Factory RGS 1000 Executive info and hello from California

drikko said:
It was linked in Reply 1 by the OP:-

ZLV world manufacturing identifier Z = italy, L = laverda.
(V may be for vicenza but i don't know offhand)

next 5 digits are motorcycle type, engine type, hp, model
M = motorcycle, V = 120, D = 1000, H = RGS (model), A = model variation

MVDGA is RGA
MVDHA is RGS
MVDDA is RGS Executive

9th digit is check digit, some weird formula NHTSA came up with
10th digit is year; A 1980, B 1981, C 1983
remainder is sequential production number (for that model)
Click to expand...

agree entirely, my Executive is MVDDA on the VIN Plate.......

Paul LeClair
 
Hi all! I know I said I wasn't going to head over to my folk's house for a few days but I just couldn't wait! Here are some updates:

-Vin tag says: MVDDA
-Stamping on the frame above the VIN tag says: 2295, which according to this register (http://www.laverdamania.net/registre120.htm) puts it as the 2nd RGS Executive made, which could coincide with the fact the VIN tag on the bike ends with "0002" and the fact my father remembers the seller telling him it was the 2nd Executive to ever be made (something along those lines, whether it was 2nd US bike or 2nd ever, he can't remember).
-The sticker on the rear fender states in both places "RGS 1000 Executive" as Mr. LeClair said in the earlier post.
-The mount on the rear peg plate is round and looks to be factory. It's the forward mount for the bag brackets
-Lastly, and this is by no means a scientific way of discovering if the bike in fact came in red from the factory as the dealer said it did, but maybe it's a little more proof he was speaking the truth: All of the bolts throughout the bike and around the fairings look to have never been touched. The threads are clean, the bolts are sans any nicks from tools and a few fairing bolts have grease (or something) smudges across the bolt heads and the bolt after they've been tightened that would further back up what my father was told by the dealer, that the fairings had never been off the bike since they were installed at the factory. Again, I know this isn't scientific, but other than being really dusty, the bike is severely unmolested. Thanks again for all the help. It's much appreciated!!  :)
The best part though? I haven't seen my father this pumped up about the motorcycles in years! So cool. I can't wait to start turning some wrenches with him!

Here are some photos.

Here's the fender sticker with the "RGS 1000 Executive"
FenderSticker_zps32ed35e0.jpg


Here's the "D" in the VIN and the hard numbers from the registry


Here's the rear peg/bag mount
PegMount_zpse6d7d1ec.jpg


 
Thanks guys, I'll be sure to register the bike! I just wanted to be sure I got to the bottom of what exactly my father has. Everything appears to checkout as far as it being a legitimate Executive (anyone else have any suggestions?), the only real head scratcher for me is the red bodywork. Somebody in the thread mentioned that because of the red seat, it supported the dealer's argument that it came from the factory as it sits, but I also know that if the dealer was fibbing and went through the trouble of converting it to red bodywork, that he'd likely change the seat as well. Hmm, I wish the bodywork was VIN'd to the bike. That would've been awesome!
Thanks all for the help. This has been a great learning experience!
 
You have an RGS Executive. That is now verified.
The RGS was available in red or silver (or black with the RGS Corsa).
I was sure from back in the day the Executive was also available in red but PLC insisted they only came in SILVER!!!!!!!
Is there any way to find out the colour on first registration?
 
Hi Grant

looks like you were right. Every other red "Executive" that has come up for sale so far has been determined to be an RGS with Executive add ons. This one clearly started life as a "real" Executive, it has silver wheels, with red bodywork. It also appears likely that it may have left the factory with red bodywork. This is the first red one I have seen confirmed as an Executive from actual identifiers. Cool!

Hi Justin

I bought my RGS Executive several years ago out of long term storage with around 1,000 original miles on it, re commissioned it, and have now been riding it for several years.

What now needs to be done, if the bike is going to be ridden, will depend on how the bike was prepped for its long term storage, and its storage conditions. Obviously new battery and tires/tubes, completely bleed through the hydraulics and then see if they will function, and the carbs will likely need some attention. The fork seals, fork oil, etc., etc.

Lots of helpful folks here, and everything that needs to be done with your dad's bike has been done by many of us many times before. There is no such thing as a stupid question, ask away!

For parts, various options, I think you will find Wolfgang Haerter very helpful and knowledgeable, as well as reasonable prices and quick shipping.  http://www.laverda.ca/  I would suggest you give him a call and ask him to put together the basics of what you will need to get the bike back on the road, if that is the plan.

concerning the VIN tag and the 00002, what that means is that this was the second RGS Executive imported into the U.S.A. for sale, not necessarily the second Executive built, although it also could have been, depending on its serial number assigned by Laverda. Where the bike is in the sequence of Laverda production is determined from the Laverda serial number as shown in your photo stamped into the frame neck just above the VIN tag. I can't tell from the photo whether the last digit is a 5 or a 6. As Chappo mentioned early in this thread, Jean Louis Olive has for a number of years been collecting and maintaining a world wide registry of Laverda serial numbers that is interesting to have a look at, it will show where any particular bike/serial number fits within the worldwide production.  http://www.laverdamania.net/menugb.htm

Paul LeClair
 
Grant said:
You have an RGS Executive. That is now verified.
The RGS was available in red or silver (or black with the RGS Corsa).
I was sure from back in the day the Executive was also available in red but PLC insisted they only came in red.
Is there any way to find out the colour on first registration?
Click to expand...

I phoned my father again and he's insistent it's the original bodywork since he said he covered every inch of the bike before buying it. He's the first registered owner and he said he looked at the bike in detail at least four times before buying it. Again, this isn't scientific, but all of the fairing bolts, fasteners, wiring looms etc. are unmolested, scraped. My father was asking if Roger Slater was still around or if I could track down the European importer for more info?
My apologies for typos, I'm replying from my phone.
Thanks all!
 
Hi Justin

Roger Slater is certainly still around. Retired, but still actively interested and involved in Laverda things, he comes to various Laverda events around North America, including Wolfgang Haerter's annual Laverda gathering in July in Nakusp, British Columbia, Canada.

I'll directly email you his personal contact info, based on my past experience's with him I am sure he would be happy to chat with you or your dad about the bike.

Paul LeClair
 
Paul LeClair said:
Hi Grant

looks like you were right. Every other red "Executive" that has come up for sale so far has been determined to be an RGS with Executive add ons. This one clearly started life as a "real" Executive, it has silver wheels, with red bodywork. It also appears likely that it may have left the factory with red bodywork. This is the first red one I have seen confirmed as an Executive from actual identifiers. Cool!

Hi Justin

I bought my RGS Executive several years ago out of long term storage with around 1,000 original miles on it, re commissioned it, and have now been riding it for several years.

What now needs to be done, if the bike is going to be ridden, will depend on how the bike was prepped for its long term storage, and its storage conditions. Obviously new battery and tires/tubes, completely bleed through the hydraulics and then see if they will function, and the carbs will likely need some attention. The fork seals, fork oil, etc., etc.

Lots of helpful folks here, and everything that needs to be done with your dad's bike has been done by many of us many times before. There is no such thing as a stupid question, ask away!

For parts, various options, I think you will find Wolfgang Haerter very helpful and knowledgeable, as well as reasonable prices and quick shipping.  http://www.laverda.ca/  I would suggest you give him a call and ask him to put together the basics of what you will need to get the bike back on the road, if that is the plan.

concerning the VIN tag and the 00002, what that means is that this was the second RGS Executive imported into the U.S.A. for sale, not necessarily the second Executive built, although it also could have been, depending on its serial number assigned by Laverda. Where the bike is in the sequence of Laverda production is determined from the Laverda serial number as shown in your photo stamped into the frame neck just above the VIN tag. I can't tell from the photo whether the last digit is a 5 or a 6. As Chappo mentioned early in this thread, Jean Louis Olive has for a number of years been collecting and maintaining a world wide registry of Laverda serial numbers that is interesting to have a look at, it will show where any particular bike/serial number fits within the worldwide production.  http://www.laverdamania.net/menugb.htm

Paul LeClair
Click to expand...

Paul-

Thanks for all the tips and info, I really appreciate it! I will certainly follow up and register the bike as well as start looking for some parts to bring it back to life. Thanks a ton for Mr. Slater's info, that would be a HUGE help. My father remembers going to his shop in Kenwood (I think that's what he remembers) several times.
As for your example, wow, how cool! Only 1000 miles, that's awesome! How is it on the road? I bet the motor sounds oh so sweet! I can't wait to get it back on the road. I don't plan on riding it much, but just enough to keep it "oiled up!"
As for the people who might remember the specifics about the Executives that were imported, do you think that Mr. Slater would be my best bet or is there someone across the pond that might be of some help as well?

Thanks again for all the help! This forum was such a great find!
 
Hi Justin

I just chatted on the phone with Wolfgang Haerter about the Laverda's that came into North America, and I just called Roger Slater and had a nice chat with his lovely wife Evelyn. Apparently Roger is out on a motorcycle ride with a few of his mates, he'll call me when he gets back later today.

I'll send you another pm off list with Roger's phone number.

Hi Grant

Wolfgang's take on this as I understood him in our chat is that the Laverda factory and distributors/dealer's found the RGS/RGA/Corsa/Executive so hard to sell at the very very high price point that they would do just about anything to get a bike sold, so while a Laverda Executive as designed and intended by Laverda was silver, as a Corsa designed and intended by Laverda was black, and an RGS as designed and intended by Laverda was red, that by the time they got to the distributor/dealer level apparently anything could happen, and it was apparently also possible for a distributor/dealer to special order any colour as well from the factory.

So, this bike could have left the factory as silver, or the distributor could have swapped the bodywork before it got to the selling dealer, or the dealer could have swapped the bodywork, or on special order the bike could have left the factory as red, or even black, or any other colour, apparently possibly......... Keep in mind that in North America at least, an RGS Executive or Corsa, or even the RGS/RGA were double to triple (the Executive, roughly triple) the price of a Japanese superbike of the time. I am as a good an example as any other of motorcycle buyers during that period. During that time period in the late 70's, early 80's, when the Laverda triples were on sale brand new  local to me, I lusted after them but what I actually bought was  brand new Kawasaki 1000's for a third the price, even the Benelli 900 Sei I eventually acquired used when it was only a few years old  was way outside of my financial ability to acquire when new, and the Benelli was fractionally cheaper new than any Laverda triple.

I am not nearly as hung up about colour as you seem to think, what has set me off in the past is folks trying to get a bigger buck from their RGS by hanging one or more Executive bits off it, then claiming it in advertising as "authentic very low numbers produced Executive model", just as there have been many SFC 750 fakes, or now even "Jota" fakes..... In the case of Justin's dad's bike, this clearly left the factory as an Executive model, whatever colour it may or may not have been when built. Have to admire Justin's dad's for buying these various bikes he has apparently accumulated and preserved, would be nice to see some of them come back out into use as it sounds may now be happening!

Paul LeClair
 
Hey Paul-

Thanks for all the legwork. This is GREAT info! Sorry to trouble you! I'll definitely be contacting Mr. Slater in the near future to pick his brain and see if he remembers my father's particular bike. For reference, if you speak with Mr. Slater, the dealer that got the bike new was in the Bay Area, I believe in Palo Alto. It was a small dealer and a gentleman in his late 20s owned it. Apparently he had trouble selling it, so he saddled up and rode to Texas and back on it (it wasn't registered, just a dealer plate) and after he made it home, he put it back up for sale and my father bought it with 5000 miles on it, but was the first technical owner.
When my father gets back, he's going to dig through all of his paperwork and see what else he can dig up beyond the original "For Sale" sticker that was on the windshield.

Thanks again for all the help. This is great info and hopefully a little more light onto the whole Laverda RGS mystique!
 
no issues, Justin, glad to try and be of help.

my 30 year old son and 32 year old daughter are not remotely interested in my old bikes, or even my modern bikes, but my 21 year old son is at least partially interested, good to see you stepping up to give your dad a hand with his collection.

with the "Executive" debate I am sure you have figured out you have stepped into a long standing debate. When I asked Piero Laverda face to face in 2005 about the Executive sub model, his answer certainly was clear to me that he was not personally aware of any Executive models having left the Laverda factory in anything but silver, and very few Executives in total at that.... rare enough that he didn't have one in his personal extensive Laverda collection.

whatever colour it left the factory in, and personally I don`t think it really matters as it clearly is a factory produced Executive based on its identifiers, they are a very useable classic, you could still go coast to coast at high speed in great comfort on one even now. Lots of ways to "improve" their manners as well, firstly usually an ignition replacement to modern digital ignition, probably the biggest single improvement available, smooths out the engine, great starting, lots of tuneability. The brakes can be upgraded considerably, suspension improved, better and flat slides carbs, on and on, carbon fiber parts, the sky's the limit, (all of which my personal Executive now has, plus increased displacement, high compression, better exhaust, etc., etc.) or you can leave it alone, and enjoy it ``as ?s` with just proper basic re commissioning.

the Laverda`s just do not have the same public awareness that something like an old bevel drive Ducati does, for example, and the values of the Laverda`s overall have a lot of catching up to do in relation to something like the values of the bevel Ducati`s. Benelli`s to some degree have some of the same issues that Laverda`s do in the market place, most folks think a Benelli is a fire arm, if they have heard the name at all. Laverda is better known to the public for farm equipment than motorcycles....

Paul LeClair
 
My RGS Corsa has been updated with Suzuki GSXR wheels and discs, 4 piston Brembos, Maxton fork conversion and YSS shocks.
I think these mods are more important than changing ignition system or carbs.
The reason some folk want to change the ignition is due to an unsubtle advance curve, but this can be mitigated by careful set up of ignition timing and trigger gaps.
Or, of course keep it completely standard and use it for what it is clearly capable of.

 
Thanks again for all the info, seriously, this has been awesome! I look forward to speaking with you Paul and then Roger Slater. Hopefully he can help fill in the gaps as far as specifics on my father's bike. I was checking out the registry and bike number 2294 appears to be the first bike in 1984, but it ended up in Australia. My dad's bike is #2295. I wonder where in the order of the 15 US Executives my father's falls? Funny how one frame number newer (2294) and one older (2296) on the registry both ended up in Australia, but my father's ended up here in the US.
Retracing the history of these bikes has been fun!
Grant, your Corsa is wicked! I'd love to have one, but I bet they're super rare!
 
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