Future for Zane bikes?

In the past 15 years I have looked at perhaps ten Zane bikes for sale here in California. All except one had blown motors. With the purchase price and the cost to fix, all would exceed what they were worth. And the one running one (Ghost Strike) I would expect would also blow up?

Although I would still like one, a big reason I don't is I still can't get the answer to the following questions.

Do all Zanes eventually blow up, even the air cooled ones? I have heard the air cooled ones have their own set of problems?

If all the know problems are fixed, are they now a reliable bike that will go many thousands of miles without problems? Would spending lots of money make it a good bike?
 
1200ts said:
In the past 15 years I have looked at perhaps ten Zane bikes for sale here in California. All except one had blown motors. With the purchase price and the cost to fix, all would exceed what they were worth. And the one running one (Ghost Strike) I would expect would also blow up?

Although I would still like one, a big reason I don't is I still can't get the answer to the following questions.

Do all Zanes eventually blow up, even the air cooled ones? yes I have heard the air cooled ones have their own set of problems? yes

If all the know problems are fixed, are they now a reliable bike that will go many thousands of miles without problems? maybe... no Would spending lots of money make it a good bike? not necessarily
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Very few Zane bikes have attained what might be considered "considerable" mileage for normal Laverda standards. Not a question "if?", but "when?" it blows The liquid cooled engines at least addressed most of the thermal issues of the air-cooled engines. While the crank, cylinders and head can actually be made close to bullet-proof, the gearbox and crankcase are the next weak points. Several gears are quite fragile and the cases distort when subjected to hard use. The close-ratio clusters seem to be just that little bit stronger that is required, but the case issues can't be easily solved. If the bike is babied, it'll go on for decades. If you use it as intended, track or canyon racing, it'll die young...

Then there are the weak starter motors, fuel pumps and lines prone to rotting, weak electrical connectors, dismal lights, etc, etc. If you can't attend to all this yourself, shop labour will add up to a small fortune. Up to you to decide if the effort is worthwhile.

piet
 
Good to get your perspective on the fragility of the frame and suspension weaknesses, Piet. I hadn't considered any of that in commenting on the actual chassis as a handling package. I've done a couple of fuel filters on 668s and I can definitely attest to the tenderness of some of the cycle parts, eg self tappers into the alloy spars of the frame and general ultralight fittings that would last about 300 metres on an SF!!

With regard to longevity, it doesn't make sense to me to own one of these and not use it for its intended purpose - if someone wants to pussy around, tootling across the dales, you'd ride a beautiful 750 GT, not a Zane!!

I reckon a lot of the polemics around the Zanes we see on here relates to the relative robustness of the Breganze SFs and triples c/w the lightweight Zanes - people like me clocking huge miles on all sorts of terrain over decades of ownership. You develop a true bond with and understanding of your bike.
 
Miguel has the nutshell, it is definitely the heart that rules wanting to keep at these anachronisms, as in all Laverdas not just the 500/Zane. There seems to be no limit for what people will spend, I have been stunned to hear the cost of some stuff from high profile restorers, but others just shell out no problem.
Comparing the Zane to Breganze for longevity! I am so grateful my SF race bike has been so trouble free with 16 seasons of hard at it classic racing. Stripping it for the Carillos and new bearings a couple of years ago showed that it was definitely just preventative, the inside was in fantastic condition ("It's been raced, don't touch it with a bargepole!"), whilst the Hondas, Guzzis, Ducatis etc in the class are having rebuild after repair all the time at home and in the pits, but that is just part and parcel for the owners and they are fine with it.
The fragility of the Zane´s chassis is not unusual for lightweight pocket rockets like that. Laverda motors in trick chassis are very much accepted as Laverdas. Is a different motor in a Laverda chassis valid as a Laverda? The Holden V8 supercars all had American engines in them but nobody minded. KTM690/850 in a Zane for the "easy" way out anyone?
 
I think Miguels idea is great, I would be happy to share my 3d print files with anyone that would not print and sell, or machine and sell the items commercially. I also think if old drawings were made available there are enough of us that could translate them to electronic drawings, for things that arent produced anymore, and see where we can go with getting items made. I know there are minimum order numbers required, but if it takes an order of say 20 cam gears to be done for a 500, Im sure there would be 20 people to put their hand up. Along with standard cams for 500's too
 
Back in 2000 I was looking for a new bike (my first brand new bike), I went and looked at a metallic orange and purple/blue formula 750, later that week I looked at an Aprilia rsv mille, I did some home work and the Aprilia had better overall reviews. Just before I made my mind up the local Suzuki dealer contacted me and said he could do a deal on a TL1000R at nearly a £1000 pounds less than the rsv. I resisted and bought the Aprilia and in 8 years and over 50k miles the only thing to go wrong was the rear brake light switch, a brilliant bike. now here's the thing financially the Suzuki is now worth by far the most, I do believe the Aprilia was the best bike, but if I was looking for a piece of wall art the 750 formula would win hands down.
 
sideshow said:
I think Miguels idea is great, I would be happy to share my 3d print files with anyone that would not print and sell, or machine and sell the items commercially. I also think if old drawings were made available there are enough of us that could translate them to electronic drawings, for things that arent produced anymore, and see where we can go with getting items made. I know there are minimum order numbers required, but if it takes an order of say 20 cam gears to be done for a 500, Im sure there would be 20 people to put their hand up. Along with standard cams for 500's too
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I don't know about 500s but 750 drawings, moulds etc were thrown out by the factory.
I would think that all Breganze stuff ended that way.

Paul
 
Not by the factory, by Aprilia actually. I know at least one person who tried to purchase them and even offered a 6 digid number to purchase the container full of moulds. The offer was refused by Aprilia and the moulds got destroyed. Seems they were not interested at all to keep our bikes running but to sell their Aprilia stuff.
 
Laverdalothar said:
Not by the factory, by Aprilia actually. I know at least one person who tried to purchase them and even offered a 6 digid number to purchase the container full of moulds. The offer was refused by Aprilia and the moulds got destroyed. Seems they were not interested at all to keep our bikes running but to sell their Aprilia stuff.
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By the factory staff. A long time before Aprilia appeared on the horizon, believe me.

Paul
 
Laverdalothar said:
Not sure that is true, as I talked to the person that offered the amount to Aprilia and he had seen the full container personally.
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I'm certain concerning the 750 stuff.
Certainly the 500 moulds survived since they were used on the Zane machines which are blown up 500s.
Paul
 
Lee and I had a thought - Steve B designed (CAD) a non-splined, stepped press-up crank centre piece for std SF webs. He made or had made a number of them (I bought two) and Red has also had a number made by his CNC guy. Having seen a 500 crank middle piece (inner webs and centre pice) I'm sure the centre piece resembles pretty closely an SFC one. Maybe with slight tweaking of the CAD pattern they could be made to fit a 500 crank (maybe the centre mains are even the same size as those on an SF/C?). Red can give you an idea of the cost per item.

Certainly worth looking at the measurements side by side. Steve even made one for his race engine using a single row cam chain. the cam sprockets would be a breeze.
 
piranha-bro2 said:
Lee and I had a thought - Steve B designed (CAD) a non-splined, stepped press-up crank centre piece for std SF webs. He made or had made a number of them (I bought two) and Red has also had a number made by his CNC guy. Having seen a 500 crank middle piece (inner webs and centre pice) I'm sure the centre piece resembles pretty closely an SFC one. Maybe with slight tweaking of the CAD pattern they could be made to fit a 500 crank (maybe the centre mains are even the same size as those on an SF/C?). Red can give you an idea of the cost per item.

Certainly worth looking at the measurements side by side. Steve even made one for his race engine using a single row cam chain. the cam sprockets would be a breeze.
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I will soon have a 500 spare crank, once I have it in the work bench, I'll ask instructions to open it, once I have the middle piece out, we can start the design!
 
michipons said:
I will soon have a 500 spare crank, once I have it in the work bench, I'll ask instructions to open it, once I have the middle piece out, we can start the design!
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I should think designing is the easy bit.
A one off or two or three or seven examples for people willing and able to pay for the rebuild of the crank, engine, and new cam sprockets would be relatively easy. Finding someone to pay for a series of 50 , of which 40 are going to sit on a shelf gathering dust for the next decades or eternity will be more difficult.

I think that to open the crank a press will suffice.

Paul
 
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