Introduction

Exmoor beast

Exmoor beast

Hero member
Location
Minehead,Somerset, ENGLAND OF COURSE
Hi Guys, I?m Jason from Somerset and have been getting my ?69 GT750 going after a break.
I?m ex motorcycle trade , grass track sidecar driver and still very involved with bikes. I?m quite impressed with the technical knowledge on this forum , without it Laverda tech is quite sketchy on the net.
I originally started with an SF1 back in the early nineties when there didn?t seem a lot of interest and they were cheap, then I boughT a Mk1 Montjuic that had previous owners that had tried everything but could not get it to tick over!  That one?s carbs caught fire whilst I was in the doorway of a garage with ten bikes inside. I then sold my SF1 to my mate Bruce who went on to build the CND 850 from yet another SF and that was the end of my Laverdas until now. I?ve stopped racing,got married,  had kids, moved houses ( all the things I used to take the piss out of mates for who stopped racing) and have finally got round to my lovely GT . Quick question- is there an off the shelf decent brake pads for Grimeca drums or do we reline/arc them ? Thanks for any replies always appreciated, Jason
.
 
Hi Jason, welcome. Funny how ex-grass track racers seem to love old Laverda's. I reckon it's the raw power delivery and the way the things come alive with a twist of the wrist. Enjoy your bike, Mate, you live in a beautiful part of England to get the best out of it.
Regards  Bob
 
Hi Jason
              I raced solos in the Midlands Centre back in the seventies and I believe the Penfolds raced down in Kent and went the same way round the track as the solos i.e. turn hard left before the stakes and ropes. There was a guy called Paul Pinfold who "acquired" a Laverda triple motor from Cropredy Motorcycles to use in an outfit, but I don't think it ever got started let alone finished. The Z1000's became the lump to have then.
Happy days with fond memories.

Take Care  Bob
 
BobSol said:
Hi Jason
              I raced solos in the Midlands Centre back in the seventies and I believe the Penfolds raced down in Kent and went the same way round the track as the solos i.e. turn hard left before the stakes and ropes. There was a guy called Paul Pinfold who "acquired" a Laverda triple motor from Cropredy Motorcycles to use in an outfit, but I don't think it ever got started let alone finished. The Z1000's became the lump to have then.
Happy days with fond memories.
I have raced in midlands (Antelope Club) and raced Paul ( who ?acquired? most things) and I indeed started on Z1000 Wasp outfit, happy days indeed. I was good mates with Len & Ray Foreman who were pretty handy back then. Nice to hear from a grasser! Jason
Take Care  Bob
Click to expand...
 
Good grief. I used to be the Chairman of the Antelope Club back in the day. Paul Pinfold used to rent space from me in the corner of my engineering workshop and I know Len and Ray well. Haven't seen any of them for years though. I guess you know Paul Pinfold passed away a couple of years ago in Australia, sorry if you didn't.

Take Care  Bob 
 
Great shame about Paul but he was never going to make old bones, I saw him lifted onto a speedway sidecar because his hips were so bad he could walk, he crashed a speedway car I believe. Top bloke.
I was very good mates with Brian Ash who you probably know, built a frame for me. Real characters.
 
Yeah, Brian bought all the Puma jigs from Pete Davies, I believe. Worked out the back of Gordon Matthews's place in Leamington. Sadly, Paul Pinfold buggered off to Australia leaving a fair bit carnage in his wake, which cost me plenty. Still liked the guy though, he could never separate work from play and couldn't figure out you have to do the work first.
 
BobSol said:
Hi Jason, welcome. Funny how ex-grass track racers seem to love old Laverda's. I reckon it's the raw power delivery and the way the things come alive with a twist of the wrist.
Click to expand...

Interesting thought Bob ......... I?m an old Slider rider too.
 
I have ridden  Enduro, Trials, Speedway and mechanic at the TT and Motocross and without a shadow of doubt Grasstrack people are the best, no bull, no politics friendly bunch.I raced from Shropshire down to Cornwall in an era when I could be on the start line with up to 8 -KH750,TZ750, Weslake /Godden/HedlundVtwin, Nourish /Yamaha 270?, Yamaha Exup, Z1000 ( some rephrased as 180?), Laverda, HondaV4 and I even rode an EML Jumbo 880 two stroke ( 2xMaico 440 ) Sidecar.
I rode a Jawa897 down my road one evening, the unshielded spark  turned everyone?s TV into an oscilloscope showing my advance curve- which I?m sure the appreciated!
 
All this talk of Tiverton and the southwest is making me homesick.
I spent a  a few years in Tiverton  on and off..left London  at sixteen to work on a farm a few miles out of Tivvy .tiny hamlet called Butterleigh. Local bike shop was Trethway and Martin.
Worked at Bridge garage in Exeter selling bikes for a few years, that's where I got my first ride on a Laverda..
Was visiting friends in Porlock a couple of years ago . There was a small garage workshop there that had a few interesting older bikes and cars..I think I it's gone now.
Was supposed to be there now but hey no ..there's always next year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top