Lurking no more / my first post / my first Laverda

R

RGSteve

Junior member
Location
Unity Maine USA
As the title says, I've been lurking here for a while as I waited to secure a deal and finally get my, new to me, '83 RGS delivered from half the continent away. I've admired Laverda for decades and when I first saw an RGS I thought it was the sexiest bike on the planet. Nearly 40 years later and I finally am in a position to own one. Some of you will recognize it as a bike that was on Ebay recently, maybe even more than once. I didn't bid but I did contact the broker and got a few questions answered but I decided not to bid. The bidding went to 13,900 and sold but the high bidder didn't follow through I was told. Anyway, they contacted me, I talked with the owner who sent me video etc., we struck a deal and I'm now the (mostly) happy owner. Cosmetically it's really clean, mechanically it will need some TLC. The rear brake needs a rebuild, the clutch slips a bit, but so far nothing really serious. The 3 into 1 was ridiculously loud but I repacked it and it's better but still loud. It has had the air box removed and now has pod filters. I'll probably ride it for a while as is and then decide whether to revert back to stock. It has a Witt ignition system about which I know absolutely nothing but it seems to function quite well. The mirrors are worthless, any suggestions for replacements?
So far I've run two tanks of gas through it and the more I ride the more I love it. It's very comfortable, handles like a train on rails, not quick but very stable and confidence inspiring. Anyway, she'll soon be going on the lift for a thorough going-over for the winter. I just got a shop manual for it and am looking forward to getting to know my new girl. I'm posting a couple of pics and look forward to your thoughts, advice and opinions. Thanks!!
Steve M
Unity, Maine USAIMG_0315.jpgIMG_0314.jpg
 
It looks very tidy, it does have later 4 spot brakes up front but that's a good thing. It's a very good idea to get into the habit of turning the fuel taps off as much as you can. Expensive things happen if fuel drains into the engine. It's happened to a few over the years. We like non-lurkers.
 
Welcome, Steve

bike will likely run better with a stock air box than the individual pod filters, although a stock air box needs to be opened up a bit. Should be threads here about air box modification.

the stock mirrors are very stylish but too short. One way to improve them while keeping stock looks is to make up spacer extenders and use longer bolts. There was a member here some years ago that made up a bunch of extenders and supplied them to a bunch of us.

clutch, RedAx has the stock fiber plates relined with Kevlar and sells them as kits, huge improvement. Loud exhaust does not realy suit an RGS at least in my mind, Wolfgang Haerter sells a really nice German made aftermarket 3 into 2 with a fairly modern silencer design, looks good and still sounds healthy but not obnoxious.

and so on, spend some time searching here in this forum, tons of info, or ask.....
 
Best check with Red re carbon clutch plates, he was saying supply issues. BTW they are fantastic hope he still can do this.
 
Ohhh a red one, that’ll be faster than my silver one 😉
Nice work. I’m finding the RGS to be a very nice machine- easily tamed and reasonably easy to work on 👍 Fantastic introduction into the world of Laverdas, while I consider my next purchase 😉 A twin or a 180 triple 🤔….
Kevlar clutch is next on my wish list, original clutch will always slip at very high revs.
You’ll see more improvements by upgrading suspension further, I see you have aftermarket rear shocks, but probably still plenty of room for improvement front and rear.
Witt ignition is a big plus over original, I had no hesitation replacing my original setup.
Keep your primary chains renewed regularly.
Change your oil frequently, before it goes black. It doesn’t drain very well.
Maintain good relationships with your parts suppliers- there aren’t many left.

But yes, ride it for a while, see what’s most urgent 😁
 
Congrats. Always happy to see another Laverda shipped NOT being shipped off to those Greedy Australians 😃😃. As others said lots here on the Forum including info on the Witt ignition...is a good one for an RGS. Winter almost is here so store it with a full tank of gas to prevent any moisture problems causing rust...there are some stories in the fourm about that especially in damp climates. Drain the carbs as well as putting some stabilizer in the tank.
 
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