Laverda SF750 mechanic needed in Southern California

I'm up in Northern California. So far I have managed everything myself, albeit with advice from the Forum, more advice and a visit from Grant.....

Easy for me to say, but I am sure there must be some shops in Southern California that can help. I walked into an independent shop in Redding way up north, started chatting and the owner mechanic had worked on a Laverda twin not too long ago.....
 
Dellortoman said:
It's quite normal for a tap to stop flowing when the tank is empty.
Click to expand...

::) OK, I'll rephrase it.
Left tap was in the down position, right tap facing rearwards ............... both taps stopped flowing around the same time, when the tank emptied. Meaning no reserve.
 
The fuel petcocks are always in the off position, habit from years of owning an old airhead beemer. I sourced some copper exhaust gaskets from my work of all places. We are moving to a new building and I knew we had a old box assortment of metric gaskets and low and behold, 6 were in the compartment. We don't even use them any more so my luck is starting to turn.
I will check out the Italian motorcycle shop up in Glendale tomorrow and see if they are familiar with Laverdas. There is  also a Moto Guzzi shop near me and I may ask if they might be able to point me in the right direction. Who knows, they may have an Italian mechanic that is versed in all Italian bikes. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
 
chrisk said:
::) OK, I'll rephrase it.
Left tap was in the down position, right tap facing rearwards ............... both taps stopped flowing around the same time, when the tank emptied. Meaning no reserve.
Click to expand...

potentially, there is something blocking one of the channels or the filter is gummed up? Remove the petcocks and see what's going on... would be weird, but maybe the small plastic tube on top has fallen off?

@Blackwolf: check the petcocks REALY close on the forward position.
 
"maybe the small plastic tube on top has fallen off?"

or the Ethanol has eaten it away!

CLEM

ps I have never seen oil/fuel escaping from the exhaust port of a 750 twin
it affects the triples, but I (personally) have never seen it on a twin, and in the 70's I was riding my own SF1 in a shocking state by todays standards as were lots of others, never saw that on any of them.
 
chrisk said:
Will do Loathar, what position is on and what position is reserve?
Click to expand...

Normally forward is closed, down is open and backward is reserve. But if someone has changed the setup and installed non-original tabs...  ::)
 
That's how the Orlandi cube taps operate.

The Paoli taps are front = off, down = on, and turned back past off and upwards = reserve.
 
I once spent hours trying to kick-start a bike after a long-range plastic tank was fitted, seems its tap was forward for off and rearward for on, no reserve and down was off as well. I had the tap pointing down as that's what all taps do, not that one though. It pays to check if you don't want very sore knees.
 
Grant said:
That's how the Orlandi cube taps operate.

The Paoli taps are front = off, down = on, and turned back past off and upwards = reserve.
Click to expand...

On most of them it is written on the tab anyway... also depends on if you mean the "flab" turning up or down or the front (which has a kind of "pointer" pointing towards the "on" or "off"). I meant the flab.
 
When riding a bike and it goes on to reserve I don't have time or inclination to look at which way the pointer is pointing.
Of course you do it by feel through thick gloves, so I mentioned the direction of the fuel tap lever.
 
It simple. Point both sticks forward for off, straight down for on, straight back for reserve. Don't turn them up into the tank, turn them down and away from the tank. When I get confused I pull off, rotate the lever and watch the fuel fill the lines and then head for the next station.
 
Back to the original topic (unusual for me I know) - After you have owned one of these antiques for a while you will find yourself doing mechanical work you never imagined you would ever do. All part of the ownership and fun.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top