Hello: new Mirage owner

I agree the seat looks great and that's from someone who isn't keen on Duck Tails usually. Take care with the green, there are a few greens used over the years. The 3CL green is my favourite. I think JLOs site has some colour code info. A Motod using that green would be cool as hell.
 
To be fair it doesn’t look too bad at all (especially with the Jota’bars): needs rearsets tho..
 
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Haggis said:
Rucksack Letterbox = flat seat, all the way along. With no hump in the rear section.
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Many thanks. I’ll have to keep watch and posted a wanted ad once I’ve appraised it further.
I saw a used seat on eBay when I started scoping the project out, advertised as Jota fitment. Flat top, very slight difference in height to pillion. It was marked as a Giuliari on the underside, were they the OE supplier or an aftermarket supplier, as with their seats for Japanese bikes of the time?
 
The Mirage used the stepped 1200 seat, not the letterbox type. The hump seat just looks odd to me on the Mirage, it spoils the original lines.
 

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Laverdian said:
The Mirage used the stepped 1200 seat, not the letterbox type. The hump seat just looks odd to me on the Mirage, it spoils the original lines.
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Thank you. Without them to look at first hand it’s an easy mistake to make. I’ll keep watch. Is the stepped seat used on any iterations of Jota, Jarama? I would guess the regular 1200 seat from the same year is also stepped?
 
rucksack said:
Thank you. Without them to look at first hand it’s an easy mistake to make. I’ll keep watch. Is the stepped seat used on any iterations of Jota, Jarama? I would guess the regular 1200 seat from the same year is also stepped?
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The 1200 seat is common to those models and Jota 120 (if my memory serves me correctly), the hump seat was an option on the latter. The letterbox seat was used on 3CL, Jarama and pre 79 Jotas and the hump seat was also an option on the post 79 Jotas. I think the letterbox seat was phased out after the Jarama and post 79 the 1200 stepped dual seats were also used on the 1000’s incl Jota unless the hump seat was specified but there was different seat cover patterns used over the range. I think (always dangerous) that the Slater Mirage had the “crocodile skin” affect seat cover.
 
Some interesting info there Ian, I didn't know there was a difference between the letterbox and 1200 seats other than the covers and, yes, mine does have a 'crocodile leatherish' pattern which, again, isn't something I knew was either original or peculiar to the Slater Mirages..
 
AndyW said:
Some interesting info there Ian, I didn't know there was a difference between the letterbox and 1200 seats other than the covers and, yes, mine does have a 'crocodile leatherish' pattern which, again, isn't something I knew was either original or peculiar to the Slater Mirages..
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That crocodile skin type seat was on all the 1200s
 
Well I took the cover from an SF3 seat and fitted it to a 1200TS seat so they can't be that different. It fitted perfectly. Maurice road tested it for me.
 
Just looking at the pictures again in PS , be interesting to know what the frame/engine number is.
BTZ ignition so `79 rather than `78 I would guess,but has Corte&Cosso shocks fitted which I would have thought Laverda would have used up by then,supposed to be an option originally but ended being fitted as standard in many cases,definetely keep them.
One other thing I noticed is the hydraulic clutch , can`t ever recall seeing one on a Slater spec Green Mirage before , I know they appeared on the Anniversary and then found their way onto subsequent 1200`s , so maybe no great surprise to see it ,but does any Green Mirage owner recall them being fitted (as standard on their new bike obviously,not retro-fitted).
 
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rocketonarail said:
Just looking at the pictures again in PS , be interesting to know what the frame/engine numbers are.
BTZ ignition so `79 rather than `78 I would guess,but has Corte&Cosso shocks fitted which I would have thought Laverda would have used up by then,supposed to be an option originally but ended being fitted as standard in many cases,definetely keep them.
One other thing I noticed is the hydraulic clutch , can`t ever recall seeing one on a Slater spec Green Mirage before , I know they appeared on the Anniversary and then found their way onto subsequent 1200`s , so maybe no great suprise,but does any Green Mirage owner recall them being fitted (on their new bike obviously,not retro-fitted).
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Yes, it's a 1979, now we've looked in to it. I'll be keeping the shocks, but probably not using them. As I gather from trawling through here, they aren't rebuildable. I'll be using it so I'd rather have aftermarket in good order rather than refit these for the sake of originality, if they can't be mechanically overhauled as well as cosmetically.

As for the clutch, the original owner was a conscientious, thoughtful rider (at least until they got left!) and looked after his bikes well up until that point. The nasty T150 has come apart without a fight – most threads lubricated, no mashed fasteners. It wouldn't surprise me if he'd upgraded the clutch with later parts back in his day, the T150 has a Lucas ignition and an oil temperature gauge so he has form for making modest but wise improvements.

Among the many jobs I need to do is contact the Slater dating/info service, to see if I can learn anything more about it. The bike has a Gus Kuhn Motors numberplate, and the (now found) side panels have GK stickers on, too. But I can't find any evidence he sold Laverdas... Anybody aware of him dealing in them at the time?
 
rucksack said:
Yes, it's a 1979, now we've looked in to it. I'll be keeping the shocks, but probably not using them. As I gather from trawling through here, they aren't rebuildable. I'll be using it so I'd rather have aftermarket in good order rather than refit these for the sake of originality, if they can't be mechanically overhauled as well as cosmetically.

As for the clutch, the original owner was a conscientious, thoughtful rider (at least until they got left!) and looked after his bikes well up until that point. The nasty T150 has come apart without a fight – most threads lubricated, no mashed fasteners. It wouldn't surprise me if he'd upgraded the clutch with later parts back in his day, the T150 has a Lucas ignition and an oil temperature gauge so he has form for making modest but wise improvements.

Among the many jobs I need to do is contact the Slater dating/info service, to see if I can learn anything more about it. The bike has a Gus Kuhn Motors numberplate, and the (now found) side panels have GK stickers on, too. But I can't find any evidence he sold Laverdas... Anybody aware of him dealing in them at the time?
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Yes, Gus Kuhn did Laverda.
I happened to drop in whilst in London for a throttle cable and they'd just stopped Laverda and offered me all the workshop tools for £40.
I unfortunately didn't have £40.

Paul
 
Paul Marx said:
Yes, Gus Kuhn did Laverda.
I happened to drop in whilst in London for a throttle cable and they'd just stopped Laverda and offered me all the workshop tools for £40.
I unfortunately didn't have £40.

Paul
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Thank you. I may get the stickers reproduced to apply when it's repainted.
 
Can`t see Gus Kuhn listed as an official Laverda dealer in Slaters advertising at the time , but as Paul says they may well have dealt in them at the time , maybe used rather than new,although I stand to be corrected on that.
Most famously associated with Norton (supporting Mick Andrew on a Commando in the late `sixties) , plus Triumph and their BMW and Suzuki "Centres" -all the same place on the Clapham Road.

Amendment Alert !!! Just found an advert for London Laverda (Gus Kuhn)-"Londons best known enthusiast dealer"-choice of all the models.
Still haven`t found Slaters mentioning them though , at least not yet...
 
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rocketonarail said:
Can`t see Gus Kuhn listed as an official Laverda dealer in Slaters advertising at the time , but as Paul says they may well have dealt in them at the time , maybe used rather than new,although I stand to be corrected on that.
Most famously associated with Norton (supporting Mick Andrew on a Commando in the late `sixties) , plus Triumph and their BMW and Suzuki "Centres" -all the same place on the Clapham Road.

Amendment Alert !!! Just found an advert for London Laverda (Gus Kuhn)-"Londons best known enthusiast dealer"-choice of all the models.
Still haven`t found Slaters mentioning them though , at least not yet...
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Who's Slaters?

Paul
 
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