard of the Jota ......A bloke repairing a cottage roof who climbed down his ladder and walked over when he spotted the Mirage , and again , although not a rider , knew all about Slaters and the Jota ......

Plus countless other similar encounters with car drivers at traffic lights , filling stations and so on ( including relatively recently ) ....... all these people were familiar with , or had heard of Laverda motorcycles ...... as I said , this is something which probably applies more so here in the UK , rather than in other countries ...... the memories linger on , even , suprisingly , amongst non- riders ........

BTW ... If Aprillia had put the 1000 V-2 into production , would owners have had to put up with " yeah , that`s just a `priller copy mate " comments , in the same way that SF owners had to put up with " yeah , that`s just a Honda copy mate " in the past ? ........ :) .........
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rocketonarail said:
Laverda probably enjoyed a higher profile here in the UK amongst the great unwashed than in some other countries ........

Personal experience of this ....... ( in the `nineties ) ...... middle aged car drivers in a seaside car park who knew all about "special cams and exhausts " ; a young guy in a car explaining to his parents what a Jota was ( I was on a Mirage , but I didn`t mind ) .......a young woman in another seaside resort in Cornwall ( not a bike rider ) , who knew exactly what a Jota was .....

More recently ( within the last ten years ) , a postman delivering mail in his van who stopped when he saw the Mirage , and again had heard of the Jota ......A bloke repairing a cottage roof who climbed down his ladder and walked over when he spotted the Mirage , and again , although not a rider , knew all about Slaters and the Jota ......

Plus countless other similar encounters with car drivers at traffic lights , filling stations and so on ( including relatively recently ) ....... all these people were familiar with , or had heard of Laverda motorcycles ...... as I said , this is something which probably applies more so here in the UK , rather than in other countries ...... the memories linger on , even , suprisingly , amongst non- riders ........

BTW ... If Aprillia had put the 1000 V-2 into production , would owners have had to put up with " yeah , that`s just a `priller copy mate " comments , in the same way that SF owners had to put up with " yeah , that`s just a Honda copy mate " in the past ? ........ :) .........
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The British indeed have a special place for old metal.

Paul
 
There is a lad, must be 26/28 in the local garden centre/multi outlet site (not shop) that always says, when I arrive on TOG, "My dad used to have one of those, his was a 1340 Jota 1200 America with turbo", yeah right oh, the thing is whenever he sees me, maybe twice a year I get the same, and its always as though its the first meeting. He is cackhanded and not even any real use collecting the shopping trolleys! must be on mimium wage less 30%, but hey ho! at least he is working and earning, not sponging.
CLEM
 
CLEMTOG said:
There is a lad, must be 26/28 in the local garden centre/multi outlet site (not shop) that always says, when I arrive on TOG, "My dad used to have one of those, his was a 1340 Jota 1200 America with turbo", yeah right oh, the thing is whenever he sees me, maybe twice a year I get the same, and its always as though its the first meeting. He is cackhanded and not even any real use collecting the shopping trolleys! must be on mimium wage less 30%, but hey ho! at least he is working and earning, not sponging.
CLEM
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..... and he`s heard of Laverdas , so that can`t be bad ! .....

Early on , around `69/`70 , Slater Bros used to post a little block advert in the motorcycling press , only about a couple inches square , black background with the words ..... " Whoever hearda Laverda " ,,,,, and that was it , nothing else ....... The answer would be really not that many at all back then , although the scooter and 200 twin were brought in small numbers in the early `60`s , I believe , although not sure by whom .......

I keep expecting to come across those little ads when I`m looking through the old papers , but haven`t yet ........ sure I didn`t dream it ........
 
CLEMTOG said:
There is a lad, must be 26/28 in the local garden centre/multi outlet site (not shop) that always says, when I arrive on TOG, "My dad used to have one of those, his was a 1340 Jota 1200 America with turbo", yeah right oh, the thing is whenever he sees me, maybe twice a year I get the same, and its always as though its the first meeting. He is cackhanded and not even any real use collecting the shopping trolleys! must be on mimium wage less 30%, but hey ho! at least he is working and earning, not sponging.
CLEM
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Maybe his dad built that purple turbo Lav triple 😂, now sells exhausts etc.
 
rocketonarail said:
Laverda probably enjoyed a higher profile here in the UK amongst the great unwashed than in some other countries ........

Personal experience of this ....... ( in the `nineties ) ...... middle aged car drivers in a seaside car park who knew all about "special cams and exhausts " ; a young guy in a car explaining to his parents what a Jota was ( I was on a Mirage , but I didn`t mind ) .......a young woman in another seaside resort in Cornwall ( not a bike rider ) , who knew exactly what a Jota was .....

More recently ( within the last ten years ) , a postman delivering mail in his van who stopped when he saw the Mirage , and again had heard of the Jota ......A bloke repairing a cottage roof who climbed down his ladder and walked over when he spotted the Mirage , and again , although not a rider , knew all about Slaters and the Jota ......

Plus countless other similar encounters with car drivers at traffic lights , filling stations and so on ( including relatively recently ) ....... all these people were familiar with , or had heard of Laverda motorcycles ...... as I said , this is something which probably applies more so here in the UK , rather than in other countries ...... the memories linger on , even , suprisingly , amongst non- riders ........

BTW ... If Aprillia had put the 1000 V-2 into production , would owners have had to put up with " yeah , that`s just a `priller copy mate " comments , in the same way that SF owners had to put up with " yeah , that`s just a Honda copy mate " in the past ? ........ :) .........
Click to expand...
When I first started riding my GT around, people (always in a auto) would ask me what the bike was. Typical exchange: What kinda bike is that? Laverda. A what? Laverda. Who makes it? Laverda. The light changes and we go. Most cycle riders have similar exchanges.
 
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