I love my Laverda!

TeddyG

TeddyG

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Location
Portland Oregon
I'm the proud owner of a SF2 750 that has been an ongoing project since I bought it last year, and thanks to input from this Forum, it's now running properly.
I've owned a number of modern sportbikes, including a Kawi triple, Yamaha FJ1100, Yamaha FZR 1000, 2 Aprilias RSVs and an Aprilia Tuono. I also owned a 750 SFC many years ago. I have to say that this SF2 handles extremely well with neutral steering and handling, and is a pleasure to ride. Sure, it could vibrate less, be lighter, and more powerful, but for real word riding, I find it extremely well balanced. It's a totally different experience than modern machines. My next goal is to improve the braking and suspension, and that will complete it.
 

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TeddyG said:
I'm the proud owner of a SF2 750 that has been an ongoing project since I bought it last year, and thanks to input from this Forum, it's now running properly.
I've owned a number of modern sportbikes, including a Kawi triple, Yamaha FJ1100, Yamaha FZR 1000, 2 Aprilias RSVs and an Aprilia Tuono. I also owned a 750 SFC many years ago. I have to say that this SF2 handles extremely well with neutral steering and handling, and is a pleasure to ride. Sure, it could vibrate less, be lighter, and more powerful, but for real word riding, I find it extremely well balanced. It's a totally different experience than modern machines. My next goal is to improve the braking and suspension, and that will complete it.
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Must admit, I was surprised just how good mine was on first riding it - I said to a mate “ it’s like a Norton but better” which I think sums it up.
When I think how disappointing British bike ownership was (is) I’m well pleased with mine.
 
I was considering a Norton for a long time, but when this was available, I jumped on it.
Compared to the Norton, I love all the hand made touches it has, even though Nortons’ have their own appeal.
 
I bought my SF1 in early 1975 from a uni friend of my sister. It had replaced his Commando - on handing it over he said the difference in so many ways was incredible.

Just read a FB thread on a guys misadventures on an early bevel Duke (ugly dramas with Ron Angel ... not the first I've heard about him either!!) - back when the big-end and 'run straight 50wt in it!' sagas were in abundance in the bevel world, the Lav just kept on cranking out the miles. I love bevels but the SF was just unbreakable ... and still is.
 
I just watched part 4 on Brook Henreys bevel bild at V2. Very interesting, once the Biggenden develops movement on round cases it immediately changes the bevel drive clearancess and that causes them to explode along with your wallet. Seems square cases had that not happen.Horendius design flaw.
 
Yep, I just watched it again, it's main bearings. I guess all the big-end talk caught me. It's pretty interesting and funny to watch.
 
piranha-bro2 said:
I bought my SF1 in early 1975 from a uni friend of my sister. It had replaced his Commando - on handing it over he said the difference in so many ways was incredible.

Just read a FB thread on a guys misadventures on an early bevel Duke (ugly dramas with Ron Angel ... not the first I've heard about him either!!) - back when the big-end and 'run straight 50wt in it!' sagas were in abundance in the bevel world, the Lav just kept on cranking out the miles. I love bevels but the SF was just unbreakable ... and still is.
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One of my customers was the Duckhams rep, he had a bevel Ducati that ran on Green Duckhams 20/5O from day one and his was fine- he reckoned the straight 50 was the problem.
 
In Australia if you did not run straight 50 in those bikes your big-end would likely not see 30000km if you rode it somewhat hard, even the later ones with the bigger stepped pin. It was and probably is still de-rigeur. Back then the multigrade 20/50 type stuff got far too thin in the heat, especially racing. The most used back then was Castrol GTX, there were numerous tests done that showed it was about as good as kerosene once it got over a certain temperature, and it made a lot of money for workshops rebuilding engines.
I had a few Ducati bevels come in with slightly loose main bearings, often they had settled after an engine rebuild, and the bevel gears had no damage. They would have had to be super loose and making a god awful racket I would think.
 
Main bearing mounting tolerance was discussed a lot by Brook in that video. The bit about the difference between round case and square case I found really interesting.
 
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