Formula 1995 650

Each to their own.  I think these are the best looking of the Zane bikes in the flesh.  I would lose the foam grips though and put them back on a 180 Jota where they belong 😉. 

This bike has the best suspension and brakes fitted to any Laverda, ever.  Btw Adam - these forks were offered as optional upgrades on 750s when new 🙂.  I know it was just the Factory trying to shift bikes by throwing in some old stock forks, but they are better.  The only reason Laverda switched to Paioli was because WP refused to supply any more forks.  (Credit risk - good call!) So this means it is the best handling Laverda ever too - might be interesting to someone?  Depends what you want to do with it - did you not ride one happily on the Island?

Grenade comment is fun.  Reliability is not really the reason to buy Laverdas I think.  Maybe Hondas?
I look forward to resuming this banter down the pub when your 750 makes it there.  If the end doesn?t snap off your crank first of course.  Or your water pump fails.  🙂🙂🙂

Cheers, Ian
 
Limited reliabilty is one thing, predictable termination another...

The question isn't "if?", it is "when?" 

What's the use of a perfect chassis if the cylinder head is fucked?  Replacement/repair far outweighs market value of the entire bike.  I've repaired a lifetimes' worth of knackered Zane heads and cranks in the past 10 years, quite glad when they all end up in exhibition show cases and museums.

piet
 
Rider668 said:
  Reliability is not really the reason to buy Laverdas I think. 
  🙂🙂🙂

Cheers, Ian
Click to expand...

Of course it is.
Reliability on a par with a 2 valve Guzzi .

A bike that always starts on the push of the button, needs minimal maintenance and does all you expect of it.
For decades.
And looks good.

Paul
 
Hi Piet,
I think the first 650 Formula you ever saw was one of mine - when you fixed it for me!  It was 1997 and Uwe Witt went for a ride on it, as there were none in Germany at the time.

I?m into riding them not collecting them so I actually want them to be cheap; you could buy 10 spare ones for the price of a Jota or SFC750 (I think we know someone that did just that).  Excellent.
As a mechanic I understand you have indeed seen a lot of knackered ones, but my experience as an owner is different.  They are cheap to buy and fun to ride.  I still own two and if (or as you say when) one were to die I would easily fix it - I have a spare engine which cost me ?200! 

Keep riding the Laverdas,
Ian
 
Rider668 said:
Hi Piet,
I think the first 650 Formula you ever saw was one of mine - when you fixed it for me!  It was 1997 and Uwe Witt went for a ride on it, as there were none in Germany at the time.

I?m into riding them not collecting them so I actually want them to be cheap; you could buy 10 spare ones for the price of a Jota or SFC750 (I think we know someone that did just that).  Excellent.
As a mechanic I understand you have indeed seen a lot of knackered ones, but my experience as an owner is different.  They are cheap to buy and fun to ride.  I still own two and if (or as you say when) one were to die I would easily fix it - I have a spare engine which cost me ?200! 

Keep riding the Laverdas,
Ian
Click to expand...

You mean the one with the missing engine bolt?  Had to bodge that to get you going again.

We actually got one of the pre-production bikes for evaluation, chassis # 1009 iIrc.  Each of the M-W staff had a proper bash on it, culminating in a day at the N?rburgring.  We sent the bike back, knackered and leaking, with a 2 pages long to-do and wish list.  We were not impressed.

Next time I came across one was in the UK, at a Baskersville ILOC gathering.  On the ride-out, the guy in front of me crashed the 650 (first in UK, also pre-production?) because a clip-on bracket had fractured, the same fault we had seen on numerous 1000SFC before.  The only lasting impression that bike made is the scar on my finger from the repair attempt of the gearchange lever at the roadside.

Uwe wasn't interested importing them, he didn't see much of a future for the bikes or the company.  Took a while until Roland M?rz started importing them, but he quickly passed that on to Stein-Dinse.

piet
 
Yes Piet - that?s the one!  You really rescued me as the other bolts were on their way too and I was a long way from home.

I was being rather specific about the bike  given what this thread is about (Love the Big End - you can?t make that up) as this was the first 650 Formula (in C spec too - matters to some of us) Uwe had seen.  The other bikes you refer to are much earlier 650s - I remember seeing the crashed 650 too, nice metallic paint job! That was a Breganze built bike made by Zanini group in 1992.  The visit to Witts was in 1997 and I think (but don?t know) that all the 650 Formulas were built in 1995.  So there had been plenty of time for Laverda to have improved and fixed everything!

But of course we know that didn?t happen, and sadly they introduced even more faults (including the notorious big ends) in the meantime.  Which on a positive note makes these bikes rare🙂

Who will have the last one running?

Cheers,
Ian
 
me. I regularely bring my Formula to OCT for inspection and Service. Runs sweet, but have only covered 5.000 km since I bought it roughly 12 years ago... Not because its not reliable, it is just I am to fat for the bike...

I understand Piet's point of view, as he sees the built quality of them, which is - concerning engine and electrics - not top. Once the issues are fixed, at least my bike is pure fun to ride! Never rode an easier handling bike...

To concur Piet's statement above: what is the sense of a reliable engine when there is no power and the original suspension setup and brakes are crap? See how many Breganzes get modified to make them ridable... I had the direct comparison between a 1000 SFC in original trim and my bike and I wasn't impressed by the original anymore, too...  ::)

Same when I rode a 120 Jota in original trim first time...

Same when I rode my 750 SF after the restoration. The engine was sweet running (though not powerfull really...), handling was OK, Suspension was crap and the brakes, too. To get it close to my expectations, I would have had to modify almost every single part of the bike. That was when I decided to sell it.

So - are the Breganzes perfect? Not in my eyes. Are the Zanes? not at all. Can you have fun with both when the issues are fixed and the bikes is modified to suite you? Damned, yes!

My 2 cents.
 
Love where you are coming from 🙂 - but no, it is unlikely to be you as you don?t yet own a 650 Formula!

You can have the last 750S Formula, and I will have the last 650 Formula 🙂
 
might not even be that way... my youngest is currently taking his bike license lessons and does want to own the Formula one day... still my heritage then, but not me anymore...  ;)
 
Yes i did enjoy the ride around some of the circuit on Andys 668 Formula  ;) - it was easier for me to ride on the day for some reason than the 750 just needed to keep it revving  - reading that ad just had all the red flags - that the dialogue has come up with over the time since that day in Andy's Chapel of rest  - and i agree WP stuff  has a much better recommendation than Paoli - definitely a monetary move like the going to the trellis frame - i saw these sorts of decisions in Harvesting machines with DCA and the continual march to higher profits !

I really hope the Formula stays together - just the 100 miles apart my sore arse it does really handle nicely - looking also forward to a meet with all the Zane bikes we have around us in the Lampet catchment area

Have made a few notes in the LVV to come  8)         
 
Rider668 said:
This bike has the best suspension and brakes fitted to any Laverda, ever.  Btw Adam - these forks were offered as optional upgrades on 750s when new 🙂.  I know it was just the Factory trying to shift bikes by throwing in some old stock forks, but they are better.  The only reason Laverda switched to Paioli was because WP refused to supply any more forks.  (Credit risk - good call!) So this means it is the best handling Laverda ever too - might be interesting to someone?  Depends what you want to do with it - did you not ride one happily on the Island?

Grenade comment is fun.  Reliability is not really the reason to buy Laverdas I think.  Maybe Hondas?
I look forward to resuming this banter down the pub when your 750 makes it there.  If the end doesn?t snap off your crank first of course.  Or your water pump fails.  🙂🙂🙂

Cheers, Ian
Click to expand...

Yes! The later WP suspension on the 650 Formula is even better valved I believe....

Ah yes! 750 problems.....I can hear the gentle hissing of steam from the split water bottle.....

Alistair
 
Rider668 said:
Love where you are coming from 🙂 - but no, it is unlikely to be you as you don?t yet own a 650 Formula!

You can have the last 750S Formula, and I will have the last 650 Formula 🙂
Click to expand...

.....or I?ll have the last running 650 Formula.... :P over 33,000kms, and it?s been off the road for a decade.......

It is running well......so far, MOT soon once I?ve got the tyres and chain sprockets on and put the bodywork back together......

Alistair
 
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