Exmoor beast
Hero member
- Location
- Minehead,Somerset, ENGLAND OF COURSE
Another one of Smithy’s auctions..
Laverda formula 500 if your into that sort of thing…
- Thread starter Exmoor beast
- Start date
Andy J
Hero member
- Location
- Isle of Man
Well at least this one is a genuine bike rather than a 'replica' although I would suggest it's more likely from the 1980 production run than 1979.
OneThinBloke
Hero member
- Location
- Oxfordshire, UK
I had a very brief ride on a Formula 500, it had bald (slick) tyres. went wrong first corner. Oops.
Event was at Ulderico's little museum of maybe 400 bikes... Don't worry about it, we have plenty of bikes! His grand daughters were very attentive to my superficial wounds
Pompone Laverda meeting 1997
Event was at Ulderico's little museum of maybe 400 bikes... Don't worry about it, we have plenty of bikes! His grand daughters were very attentive to my superficial wounds
Pompone Laverda meeting 1997
The Sock
Hero member
- Location
- London, England
I had a lot of fun on Dennis Kelly's 'Avon Bikes' road-registered one. Thrashing it up and down the Bristol bypass.
Andy J
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- Location
- Isle of Man
That's probably why when Fred Curry bought it, it leaked oil like a sieve....
F500fan
New member
- Location
- Croydon, Surrey
F500fan
New member
- Location
- Croydon, Surrey
Hi Andy, the Formula 500 in this thread that's up for auction in the US has the engine number 2927.
That Mk2 Monty I had at Willersley last year I kept in the end & has the frame & engine number 2928.
On the Laverdamania register, my Mk2 numbers are in a run of F500 & Mk1 Monty numbers. ( see attached image )
There are few details about this bike that don't quite add up ?? Have been told it's a pre production Mk2 concept bike for want of better words ??
Do you have any F500 frame/engine numbers info that can say if the bike is actually an F500, or was it just plucked off the production at random to become the Mk2 development bike ? Have attached my bike's engine number also.
Attachments
Andy J
Hero member
- Location
- Isle of Man
The main difference between the Alpino S, Monty and F500 was bodywork (albeit the Alpino didn't have the S1 cam) so 2928 could have started out life as any one of them. However, it wasn't AFAIK imported by Slaters as a F500 so it is more likely it was a Monty.
F500fan
New member
- Location
- Croydon, Surrey
Hi Andy, thanks for quick reply.
Well this bike 2928 definitely has the S1 stamped cams, so the pre production Mk2 Monty "try out bike" theory kinda stands up then ? Have sent all the info + pix off to Richard Slater, so hopefully he can clarify one way or another why a Mk2 has appeared so early in amongst the Mk1s ??
Cheers.
Andy J
Hero member
- Location
- Isle of Man
Dennis Kelly at Avon bikes was importing Motosplat kits and bodywork in the early 80’s. He fitted the Motosplat version of the Mk 2 bodywork on my 350 before it was officially used on the Mk2 Monty. It is therefore possible that some of the bodywork was fitted to a few ‘Mk1’ Monty’s before the factory Mk2 was launched. In fact I seem to remember seeing a rebuilt Monty in Avon Bikes around 1980 which had been fitted with Mk 2 style bodywork. It was red, the same as my 350.
It is also possible an owner of 2928 preferred the look of the Mk 2 and swapped the bodywork around about or after 1982.
It is also possible an owner of 2928 preferred the look of the Mk 2 and swapped the bodywork around about or after 1982.
F500fan
New member
- Location
- Croydon, Surrey
Hi Andy, thanks for the info. Have sent bike info + pix off to Richard Slater to get verification on the bike, so hopefully some sort of definitive answer will be forthcoming ??
And yes, as for people liking the Mk2 look, Ross Haygarth had previously told me he chose to change his Mk1 over to Mk2 bodywork.
I prefer the look of the Mk1. It was the bike I fell in love with instantly. To me it was just one of those bikes that looked so right !!
So can I ask, do you have, or know anyone who might have, a Mk1 Monty seat for sale ?? If I get this bike of mine back out on the road, I would much prefer it with the Mk1 seat. It doesn't have to be mint & shiny, just useable. Scratched & broken is fine, just so long as it's repairable ??
Cheers, Andy.
Robin Webster
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- Location
- Silverstone
I used Spike at Ragged Edge Racing for my fibreglass. Seat £80, nose fairing £130 and winglets/hand guards at £20.
He is VERY busy during the race season so maybe best to get him to make them over the winter..
F500fan
New member
- Location
- Croydon, Surrey
Hi, thanks for the heads up on Ragged Edge goodies. Yes I've looked at their Laverda items. Can I ask, is their Mk1 Monty seat a pretty reasonable copy, or more of a 750 SFC item that kinda fits ?? Their description says seat is for use with " long tank ", but I'm just using standard Monty tank. Am also in need of a Mk2 Monty fairing screen. Have had a look at what Skidmarx has to offer but nothing looked like a standard screen ??I used Spike at Ragged Edge Racing for my fibreglass. Seat £80, nose fairing £130 and winglets/hand guards at £20.
He is VERY busy during the race season so maybe best to get him to make them over the winter..
Regards, Andy G.
Robin Webster
Hero member
- Location
- Silverstone
My race bike had a long tank so maybe I am not fully qualified to answer that but the do a tank for the SF750 also, one kicks up at the front, the other not.
When stuck at a race meeting I bought a Suzuki RG500 screen from a retailer and it was pretty much spot on for my bike.
When stuck at a race meeting I bought a Suzuki RG500 screen from a retailer and it was pretty much spot on for my bike.
Alzero
Hero member
- Location
- Slow traveling
Gustafson Plastics in Florida? The problem would be paying for shipping.
I wonder how much effect that big long tank has in handling, especially when full, but even with less fuel and then having that fuel move around when cornering. Necessary to use big 25-litre tanks for Enduance racing, but we usually only do 10ish laps in Oz. Years ago, I tried to convince a local racing his space frame triple to make a mould of this insanely huge tank and shorten it so he could move the seat forward to centralise its weight distribution. He could have made a much smaller centred tank and just suspended it under a Fibreglass dummy cover. As a case in point, Ducati are having trouble adapting between the smaller sprint tanks and the big tank they are using for the main race. Food for thought.
F500fan
New member
- Location
- Croydon, Surrey
Hi, thanks for the info & pix. Will have to give them a ring & find out for sure, but will assume now, ( having seen these pix of your bike ),
that the seat with the tip up front is more likely to be a better fit with the standard Monty tank ??
I knew about the RG500 screen fit from when I owned the Mk1 F500 years ago. At the time, I was led to believe the complete RG500 fairing was a usable alternative to the F500 item ??
Cheers, Andy G
F500fan
New member
- Location
- Croydon, Surrey
So have contacted Spike at Ragged Edge, unfortunately his Monty seat is too short to go with the standard Monty tank, which is a bit frustrating, but at least we know now !! Did order a replacement front mudguard so at least sorted !
Having subsequently read an old post from on here about Skidmarx screens, it seems that what they have on their website might not be as comprehensive a stock as to what they may actually have available ?? Phone calls will be made !
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piranha-bro2
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- Location
- Melbourne
It's not that difficult to add fibreglass to a short seat. Just a thought.
F500fan
New member
- Location
- Croydon, Surrey
Yes, have already considered that option if I can't find a standard Monty seat.
