I saw this bike at Stoneleigh a few years back. I posted some pictures on Skydrive (link below inc's a couple of Bob Dixon's 600 racer)
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=F64EDF0F3E16C834!769
This article is somewhere on the net.
Nick
CND LAVERDA
ENGINE
Lightened & balanced crank using 3C centre main shaft crank pins phased at 270۫
Specially commissioned forged slipper pistons in Alloy/Nikasil liners within a modified barrel.
Gasflowed cylinder head with re-chamfered combustion chambers and 7C profile cams remodified for 270۫ operation with Vernier adjustment with chain wheel.
Heavily modified Mikuni flat slide carbs on a special inlet manifold.
Modified gear cluster using 750SF + 3C gears to improve ratios with lightened selector barrel.
High capacity oil pump.
Specially commissioned Boyer ignition system Dyna high duty ignition coils.
Remachined enigine mounting points and top mounting plates.
CYCLE PARTS
Lightweight frame using CD53 cold drawn tube where possible. Main spine 101.6? 16 SWGERN. Swinging arm 50 x 25 1.6 heavily braced & boxed. All nickel-plated.
Modified spondon forks. Specially commissioned Maxton rear units. LM25TF castings for engine mounting/swing arm pickup. Special yokes & stem. Dymag wheels with specific hub detail. Brembo brakes throughout. Stainless brake fittings throughout.. Wiring harness designed and made using aviation quality materials. Specially made control cables.
Front mudguard, tail unit and seat boxes designed, tools made and manufactured in glass/polyester.
Rear guard/battery carrier designed, tools made ans manufactured in pre-preg carbon with 3mm Nomex honeycomb core.
Fuel tank designed, tools made and manufactured in 16SWG aluminium alloy. All tank fittings specially produced for machine.
All fasteners and spindles in 304 or 316 stainless steel.
ITALIAN STALLION
Story & Interview By Linda Wilsmore of Ace Cafe London
As is usually the case, something unexpected will turn up at the Ace, and on this occasion it was the 10th annual Italian Day. This event never fails to attract exotic machinery both old and new, and IMOC (Italian Motorcycle Owners Club) members turned out in force.
I was not to be disappointed, nestling among the myriad of Italian marques, stood a stunning ?one-off? CND Laverda Cafe Racer, so I set off in search of the owner, who seemed quite unaware of the increasing ripple of interest that his bike was attracting. Paul Sharman explained the story behind its build and his acquisition.
?Being interested in Laverda?s since reading a magazine article in 1979 which road tested a 1200 Anniversary, I was smitten. A visit to the dealer who had supplied the bike for the article, a part exchange and a rather large debt later, I rode through London traffic towards home. That was a serious eye-opener in the ways of Italian engineering. Everything seemed tight, the steering felt heavy. The clutch, even with hydraulic operation was somewhat of a ?Charles Atlas? operation, but once clear of traffic I began to realise that it all made sense, by the time I was home the grin was permanently etched on my face and there it stayed until family and house came along?.
?Roll forward twenty five years, and after owning a string of bikes, Laverda?s beckoned again. Firstly, a 120? Jota, which I rode around the coast of Great Britain, then a Palmelli SFC, a dream to own and ride, then one day an item on Ebay caught my eye, a CND Laverda. The starting bid was rather unrealistic due to its condition, a non-runner and the total obscurity of the name CND ? who the heck were they? Having no knowledge of such a bike, this was fascinating, and further searches on the internet revealed no further information. I plucked up the courage to contact the seller, and he was only too pleased to give me a viewing. At this point it was of only personal interest to discover an unknown Laverda, to see it in the flesh was a must?.
The visit revealed a rather unloved machine that had sat for eight years, but even in its sorry state, my first impression was that it was a beautiful thing. As we discussed the merits of the bike over a cup of tea, an idea began to form. What if the bike was loaned to me to enable the requisite tender loving care, so that it could at least be shown to the public. As the owner lived abroad, no decision could be made except that the bike?s guardian would arrange to bring it along to a Laverda Meet as a static display, where its engineering and style could be appreciated?.
?I volunteered to help out. On the day, the weather was variable which probably put a few off from attending, however the overall reaction was good with some interesting views in respect of the engineering design. Several weeks later, a phone call confirmed our earlier discussions that the owner would allow me to renovate the bike and attend various shows for a fixed period, whereupon if the bike had not sold it had to be returned?.
?The bike was delivered to my home with a view to a full engineering appraisal prior to starting the engine or returning the bike to the road. On the whole the inspection was favourable, my biggest headache being the sourcing of a new battery. The original was a Buell Lightning battery that was no longer available, as that particular size had been superseded . This created a problem as the bike had very limited space for a substitute. A redesign of the battery mounting was required to allow fitment of a more readily available unit?.
?Having been sat for eight years, it was also prudent to change the tyres. New battery, engine assessed as satisfactory, new oil, filter cleaned and inspected?would it start? The simple answer was NO! ? due to the keyless ignition requiring a new battery?.
?During the aforementioned, there was a call from the owner, goading me to speed things up as he was now anxious to sell it. Two weeks later I became the proud owner. Now the real work would begin, could I actually get this bike back on the road??
?At this point I was lucky enough to contact Bruce Hazelgrove of CND, whose company, a small design/prototyping consultancy, had been appointed to design and build this retro styled cafe racer, utilising modern running gear with the possibility of a limited production run. The initial bike was completed and tested, but the project was shelved?.
?I believe it was ten years ahead of its time, as the retro styling has only recently become fashionable, with the likes of Ducati, Harley-Davidson and others producing such bikes. Bruce enabled me to fill in some of the missing history and technical information, especially in respect of the electronics. The keyless ignition was an area of which I had some concerns, but as soon as Bruce talked me through the system, I was at last able to realise that my efforts in the last few weeks, with the beast bellowing on only one cylinder, had revealed what eight years of the UK?s finest unleaded can do. The heavy varnish deposits took considerable effort to remove, but it certainly proved worth it. The 90 degree engine sounded like no ordinary Laverda, but with a sound reminiscent of an early Bevel Ducati?.
? The moment arrived to hit the road, and put simply, the engine is tremendous. The characteristics are impressive with the punch out of corners truly superb. In any gear/speed, the torque is there, making it very easy to ride. The suspension set up is interesting as it is in keeping with the retro look, with Koni/Maxton twin shocks at the rear, and Spondon conventional forks at the front?.
?Its handling is much more 90s than its looks suggest. Brembo brakes all round give plenty of feel and stopping power for something that weighs only 160kg with 80 bhp on tap. This bike was designed with a simple purpose ? getting to and around corners as quickly as possible with the minimum of effort?.
