Laverda in the latest fashion UK

Paul Marx said:
I think that the Triumph 400 single is the most "in" bike at the moment. But then I'm not in the UK.
I'm off to try one as soon as it stops raining.
170 kg with fuel and oil, 40 bhp. What more could you want?
Paul
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140kg and 74 hp? Husky 701 sm...mind you, you might need a bit more seat padding, and leg extenders if youre a shortie. There is a new Ducati suoermoto..abiut 78hp, but all at top end and £11.5k to boot.But the Husky is a hoot, thats for sure.And 2 paper oil filters and also 2 fine mesh ones..and pricey 10/50 fully synth..though not much!Once a year oil change for all my bikes.
 
Aren’t the Aprilia 660’s the successors to the Zane Laverdas? 100-ish hp twins, 185 kg sport bikes? And Italian! Sure they got the development money that Zane never had and they have modern electronics like ABS and cruise control, but still they are the closest thing out there. They seem to be selling used in the mid €8000 range.
 
interesting going from EFI to Keihin FCRs - they do say the FCRs were the last thing in carbs before EFI took over. You can't get the computer and sensor controlled benefits of eFI but you can get the horsepower.
 
IMHO the whole issue is ultimately this: What is the motorcycle that comes closest to the ideal, or, in other words, how much motorcycle does people need?

This is possibly the reason why the new 700/800 class which Sir Sid referred to in the beginning is that successful and 200HP+ bikes are on the decline.

The very last Zane Laverdas indeed did have a lot of the positive attributes req'd, but with the known shortfalls to watch for (which'd been discussed already here on the forum lenghtly).

Indeed my nowadays fav would be the Aprilia 660. A mate has one, so there should be the chance I could do a test ride before to long.
 
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The big difference in performance between then and now are the modern riding aids like quickshifter, cruise control, ABS and cornering ABS as well as the 270* crankshaft and EFI. At this point it’s apples vs oranges: all the two bikes have in common is the number of cylinders and country of manufacture and design.
 
Alzero said:
The big difference in performance between then and now are the modern riding aids like quickshifter, cruise control, ABS and cornering ABS as well as the 270* crankshaft and EFI. At this point it’s apples vs oranges: all the two bikes have in common is the number of cylinders and country of manufacture and design.
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The big difference is road legislation.
Anything above 25 horse power is overkill.
Paul
 
A while ago I remember some motorcycle training guy , or may have been an Institute Of Advanced Riding person , saying that as soon as you pass your motorcycle test , the minimum you need to be safe , taking into consideration modern traffic conditions / driving standards , is at least 600cc / 75 bhp ........ ( as I said , this was a little while ago ) ........ His reasoning was that no matter what you you ride , or where you ride , sooner or later you are going to have some dick up your backside , and the only safe place for a bike to be is out in front and away ......

Nowadays I would say that should be at least 80 bhp , if you are going to be able to deal confidently with any unexpected situation that may arise ..... ( traffic is a lot faster now than it was 25/30 years ago ) ...... For example , how safe would you be , travelling on a motorway on a machine that has a maximum cruising speed of 80 mph ( 130 kph ) , ( and virtually nothing left in reserve ) , when 70 % of the other traffic is overtaking you ? ........

As for EFI and rider modes on modern machines , I bought a modern 1200 cc twin not so long ago ..... ( a bit bigger than the 600 / 800 twins being discussed , I know ) ......... Compared to a certain 1200 triple ( guess what that was ) , that I owned before , the difference in pick up and throttle response between the two machines was like night and day .....

However ........ The 1200 twin was a low ( not necessarily slow ) revving machine , and would start to run out of puff around 90 - 100 mph ( 150 - 160 kph ) , whereas the 1200 triple , as we all know , would be just be starting to get into it`s stride at that point , and would leave the modern twin for dead from that point on ........ We`re well into top gear by this time , obviously .......

The reason I got rid of the modern 1200 twin was the aforementioned lack of top end power ..... ( ok , it wasn`t meant to be a sport bike , and I thought I could live with that ....... but returning to Bristol along the A420 one day , I started to close up on a car in front of me that was travelling along at around 70 mph ..... ( work it out for yourselves kph people , I can`t be bothered anymore ) ........ Straight bit coming up past North Wraxall , open up to overtake , and halfway through that manoeuvre , I hit that 90 mph brick wall mentioned earlier ........ Nothing left in reserve , no other options available .........

Which brings me back to my earlier point ....... You may think you don`t need all that power , and that you always ride according to your own limits , and prevailing road conditions and regulations ...... but all it needs is for that one circumstance or situation to arise , maybe through your own actions , or that of somebody else , and you will think again ..........

EU compulsory speed limiters , anyone ? .......
 
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rocketonarail said:
A while ago I remember some motorcycle training guy , or may have been an Institute Of Advanced Riding person , saying that as soon as you pass your motorcycle test , the minimum you need to be safe , taking into consideration modern traffic conditions / driving standards , is at least 600cc / 75 bhp ........ ( as I said , this was a little while ago ) ........ His reasoning was that no matter what you you ride , or where you ride , sooner or later you are going to have some dick up your backside , and the only safe place for a bike to be is out in front and away ......

Nowadays I would say that should be at least 80 bhp , if you are going to be able to deal confidently with any unexpected situation that may arise ..... ( traffic is a lot faster now than it was 25/30 years ago ) ...... For example , how safe would you be , travelling on a motorway on a machine that has a maximum cruising speed of 80 mph ( 130 kph ) , ( and virtually nothing left in reserve ) , when 70 % of the other traffic is overtaking you ? ........

As for EFI and rider modes on modern machines , I bought a modern 1200 cc twin not so long ago ..... ( a bit bigger than the 600 / 800 twins being discussed , I know ) ......... Compared to a certain 1200 triple ( guess what that was ) , that I owned before , the difference in pick up and throttle response between the two machines was like night and day .....

However ........ The 1200 twin was a low ( not necessarily slow ) revving machine , and would start to run out of puff around 90 - 100 mph ( 150 - 160 kph ) , whereas the 1200 triple , as we all know , would be just be starting to get into it`s stride at that point , and would leave the modern twin for dead from that point on ........ We`re well into top gear by this time , obviously .......

The reason I got rid of the modern 1200 twin was the aforementioned lack of top end power ..... ( ok , it wasn`t meant to be a sport bike , and I thought I could live with that ....... but returning to Bristol along the A420 one day , I started to close up on a car in front of me that was travelling along at around 70 mph ..... ( work it out for yourselves kph people , I can`t be bothered anymore ) ........ Straight bit coming up past North Wraxall , open up to overtake , and halfway through that manoeuvre , I hit that 90 mph brick wall mentioned earlier ........ Nothing left in reserve , no other options available .........

Which brings me back to my earlier point ....... You may think you don`t need all that power , and that you always ride according to your own limits , and prevailing road conditions and regulations ...... but all it needs is for that one circumstance or situation to arise , maybe through your own actions , or that of somebody else , and you will think again ..........

EU compulsory speed limiters , anyone ? .......
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The only thing 80 bhp and beginners is good for is undertakers and people waiting for organ donors. And that even with traction control and ABS.
Paul
 
In the UK motorcycle licences are divided into categories depending on the learners age , and power outputs of the motorcycle , thus ensuring a smooth transition from 125cc learner to full power motorcycle ......

To qualify for a A1 licence you must :

1 ..... Be at leasr 17 years of age

2 .... Complete a Compulsory Basic Training Course

The test must be taken on a motorcycle between 120 and 125 cc , and it must produce a maximum of no more than 15 bhp .....

After a period of two years , you can then move onto a A2 licence ......

To qualify for a A2 licence you must :

1 ... Be at least 19 years of age ......

2 .... Complete a Compulsory Basic Training Course .... or .......

3 ....Have held a A1 licence for at least two years

The test must be taken on a motorcycle of at least 395 cc , and produce a maximum of no more than 47 bhp ..... ( larger motorcycles can be restricted to 47 bhp in order to comply as well ) ......


To qualify for a full ( A ) licence you must :

1...... Complete a Compulsory Basic Training Course

2...... Either have held a A2 licence ( 47 bhp maximum ) for at least two years , and be over 21 years of age ...... or ......

3 .... Be at least 24 years of age ....... and hold a provisional Category A driving licence ......

The test must be taken on a motorcycle of at least 595 cc , and it must produce a minimum of 67 bhp .......


All rather different from the " old days " ....... When as a 16 year old , you could grab hold of a 12 bhp 250 , wobble around the local roads completely un-supervised for a couple of weeks , take the test ......... and then be able to jump straight onto a 82 bhp Z1 , if you so desired ......... Now that really would be dangerous .... :) ............
 
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rocketonarail said:
All rather different from the " old days " ....... When as a 17 year old , you could grab hold of a 12 bhp 250 , wobble around the local roads completely un-supervised for a couple of weeks , take the test ......... and then be able to jump straight onto a 82 bhp Z1 , if you so desired ......... Now that really would be dangerous .... :) ............
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Tiger Cub at 16, followed by C15. Borrowed a six week old Honda CB175 from a friend to sit my test on.
The Examiner asked me "What did your parents think about you signing up for this bike?"
"My money, my decision."
"I'm pleased to tell you that you've passed."
Four weeks later, I passed him on my new Norton 850 Commando. He looked surprised.
Six weeks later, crash helmets were made compulsory.
Replaced the Commando with my Laverda three years later.
And, yet, I'm still here,...

Commando 850 Flares.jpg
 
The Sock said:
Tiger Cub at 16, followed by C15. Borrowed a six week old Honda CB175 from a friend to sit my test on.
The Examiner asked me "What did your parents think about you signing up for this bike?"
"My money, my decision."
"I'm pleased to tell you that you've passed."
Four weeks later, I passed him on my new Norton 850 Commando. He looked surprised.
Six weeks later, crash helmets were made compulsory.
Replaced the Commando with my Laverda three years later.
And, yet, I'm still here,...

View attachment 88478
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With that hair Hamish , you would hardly need a crash helmet !! ...... ;) ........ The helmet law came into force a couple of months after I started riding as well ......... After a couple of open face helmets , I got my first " full face " ,,,, an Owens Masterguard Dome , which fitted so tightly it would give me a headache after about ten minutes .......

It was good for staring at old ladies in the passenger seats of cars at traffic lights , and frightening them to death though ...... This was 1974 and they`d never seen anything like it before ....... :LOL: ...........
 
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Took my test on a 58 Tiger cub in Farnborough in 77 as the queue was smaller than in Wimbledon - the cub had a worn bearing in the distributer so was prone to back fire in deceleration - so being waved to halt having been round the block was accompanied by a loud bang each time - still I passed and still have an almost identical 57 cub today ! And in fact planning by to ride it down the local bike meet tomorrow 😀IMG_8617.jpeg
 
First bike I used on the road was a Cub ..... ( Richard Slater had one he`d restored in the showroom at Collington ....... When I told him I used to have one , he replied " Everyone used to have one , Tony " ........... After seeing these last couple of posts . I`m starting to believe he was right ........ ) ........

I was giving a mate an ( illegal ) lift on my L -plated Cub when we were both sixteen ..... We were travelling up New Cheltenham ( a long uphill drag in Bristol ) , when a 650 Saint mounted police motorcyclist passed us going the other way , giving us a LOOK as he went by ......

My " mate " shouted " He`s turning round " ...... ( he wasn`t ) ..... and in a moment of panic , I twisted the Cub`s throttle open as far as it would go , in order to make our getaway ..........

Of course , the Cub continued to chug it`s way up New Cheltenham at a stately 35 mph , as if nothing had happened .......
 
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I’m not a believer in needing loads of power and have never understood the “ get you out of trouble” argument.
I have built 200+ bhp bikes and ridden works Ducati engine in a road bike and survived the young and very stupid phase. I bought a Morini 350GT and had one of those seminal moments whilst riding it- Why do you need anything bigger than this? I spent thirty years getting old enough to afford insurance on huge capacity bikes only to find I’d missed a trick. My Morini will do 90 apparently has about 27hp and does about 50mpg, it’s comfy handles, stops and is very easy to ride. The “ getting yourself out of trouble” argument rings true here if you go round a bend and it’s covered in mud, pack of Hounds ( done that..) tractor with forks out etc then a little bike is far better at stopping, changing direction darting into hedge . Horsepower is a hobby and was my business but it is a drug and we are all guilty of recreational horsepower!
 
rocketonarail said:
In the UK motorcycle licences are divided into categories depending on the learners age , and power outputs of the motorcycle , thus ensuring a smooth transition from 125cc learner to full power motorcycle ......

To qualify for a A1 licence you must :

1 ..... Be at leasr 17 years of age

2 .... Complete a Compulsory Basic Training Course

The test must be taken on a motorcycle between 120 and 125 cc , and it must produce a maximum of no more than 15 bhp .....

After a period of two years , you can then move onto a A2 licence ......

To qualify for a A2 licence you must :

1 ... Be at least 19 years of age ......

2 .... Complete a Compulsory Basic Training Course .... or .......

3 ....Have held a A1 licence for at least two years

The test must be taken on a motorcycle of at least 395 cc , and produce a maximum of no more than 47 bhp ..... ( larger motorcycles can be restricted to 47 bhp in order to comply as well ) ......


To qualify for a full ( A ) licence you must :

1...... Complete a Compulsory Basic Training Course

2...... Either have held a A2 licence ( 47 bhp maximum ) for at least two years , and be over 21 years of age ...... or ......

3 .... Be at least 24 years of age ....... and hold a provisional Category A driving licence ......

The test must be taken on a motorcycle of at least 595 cc , and it must produce a minimum of 67 bhp .......


All rather different from the " old days " ....... When as a 16 year old , you could grab hold of a 12 bhp 250 , wobble around the local roads completely un-supervised for a couple of weeks , take the test ......... and then be able to jump straight onto a 82 bhp Z1 , if you so desired ......... Now that really would be dangerous .... :) ............
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EU inspired legislation.
 
Exmoor beast said:
I’m not a believer in needing loads of power and have never understood the “ get you out of trouble” argument.
I have built 200+ bhp bikes and ridden works Ducati engine in a road bike and survived the young and very stupid phase. I bought a Morini 350GT and had one of those seminal moments whilst riding it- Why do you need anything bigger than this? I spent thirty years getting old enough to afford insurance on huge capacity bikes only to find I’d missed a trick. My Morini will do 90 apparently has about 27hp and does about 50mpg, it’s comfy handles, stops and is very easy to ride. The “ getting yourself out of trouble” argument rings true here if you go round a bend and it’s covered in mud, pack of Hounds ( done that..) tractor with forks out etc then a little bike is far better at stopping, changing direction darting into hedge . Horsepower is a hobby and was my business but it is a drug and we are all guilty of recreational horsepower!
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Exactly.
Not to mention that weight is always an enemy on a motorcycle.
I'm beginning to find my 750 Lavs heavy.
Paul
 
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