orionengnr
New member
- Location
- DFW, TX
Hello all?
Just bought my first Laverda three weeks ago. Saw an SFC in the local CraigsList on a Weds night, no phone info, reply only. One pic of an SFC, but the ad said that it was disassembled for restoration.
I replied, including my phone number. The owner replied by email and said that he had called and that he had had ?some response? and would arrange a showing for the weekend. I emailed back, saying ?thank you?. Waited to hear back Thursday, nothing. Friday, nothing. Emailed Friday evening and asked if I could see the bike that weekend, no reply.
Tried again Saturday, saying I was still interested?no reply. Okay, I figured someone called and made an offer (maybe well above the asking price) and that was that. Wouldn?t be the first time it had happened, won?t be the last.
A brief digression: I?m 63 years old and got my first motorcycle at 13. It was a Jawa 175 with a four-speed trans, but second gear was just another neutral. Ursula, a very independent-minded female friend of my mom gave it to me, after asking my mom if it was okay. She also had a BMW of some sort, perhaps an R69? It was a total surprise to me that summer Saturday in 1969. Rode that bike on local trails every day for two weeks until the remaining three gears went Heavenward and I was again relegated to my the ten-speed I had bought with my paper route money. Got the engine out of the frame, and side covers off, but with my few screwdrivers, adjustable wrench and pliers, didn?t get too much farther. Started saving my paper route money again, and within a year I had a well-used $150 Suzuki TS-90.
I used to hide copies of Cycle magazine under my math book and read about the European MX bikes, while dreaming of a Hodaka 100 Super Rat. In the next several years, I read about Ducatis, Moto Guzzis and Laverdas while dreaming of (and eventually owning) RD350s/400s and Kawasaki triples. By 2013 I had probably owned 80-85 bikes, the vast majority of which I bought either wrecked or blown up (or occasionally just parked and left to sit forever?) and put back together, rode for a while and sold. From probably 1977-2000 I seldom owned fewer than 3-4 bikes, and occasionally up to 6-7 (granted, the running bikes were often 1/3 of that number or fewer?.).
Never owned another European bike after the Jawa, until 2013. By then I could afford them (at least used ones) but never ?got? them. Had ridden some twins, but never felt the love. Had ridden Ducatis, BMWs, Triumphs, Harleys, the odd RVT1000 and TL1000, still none of them ever spoke to me.
For some reason I answered an ad for a 2000 Ducati 996 in 2013. Went and looked at it, rode it about three miles, and suddenly?I got it.
Decided I had to have that bike, and bought it. Fantastic motorcycle, horrible purchase decision. Not the first sailor to get suckered by a pretty face. Owner ?couldn?t find? the title but would get a copy, then it was his friend?s bike, then?blah, blah, blah. No, it wasn?t stolen, but I went through Hell getting a title. And it had been regularly shined, but valve adjustments and belts?not so much. Flaking rockers, check. Anyway, a costly introduction to Italian bike ownership?and the riding position was somewhat less than friendly to my aging back.
Fast forward. Since then, I've been through 6 Ducatis (half bought crashed or blown up, currently riding a 2012 Multistrada 1200R-ABS), a Cagiva Gran Canyon (bought after sitting seven years after the owner passed away) a repo?ed Triumph Street Triple and a wrecked BMW S1000R. And a year ago, a three-pack of Aprilia Caponords (one crashed hard?broken-frame hard, one burned down, and one just not running). Those have kept me busy for the last year.
So, finally, back to the Laverda. When I saw the ad, I was interested. (Truly, I?d have probably been more enthusiastic if it were a Triple, but one plays the cards one is dealt.)
A week later, Friday afternoon, the ad re-appeared with an asking price $1000 higher. And a bunch of pics, showing a bunch of boxes of parts. But by then I had had a few days to do my homework, and thought it was still very reasonable. Emailed the guy again, politely, and reminded him that we had conversed previously. Included my phone number again. He called me about a half hour later, we talked for a bit. He?s about five years older than I, and bought the bike new in 75. He said that he disassembled it about 20 years ago for restoration, but the pipes, pegs, and some missing pieces hint that it had suffered some ahhh? indignities, and he was going to remedy those issues. Add to that, he had moved cross-country at least twice since then, and in doing so, some things have gone missing.
He had long since lost the paperwork, but sold it as a 75. (From what I have found so far, I suspect it is actually a 74, but will have that battle with the DMV when it is time to get a title...) Got a friend with a truck and we met with him the next morning, and took it home.
By then, I?d also spent some time here, and done quite a bit of reading, and joined shortly thereafter. Read every page of the ?what did you do to?? thread, read the whole ?Laverda Jota ownership, the second time around? thread and then the whole Redax thread. Lots of great info.
Since joining, I have contacted Grant, who pointed me towards Marnix; I contacted him, we conversed and I bought a copy of his book from him, and look forward to receiving it. Also emailed Wolfgang (on admin Rob?s recommendation) and look forward to hearing from him.
So, thanks to you all. I?m sure I will have some questions, and hope I can contribute in some way, at some point.
Best regards, Rich in TX
Just bought my first Laverda three weeks ago. Saw an SFC in the local CraigsList on a Weds night, no phone info, reply only. One pic of an SFC, but the ad said that it was disassembled for restoration.
I replied, including my phone number. The owner replied by email and said that he had called and that he had had ?some response? and would arrange a showing for the weekend. I emailed back, saying ?thank you?. Waited to hear back Thursday, nothing. Friday, nothing. Emailed Friday evening and asked if I could see the bike that weekend, no reply.
Tried again Saturday, saying I was still interested?no reply. Okay, I figured someone called and made an offer (maybe well above the asking price) and that was that. Wouldn?t be the first time it had happened, won?t be the last.
A brief digression: I?m 63 years old and got my first motorcycle at 13. It was a Jawa 175 with a four-speed trans, but second gear was just another neutral. Ursula, a very independent-minded female friend of my mom gave it to me, after asking my mom if it was okay. She also had a BMW of some sort, perhaps an R69? It was a total surprise to me that summer Saturday in 1969. Rode that bike on local trails every day for two weeks until the remaining three gears went Heavenward and I was again relegated to my the ten-speed I had bought with my paper route money. Got the engine out of the frame, and side covers off, but with my few screwdrivers, adjustable wrench and pliers, didn?t get too much farther. Started saving my paper route money again, and within a year I had a well-used $150 Suzuki TS-90.
I used to hide copies of Cycle magazine under my math book and read about the European MX bikes, while dreaming of a Hodaka 100 Super Rat. In the next several years, I read about Ducatis, Moto Guzzis and Laverdas while dreaming of (and eventually owning) RD350s/400s and Kawasaki triples. By 2013 I had probably owned 80-85 bikes, the vast majority of which I bought either wrecked or blown up (or occasionally just parked and left to sit forever?) and put back together, rode for a while and sold. From probably 1977-2000 I seldom owned fewer than 3-4 bikes, and occasionally up to 6-7 (granted, the running bikes were often 1/3 of that number or fewer?.).
Never owned another European bike after the Jawa, until 2013. By then I could afford them (at least used ones) but never ?got? them. Had ridden some twins, but never felt the love. Had ridden Ducatis, BMWs, Triumphs, Harleys, the odd RVT1000 and TL1000, still none of them ever spoke to me.
For some reason I answered an ad for a 2000 Ducati 996 in 2013. Went and looked at it, rode it about three miles, and suddenly?I got it.
Decided I had to have that bike, and bought it. Fantastic motorcycle, horrible purchase decision. Not the first sailor to get suckered by a pretty face. Owner ?couldn?t find? the title but would get a copy, then it was his friend?s bike, then?blah, blah, blah. No, it wasn?t stolen, but I went through Hell getting a title. And it had been regularly shined, but valve adjustments and belts?not so much. Flaking rockers, check. Anyway, a costly introduction to Italian bike ownership?and the riding position was somewhat less than friendly to my aging back.
Fast forward. Since then, I've been through 6 Ducatis (half bought crashed or blown up, currently riding a 2012 Multistrada 1200R-ABS), a Cagiva Gran Canyon (bought after sitting seven years after the owner passed away) a repo?ed Triumph Street Triple and a wrecked BMW S1000R. And a year ago, a three-pack of Aprilia Caponords (one crashed hard?broken-frame hard, one burned down, and one just not running). Those have kept me busy for the last year.
So, finally, back to the Laverda. When I saw the ad, I was interested. (Truly, I?d have probably been more enthusiastic if it were a Triple, but one plays the cards one is dealt.)
A week later, Friday afternoon, the ad re-appeared with an asking price $1000 higher. And a bunch of pics, showing a bunch of boxes of parts. But by then I had had a few days to do my homework, and thought it was still very reasonable. Emailed the guy again, politely, and reminded him that we had conversed previously. Included my phone number again. He called me about a half hour later, we talked for a bit. He?s about five years older than I, and bought the bike new in 75. He said that he disassembled it about 20 years ago for restoration, but the pipes, pegs, and some missing pieces hint that it had suffered some ahhh? indignities, and he was going to remedy those issues. Add to that, he had moved cross-country at least twice since then, and in doing so, some things have gone missing.
He had long since lost the paperwork, but sold it as a 75. (From what I have found so far, I suspect it is actually a 74, but will have that battle with the DMV when it is time to get a title...) Got a friend with a truck and we met with him the next morning, and took it home.
By then, I?d also spent some time here, and done quite a bit of reading, and joined shortly thereafter. Read every page of the ?what did you do to?? thread, read the whole ?Laverda Jota ownership, the second time around? thread and then the whole Redax thread. Lots of great info.
Since joining, I have contacted Grant, who pointed me towards Marnix; I contacted him, we conversed and I bought a copy of his book from him, and look forward to receiving it. Also emailed Wolfgang (on admin Rob?s recommendation) and look forward to hearing from him.
So, thanks to you all. I?m sure I will have some questions, and hope I can contribute in some way, at some point.
Best regards, Rich in TX
