Jota fairing mount

B

Bradcl

New member
Location
Skagit County WA
I’m the guy that took on shifthappens’ Jota project. I’m in the process of going thru all the parts and figuring out a reasonable plan. Ive rebuilt some bikes in the past - mostly Ducati - but I’ve always had the luxury of taking them apart first so I usually know a)that they were together, and b) how they did.
I’m a bit stuck on the front fairing. I have the headlight/fairing Mount piece (actually 2 of them) and the bracket that attaches to the steering head (only 1) and I know that I need the brackets for the fairing ‘wings’ and I’ve found some sources, but I don’t get how the front bracket attaches to the bike. I’ve searched a zillion photos and none shows the attachment.
if I have to get something welded, I’d rather do it while the frame is empty, so although the fairing is a late stage item, getting a plan is near term.
I could probably get something fabricated, but is there an actual part that might be available somewhere.
I’m attaching a picture of the bracket and where it should attach.
if I’m an idiot, please advise.014E8916-D678-4C9D-9A78-C966EA11FD0C.jpeg
 
You're missing the threaded lugs that need to be welded to the head stock to fit this particular mount.

Obviously, this bike was un-faired ex-factory.

piet
 
You can see the M8 threaded sockets that Piet is talking about in the photo below. I don't know the length of the original sockets, but it's not a critical dimension. 20mm should be about right.
While you're at it, you may as well add the frame stiffening gussets too.
 

Attachments

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The length of the lugs, bosses, whatever you want to call them also allow for the nut on the mount to clear the head sock. I drilled and tapped my headstock, fitted m8 bolts through the bosses so they located in place for welding
 
The hard part is getting the threaded lugs perfectly in line with the centreline of the bike for welding. I made a flat steel jig to hold the lugs parallel to, and the right distance from, each other. I managed to get them aligned without going to extra steps, but I reckon a flat crossbar attached to points aligned 90 degrees would be a failsafe method - how to identify those points is the tricky bit! Maybe adding long straight edges at 90 degrees to the crossbar would work?

Maybe someone has a better and simpler idea. It's tricky even getting bicycle handlebars aligned to the centreline of a bike frame.
 
Thank you all!, I thought I’d seen lugs on the headstock, and that probably meant my bike was originally unfaired. This is why I wanted to address it now. The alignment issue is going to be the big trick of course. Thanks for the input. Any further advice on the alignment would be helpful of course.
 
The bracket lugs on the 1000-180 frames only appeared from 1980-onwards, yours must predate that. Note both linked photos are of RGS frames but the arrangement is the same. Yes getting them centred is probably the tricky bit, noting that the frame downtubes are completely asymmetric.

I've not done that particular job myself, but I've found crossline laser levels are very useful for this sort of work. Make up your threaded lugs, bolt them to the bracket, then bolt something a couple of foot long and nice and straight onto the centre bolt hole in the bracket. Temporarily jigger that lot onto the frame in position with for example worm drive hose clamps. Beg/borrow/steal a crossline laser and set it up so it's running right down the middle of the spine tube of the frame and projecting forward. Align the extension bar projecting forward from your fairing bracket to the laser line and you're gold.
Option 2 would be drink a beer, tack it on, drink another beer, hold thumb between eye and bike, drink another beer, squint, drink another beer, then fully weld it.

Have you got a parts manual? Very handy when reassambling especially if not familiar with them. Laverdas documentation was pretty comprehensive, with most bolt sizes, orings, bearings, spacers etc listed. I find the 1200 listing to be the most useful for the cast wheel 180's, most parts are the same. Rob has kindly set up the library feature here so it's easy.

Parts lists

www.laverdaforum.com www.laverdaforum.com
Somewhere I think I've seen a parts list supplement showing the 81 model fairing, but I can't locate on right now.
 
Thanks, breganzane!! The bike was titled in Canada over 30 years ago as an 81. A lot seems like 1980, but other hints like the serial number points to late 1979. And I have some experience with Italian practice, so 79/80 seems right and probably on the early side. The bikes been apart since at least 93, so the parts are a result of a few peoples idea of what the end point should be.
my thinking is the laser route, but I know part of me will sway toward the beer and eyeball method, but I’m trying to act my age for a change.
ive got the green book and the printed parts list, and they are very helpful, but not for this bit.
 
Post a pic of the frame number if you feel comfortable doing that, the peanut gallery here will soon date it for you. The BTZ ignition is already visible which puts it as MY79 or later (model run probably starting late 78). Some countries do title on first registration rather than build date, which can be years apart for slow sellers like Laverdas. Not sure if there was a different frame between the fairing'd and naked 1000's post 1980, but suspect they were the same. None of the 1200's ever had a frame mounted fairing, so perhaps 1200 frames continued with no lugs till the end.
 
I think there’s a breaker bar involved in that step as well, or at least I always use some big lever when I get out the hammer for final adjustments.
here’s the pic of the frame number (motor number is also 6599, which was in the range of bad bearings which is why
the engine was rebuilt (Tupper) in 2009.)
97CB2260-3344-4EC7-A596-D8A76D0EE6E4.jpeg
 
Yep, my 79 Jota is 6570, no lugs on frame. The Ian Faloon book (which might not be perfect but has a lot of good info) says the 79's went from 6190 to 6603, so you're right at the end of that. From 6604 presumably they had the lugs for the (of questionable aesthetic and functional value) fairing. Presumably you have the forward-mounted rear shock mounts?
 
Ooops, realised you're doing this to fit a fairing. Is it 80 or 81 type? Might have just dumped on you... sorry! :) For the record, the 81 type is quite polarising but I love it.

PS In your photo above, the (redundant) tab sticking off the frame is bent down. It should be more or less horizontal, give it a ding with a big hammer before painting.
 
The fairing is the (To my eye) better looking one year only version with the Fiat turn signals and the different screen.
and yes, it has the forward facing rear shocks.
is it stupid to consider fabricating a Mount with the lugs on a base with a curve to match the head stock and then adjusting with string/thumb/beer until right and locking it down somehow? The idea of getting all the angles right (centerline, verticals, angle of the lugs to head stock) seems daunting. I know old aftermarket fairings often used u-bolts and such.
 
If she came out of the factory un-faired could you not just keep her that way and avoid all this aggravation ? You could then maybe sell on the fairing to help with other costs. Just a thought.
 
Well , that’s my fall back if the aggravation is too high. I have all the parts for that approach. I just really like the looks of the faired bike. I need to make the decision now since everything’s disassembled so I’m trying to figure out the level of difficulty and the odds of success while it’s in bits.
 
Well I have certainly learned something from this. Just gone out in the yard to look at my headstock and sure enough I have two lugs on the front of my frame facing forwards. Never even noticed them before. My bike came to me un-faired some 30 years ago and I have recently begun to suspect that it is a 1980 model that started life with a fairing. I think this confirms it. I have been thinking for a while that once i get this engine rebuild done, one of the next jobs is to put a fairing on it. It would be nice, seeing that I am an old man now, and in days gone by i didn't care, but these days I quite like a bit of shelter from the rain !
 
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