Laverdas in the US?

<DIV>I live in a hamlet in rural Galloway, Scotland.</DIV> <DIV>Population approx 24.</DIV> <DIV>One summer I met 2 Laverdas just passing through accompanied by another Laverda owner on a Trumpet which belongs to his wife so doesn't count. Add that to my Jota and statistically rural Scotland has 1 Laverda for every 16 people but 2 of them also own a Ducati, 5 of them a Triumph and there are 2.3 Hondas for everyone in the country.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Obviously this means nothing at all. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>But proves that writing Christmas cards all evening in the interest of domestic harmony skews your outlook on life.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>ShedBob.</DIV>
 
<DIV>Bob:  You're right, forgot Mr. Suzuki. Add a 1979 Wes Cooley GS1000, and, the Holy Grail of Suzuki's: a 1977 Bimota SB2, which is one of my all time favorite bikes.  Now, if we shake everyone on this forum upside down and gather all the change, I suppose we could pick up 1 or 2 of these bikes, and, like, do a timeshare......since I had the idea, I get first whack at them.......</DIV>
 
Good to know that there are some Laverda's in Southern California... I have never seen another Laverda on the road.

I have a better chance of running into Jay Leno, of the "Tonight Show" on his Jet bike than seeing another Laverda.

Would love to hear and see any triple in the flesh.

Charles
Redondo Beach, California
 
<DIV>Hi Red,the TTM full fairing you fitted,does it look a bit BMWish,the a square perpex cover over the headlight,and a couple of wing like protusions on the side,if so I had one fitted as well,replaced it with an SS bevel one a couple of months ago,when it first went on I liked it but after lots of years it became assteticaly chalanged,it was the worst job I ever did fitting wise,I cut 100mm out of the bottom and add some more glass to lift it up for more comfort,just trying to line up mounts and drill holes was praticaly imposable,never again will I fit a full fairing on anything</DIV>
 
All,

There's about 10-12 Lavies in Colorado that I know of.

One reason Laverda wasn't more successful IMHO was the distribution system. True Story - pre-internet days remember in the mid-70's. I wanted to buy an MV but couldn't find out how. Then I switch to a SFC. I wrote a letter to Yankee Corporation and said, I want a SFC, I have cash, please send me dealer contact info. 6-8 weeks later, a single brochure shows up with the barest info on the current line-up including a SFC. There wasn't any contact info of a dealer, no phone number, no nothing.

On the way to the lake in Indiana, I always drove by Lightsville Garage in Ohio with a Ducati/Guzzi dealership. I became friends with Buzz, bought a new 1977 silver/blue 900SS and regret to this day selling the bike.

I love my silver RGS but really think my old 900SS would be nice sitting next to it. I never did see a SFC until 2002 when I went shopping for my America.

David
 
<DIV>I'm a member of a motorcycle club here in Tasmania, and we had our Christmas dinner last Saturday. I was seated at a table of 8 people, and there were 4 Laverda owners at that table with 7 Laverdas between them. There was also a guy at the next table with 5 Laverdas. And it's not a Laverda club!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Cam</DIV>
 
<DIV>Who would own all those Laverdas in Tassie,say Gday to Lino if you get a chance.</DIV>
 
<DIV>G'day Vince</DIV> <DIV>Lino was the bloke with the 5 Laverdas! He seemed to be enjoying the vino rosso.</DIV> <DIV>3 people had 2 each, and I only have one. All the Laverda owners seemed to gravitate together. There were another 7 or 8 tables at the dinner without a Laverda between them. There are a couple more Laverda owners in the club who didn't come to the dinner. A good time was had by all!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Cam</DIV>
 
Cam,
But did Hal brake out his dancing shoes ???

Twould appear that $6000 was the going rate, regardless of currency or inflation for that matter - even in 91 :)

Peter
 
Back in the late '70s through mid '80s, I was aware of 6 Laverdas in the Silicon Valley area. Three triples, one 500, and two early 750s. One triple I only ever saw up at the crossroads meeting place (Alice's Restaurant), two were owned by friends, the 500 a friend of a friend, and the two 750s by a co-worker. Three owners have died since (that I know of). I have two of the six, and suspect the two 750s are still sitting where they were over twenty years ago (parked for minor problems). Suspect my old '73 Guzzi 750 Sport (with Reno Leoni built engine) is still sitting with them. Supposedly, my triple was not a US model, but was originally an endurance racer imported and detuned slightly, for the road. Has a badge from Monza track, and allegedly was clocked there at 170mph. Even with stock size? carbs, it was able to run away from an RGS on top end, without any fairing to help.
May have been others in San Francisco, but I never saw any myself.

Will
 
<DIV>G'day Peter</DIV> <DIV>Hal is one of the local Laverdisti who didn't go to the dinner. He wasn't invited - possibly because he's not a member of the Italian M/C Club (antisocial bastard) but more likely because his attendance would have encouraged the rest of us to attain his level of debauchery!  :-)</DIV> <DIV>Cam</DIV>
 
<DIV>Here I go this is my 'two bobs worth'(20 cents in US speak). I arrived in California in late September of 1980 from Australia via South America on my 74 Laverda 1000. In all those years since that time I have only ever come across another Laverda about 6-8 times. In the early 80's I participated in a rally/ride organized by Steve from European Motorcycles of Garden Grove, The California 500 which was a two day ride covering the mountain roads of Southern California starting in Lake Elsinore covering Palomar/San Diego mountain areas and finishing in Big Bear, 2 Lavs mine and Steve on a 1200. Saw a Jarama once at the lookout cafe on Ortega Highway. A guy called Brian from Canada spent sometime around the Palm Springs area  near where I live. He trailered his orange Jota down and stayed with my mate BMW Dave so wegot to ride locally a couple of times. Came across a red 75/76 1000 at Laguna Seca one year but could not locate the owner. Saw a black 1000 parked in front of a motel in San Simeon California a few years back. Met another guy with a very clean Orange 80 Jota at Stinson Beach in Northern California. Then my mate MotoddRob lived in the Halfmoon Bay area of California for a few years so over a few years I travelled up there and tore up the local roads me on my 78 Jota , Rob on 2 different 750 SF's and then finally on the 750 SFC he bought while living in Halfmoon. Thats it apart from the North America Laverda rally of a few years back. Rare as chicken teeth. When I lived in West Australia back in the 70's there was a lot more Laverdas there. But it could be that most Laverda owners are in there 40-50's do not ride as much and the Laverda is no longer their daily rider. Hope to have mine back on the road soon (couple months tops). Cheers Dave</DIV>
 
<div>

<p><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span>Hi
Will,</span></font></p>

<p><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span>think I had a chat about
the following before: 2-3 years ago when I was in </span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span>San Francisco</span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span>, I walked down from China-Town to the harbour and passed a 750 at
a crossing. The 750 was partly rebuilt but many parts missing (exhausts, carbs,
clocks etc. etc.). I think I was told it was once stolen, has been sold to a person
that did not know the bike was stolen (and who partly restored it) and was
brought back to the original owner after the first restaurations had been done.</span></font></p>

<p><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span>So – at least one
750 in </span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span>San Francisco</span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span> – even if not in running condition… Did
you count that 750 in, too? ;-)</span></font></p>

<p><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span>LG</span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span>Lothar</span></font></p>

</div>

 
<DIV>one of the most interesting aspects of this entire Laverda web site and message list is the international differences that become apparent.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>somebody from the U.K posted recently a link to a garage dehumidifier. I had a temporary moment of wonder as to why the heck anyone would want to de-humidify a garage..... here in western Canada the humidity level is almost painfully low, to the point where it is very common practice to attach a water filled device with a float mechanism much like a toilet, to the furnaces to <U>add</U> humidity to any enclosed space needing heating........... </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>lots of other examples, but the one that drives me wild are all these casual references by people (usually from the U.K.) - oh, I just picked up an SFC 1000/ Lav 750/1000/1200, whatever. You people have no idea how fortunate you are. Here in western Canada, from personal experience, these bikes are few on the ground, and just do not change hands very often. I have been looking diligently for a good next Laverda project bike, for more than two years now, so far without success.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I just did a Canada wide internet search for any Laverda's for sale. I didn't find a single Laverda presently advertised for sale, in all of Canada. A U.S. wide internet search threw up only one Laverda at present, an 82 Jota with an asking price of over $18,000.00 U.S. There thankfully have been a few Laverda's in North America come up on eBay, but again, few and far between. The best way to find a Laverda for sale in North America is typically to phone Wolfgang Haerter, who seems to know who might be considering selling, buit it is very much a hit and miss proposition. I suspect that most Laverda's trading hands in North America never even get advertised.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The other side of the equation, that the bikes are so rare here, relatively speaking, is that there isn't all that much of a market for them. They can be as tough to sell as they are tough to find and buy. The market is very very small, unfortunately. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have two Laverda's presently. They both get ridden regularly, and for the last couple of years the RGS Executive has been my primary ride. It attracts considerable attention wherever it goes, including people yelling out from cars at traffic lights wondering what it is, who makes it, etc. I suspect for most people that see it being ridden, it is likely the first Laverda they have ever seen. This, in a city of a million people, that had a Laverda dealership, however small, in the late 70's and early 80's. So, where did those bikes go.....?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Paul LeClair</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>
 
I know of at least 6 in Albuquerque, alone. There were 7, but one is making its way to Louisiana, with a restoration stop in TX. (Hi, Scott) Some are hidden away and just aren't ridden, which is worse for them than riding them 10,000 miles a year.
 
Hi Lothar,
No, I wasn't counting the bike you speak about. The two 750s have been collecting dust since about 1980, I think. Haven't talked to the owner for 10yrs, maybe. I assume they are still there, because he has never been willing to part with any bike, they just sit. I tried to buy back the Guzzi Sport, but he refused then. I think he only rode it a couple times. As I recall, one of the 750 Lav just needed a bearing behind the countershaft sprocket? Details are fuzzy at this point.
If someone wants to take a shot at prying away a bike or two from him, I'll dig up contact info. Bear in mind I haven't spoken with him for 10yrs or so, but I suspect everything is still sitting there, and probably a few more bikes by now!

Will
 
<DIV>Lothar that rusty twin in SF must be world famous,we have spoken about it here before,my mate took a pic maybe 10 years ago.</DIV>
 
In the 1980's I owned a bike brought to the US by an associate of Roger Slater. I was told ti was a "prototype" for he Jota. In any case it was built as a dual purpose bike-street or track. I also had 2 American Eagle 750's and 2 SF2's. One of the American Eagles was never titled. I sold the twin package to a guy from Ohio. There was a dealer's inventory of spare parts with the deal too.
About 3 years later I bought my first RGS from a man in Chicago. I kept it a couple years and sold it to a young married couple from Nebraska. The wife was a very nice lady and wanted her husband to have his dream bike. I knocked off a healthy sum on the price because of her attitude. I was told the bike found a very much loved place in their care.
I didn't get another RGS until 1999. I bought one from a guy in Arizona. He was the original owner and rode a Guzzi instead. I rode it a couple years until my health had a setback and it sat for a year. It has just today emerged from the shop after 3 years. New valves,tires bulbs and a general sprucing up. It was very nice to get it on the road again. The mechanic asked if he could buy it if I ever sold it. He said he had forgotten how nice the RGS was.
I don't know of any more Laverdas around central Florida. The guy who did the work said he only knows of a handful and he has been the "import bike guy" for over 20 years.
 
Outside of my RGS, which was sold new in California, then went to Texas and now with me here in Kansas, there are few Lavs in my area. I've been given pics of a Jota that's supposedly locked in a shed perhaps 20 miles from where I live, but haven't been allowed to know exactly where it is. It's pretty rough looking, but appears to be all there. I know there's a nice Jota in Kansas City, and a good friend who lives out in the middle of nowhere recently acquired one of the very last SFCs, one of the lot with spoke wheels that originally went to Germany in 1987 or so. The point being, the ones I know of all found there way here from other points of origin.

Richard
 
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