If you think a Laverda has wiring issues. Look at this.

I own modern BMW's only because I had to ride 90 miles a day to work. I did it many times on Laverda's and other older bikes but riding 22000 miles a year just to work means many a Saturday was spent doing maintenance and you get tired of this after a while. And if something did break on a old bike I need the part now so I am ready for Monday morning. You can't do this on a Laverda unless you have lots of spare parts at home.

The K1200RS is the most unreliable bike I have ever owned. In sixteen years of ownership after buying it used with 19000 miles it has broken down more times than I can count. I have only put 4000 miles on it in those years as something is always going bad. I have had to replace the rear main seal, flywheel, pressure plate, clutch disc, all seals on gearbox, clutch slave cylinder, swing arm bearings, all brake hoses, all radiator hoses and now electrical problems (fixed) and the ABS is dead!!!!!

A year after buying it, I gave up and put it in the back of the garage and bought a new 2008 R1200RT which now has 154000 miles with absolutely no problems ever. The only parts ever replaced were the oil, tires and spark plugs. Valves only ever needed to be adjusted twice. It is without a doubt the most reliable bike I have ever owned and it still runs like new.

Once all the problems are fixed on the K1200RS, I will most likely sell the bastard before it breaks down again. I have spent more on parts than the bike is worth. A 2004 K1200RS near me with 12000 miles and looks new is for sale for $800 and no one is interested as it has a bad fuel pump. A new pump from BMW is $470.

And as I am retired now and don't ride either BMW anymore, I will also probably sell the R1200RT.

And the Laverda's are just so much more fun to ride!
 
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sfcpiet said:
Once an old clunker has been thoroughly attended to, there's nothing keeping you from doing just that. Years of neglect and abuse take their toll and make life a pita, but once everything is as it should be and just a little care is taken, even old bikes can be surprisingly reliable. I certainly cannot complain, my newest bike is the '83 RGS, still on its' un-opened engine and largely original electrics. All it's needed the last 15 years were oil, chains, pads and tyres. I restored my 750GTL in 1994 and it hasn't had any more issues than a new bike might have had. Over all the years, I think I've spent less on my bikes than I would have lost through depreciation had I done as the industry/society expects of me (with the same number of bikes).

piet
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Piet, you are a professional mechanic and you know what you do. However, I think you have seen almost all Laverda Bikes in Germany once (or many times in some cases) in a while and for sure you have seen mine. I give them regular oil changes, don't ride them to hard (except maybe for the Jota that went onto the track several times) etc. - still, all the engines broke at one point or the other. All bikes that I have bought over time needed SERIOUS attention or even engine overhauls (not all faults of the bike but sometimes of the DPO). I think only 2 bikes left me without engine overhaul, one was the #0001 1000 SFC (which was seriously overhault by the next owner, who found LOTS of problems on a bike that was just 2.500km old...) and the other was another 1000 SFC Classic, which already had the head overhauled and where I only fixed carbs, electrics, suspension and some other stuff.

On the Jota, The engine has been overhauled twice. Cracks in the head, head deformed, bearings all worn to some extend etc. etc. etc.. Between the first overhaul and the second, there were less than 50.000km. Not to speak about how often studs are pulled because the alloy is to soft... Re-tightening the cylinder-head is an adventure all the time, even with a very good torque wrench...

Yes, the bikes have been tuned and are not in original state. But even the 750 SF(0) that I had overhauled at OCT had obviously some issues as it started leaking oil between the crank case and the barrels (rear left side) right after the overhaul (same spot as before). And I tightend the head nuts thoroughly several times before I sold it with just 1200km on the clocks...

And that is not talking about how many of them kill spark plugs every now and then (especially if you cold-start them, stop them, leave them over night and then try to start them again - just happened to me last year on the forum ride out again...).

I think there are way more reliable bikes than our old clonkers. Still, I love them and can't really see me selling them. But reliable and long lasting? Sorry, not to my experience.
 
My 3c only took the first 10 years of being drowned in money with a ton of work to become pretty reliable. But I bought a rough-as-guts-flogged-to-death pile of crap and knew what I was getting into. I have been so far much luckier with the Atlas. But there is a lot of fun putting them to rights. Says the bloke with the just appeared serious ignition issue on the 3c. I think it's fixed but an hour's test ride not too far from home hopefully will confirm that. Walking distance from my Car and Trailer hoping not to need that.
 
1200ts said:
I own modern BMW's only because I had to ride 90 miles a day to work. I did it many times on Laverda's and other older bikes but riding 22000 miles a year just to work means many a Saturday was spent doing maintenance and you get tired of this after a while. And if something did break on a old bike I need the part now so I am ready for Monday morning. You can't do this on a Laverda unless you have lots of spare parts at home.

The K1200RS is the most unreliable bike I have ever owned. In sixteen years of ownership after buying it used with 19000 miles it has broken down more times than I can count. I have only put 4000 miles on it in those years as something is always going bad. I have had to replace the rear main seal, flywheel, pressure plate, clutch disc, all seals on gearbox, clutch slave cylinder, swing arm bearings, all brake hoses, all radiator hoses and now electrical problems (fixed) and the ABS is dead!!!!!

A year after buying it, I gave up and put it in the back of the garage and bought a new 2008 R1200RT which now has 154000 miles with absolutely no problems ever. The only parts ever replaced were the oil, tires and spark plugs. Valves only ever needed to be adjusted twice. It is without a doubt the most reliable bike I have ever owned and it still runs like new.

Once all the problems are fixed on the K1200RS, I will most likely sell the bastard before it breaks down again. I have spent more on parts than the bike is worth. A 2004 K1200RS near me with 12000 miles and looks new is for sale for $800 and no one is interested as it has a bad fuel pump. A new pump from BMW is $470.

And as I am retired now and don't ride either BMW anymore, I will also probably sell the R1200RT.

And the Laverda's are just so much more fun to ride!
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BMW owners ( my old customers..) were in denial about reliability. Fuel filters popping, gearbox failure,leaks, alloy crush washers corroding and pissing oil out- all stupid problems that leave you stranded. I started in the business working for Honda- far better than a Beemer. My Guzzi is the one everyone said would be trouble..thirty years on, never been apart or left me stranded..funny old world.
 
Exmoor beast said:
BMW owners ( my old customers..) were in denial about reliability. Fuel filters popping, gearbox failure,leaks, alloy crush washers corroding and pissing oil out- all stupid problems that leave you stranded. I started in the business working for Honda- far better than a Beemer. My Guzzi is the one everyone said would be trouble..thirty years on, never been apart or left me stranded..funny old world.
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More sad than funny.
Forza Guzzi.
Paul
 
I work in a triumph and Aprilia dealership. My boss is a bit different, he will take anything on. Keeps my day interesting. If I was just changing oil and tyres on new bikes I would go mad.

I am about to undertake a full rebuild of my 3C, should last me till I'm in a pine box.
 
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