Laverda 750 SFC - now SOLD

dja982 said:
An unmodified race bike isn't a race bike it's an ornament.
Click to expand...
I don't think that is true, especially in the case of an SFC. If your body could cope with the ergonomics it was/is ready to race. Production racing in Australia was with (ostensibly) dead standard off the showroom floor roadbikes that were raced to their limits, and that was very popular, so popular that cheating (modifying) became so sneaky that the class faded away. Modern sports bikes are ready to race straight from the floor, what is the KTM slogan? All the TZ Yamahas and such through all those years did not need modifying, and unfortunately most of them are in collections however quite a few are still wearing out tyres (and pistons, barrels etc) in classic racing, I have the pleasure of racing with them on my fairly modified SF racer. This SFC just sold could with very little sorting be straight back out onto the track (or the road).
 
dja982 said:
All the TZ Yamahas and such through all those years did not need modifying,


Yup, no one changed barrels, cranks, carbs, frames, brakes and ignitions  :o
Click to expand...
Replacement of parts. You could buy a TZ, fill it with fuel and go out and win a race, that was the whole point with them.
 
What was it Kenny Roberts said?
The Japanese didn't fit tyres to the TZs, they fitted rim protectors.
His view of Japanese tyre technology back then.
 
Tippie said:
I don't think that is true, especially in the case of an SFC. If your body could cope with the ergonomics it was/is ready to race. Production racing in Australia was with (ostensibly) dead standard off the showroom floor roadbikes that were raced to their limits, and that was very popular, so popular that cheating (modifying) became so sneaky that the class faded away. Modern sports bikes are ready to race straight from the floor, what is the KTM slogan? All the TZ Yamahas and such through all those years did not need modifying, and unfortunately most of them are in collections however quite a few are still wearing out tyres (and pistons, barrels etc) in classic racing, I have the pleasure of racing with them on my fairly modified SF racer. This SFC just sold could with very little sorting be straight back out onto the track (or the road).
Click to expand...

Not only TZs and SFCs were race-ready, out of the crate.

A friend once bought a brand new GSXR600, ran it on the road bone stock for a couple of days and then entered it for and rode a 6-hour  production bike race.  He even opted to keep the stock tyres, finished 4th or 5th in his class iIrc.  Only deviation from stock was the required lock wiring.  Flogged it on the following week, don't know if the new owner knew of its brief competition history! :D

piet
 
A modern 600 (or most any capacity sports bike) would be none the worse for it. A mate tests potential purchases of such for "modern" classic racing by running it bouncing off the rev limiter at full throttle for three minutes casually following on his watch "if they don't cope with that they have no future in racing". Bloody brutal. Then they enter life at the track.
 
Tippie said:
A mate tests potential purchases of such for "modern" classic racing by running it bouncing off the rev limiter at full throttle for three minutes casually following on his watch "if they don't cope with that they have no future in racing". Bloody brutal. Then they enter life at the track.
Click to expand...

With the proud owner standing next to him as he does it  :o :o :o :o :o

But true, they are designed to be reliable at anything up to redline at any time. IIRC Ford ran the 24 hour GT40 for 48 hours at race revs on a dyno.
 
If you ever rode a modern street bike on a track and then went back to a 750 SFC or any other Laverda and drove it also on the track, I think you will know what these guys racing these bikes 24 hours REALY did. Superstars in my eyes...!

 
"With the proud owner standing next to him as he does it  :o :o :o :o :o"
Yes, that was the condition of the sale.
Lothar I still race my Laverda and I enjoy it far more than the CBR600 I have for training. It is like a top classic Italian sports car of that time, which are also true eye openers. I would like to try a genuine SFC at the track but that ain't going to happen, and I very much doubt I could post lap times similar to my somewhat modified SF. The closest we get are the videos from places like Spa. I hope we get to see a video from the cockpit of this now sold SFC.
 
for sure the experience of riding a classic bike on a track is totally different to a modern bike. I have both (with the 750 S Formula being the modern bike) and must admit that it can be boring when the bike does really everything you'd expect it to do. The Formula is so easy to handle, you do not even think of the corner and you are through it already. Much more work on the Jota or even the 1000 SFC - and both are massively improved by lighter wheels and better suspension. Still - on a race track, you get really exhausted with a classic bike where with a modern bike, I hink you are quicker and with the same afford or less exhausted when you match the same lap time.

Getting below 3 Minutes in SPA is almost impossible with any 750 SFC or just slightly modified other Laverda. It takes guys like Rob with a heavily tuned and somewhat lightened triple to get there. With a modern bike, pretty sure you soon get close to the 3 Minutes; a very good rider like Rob or others would for sure hit the 2:50 or below (not sure if that is possible with a 750 S Formula though, but I guess it is...).
 
Laverdalothar said:
If you ever rode a modern street bike on a track and then went back to a 750 SFC or any other Laverda and drove it also on the track, I think you will know what these guys racing these bikes 24 hours REALY did. Superstars in my eyes...!
Click to expand...

Well, if you ride an older machine on the road, you realise what riders doing long distance events like the Milano Taranto or the Giro really did.
Ride, stop for a cigarette and a glass of wine and off again. For days on end. (alcohol was also plentiful on 24hr endurance events. Amphetamines probably also helped )
Superstars indeed.

Paul
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top