Frame numbers,

Exado

Junior member
Location
Kent
I am thinking of buying a 1977 Alpino to join my Monty. The frame number is 28120 and the engine number is 1273.
Can anyone think why this should be so far out? any pearls of wisdom would be appreciated. TIA
 
First of all, i do not think they build so many 500's that a standard number range (starting at the usual 1000) would make up for 27.120 model 500 being sold. i may well be wrong though. I would assume there is a typo in the frame number and it is maybe 2812 instead of 28120.

then the next thing is an obvious and most likely one: the engine has been exchanged due to a major failure of the original one.
 
First of all, i do not think they build so many 500's that a standard number range (starting at the usual 1000) would make up for 27.120 model 500 being sold. i may well be wrong though. I would assume there is a typo in the frame number and it is maybe 2812 instead of 28120.

then the next thing is an obvious and most likely one: the engine has been exchanged due to a major failure of the original one.
Thank you, I am sure the frame numbers didn't go this high but I have checked the frame number and 28120 is definitly the number showing.
I thought maybe the frame had been damaged sometime and a replacement frame had been supplied!!
 
28120 is not a Laverda 500 frame number, in fact it's not a Laverda frame number.
Engine has been changed if that number is anywhere near the frame number. 1273 would be a non balancer engine.

Paul
 
definetely not a laverda frame number and if a replacement frame had been supplied, there would only be enough space for the four digits that it will have, between the stars, they would have been blank, the number should be LAV.500*????* with number digits between the stars. Engine numbers on 500's that have been changed are usually easy to spot, the number is on a sqaure sunken section of casting, it would be more difficult to change because of the ridge that is all around the number, they get changed on other Lavs as well, and are more easy to do, but usually you can still spot because of the unusual font that Laverda used on some of the digits, not saying publicly which ones.
CLEM
 
definetely not a laverda frame number and if a replacement frame had been supplied, there would only be enough space for the four digits that it will have, between the stars, they would have been blank, the number should be LAV.500*????* with number digits between the stars. Engine numbers on 500's that have been changed are usually easy to spot, the number is on a sqaure sunken section of casting, it would be more difficult to change because of the ridge that is all around the number, they get changed on other Lavs as well, and are more easy to do, but usually you can still spot because of the unusual font that Laverda used on some of the digits, not saying publicly which ones.
CLEM
 

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The engine # is consistent with an early Alpino but the date of the frame is anybody’s guess. Is this a UK or imported bike?
I am also curious why the numbers are missing from the homologation stamping. Surely they would have been included even if the frame was supplied as a replacement? I am aware that Slaters imported bare frames with no chassis # but I thought they had a complete homologation stamp.
However, if the homologation stamping had been complete I would have been more inclined to question whether it was a frame from a stolen or written off bike and someone had tried to hide its original identity.
 
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loads of experts here then?
strip the paint using Nitromors and very fine wire wool and look again.
CLEM
 
The mess with the non-matching numbers I think only appeared on the Zane-Bikes. All other Laverdas (at least with laverda built engines) built until the first closing of the company should have matching numbers afaik.
 
The mess with the non-matching numbers I think only appeared on the Zane-Bikes. All other Laverdas (at least with laverda built engines) built until the first closing of the company should have matching numbers afaik.
Yes and no! I can find no evidence of an engine # outside or indeed inside my '61 200cc Bicilindrico, or the completely renovated engine that I bought from Cor Dees. The frame #0195 was very difficult to find!
 
Thanks James for the correction. Thinking a bit more about the subject, it’s probably only road bikes from Laverda from the production of the 750 through to the SFC1000, using their own engines had matching frame and engine numbers.
 
OK - did not think about the 75, 100 and slightly above bikes really, that is true. Breganze 750 and 1000/1200 had matching numbers, that is for sure. I think 350 and 500, too. Production racers or prototypes, replacement engines etc. very often did not have any number in them. Not sure about the factory raced 750 SFC's and RGS Corsa TT etc.
 
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