New ‘72 Laverda 750 SF GT owner

J

JPLav750

New member
Location
Usa
Greetings,

Just inherited a ‘72 laverda 750 sf gt from a friend. The bike was her grandfather’s and was last tagged in 1980. It’s been garage kept its whole life but it has some wear. First off, the tank unfortunately had fuel and rust it in. Fuel smells like the worst old turpentine. I’m also not sure what was supposed to be holding the tank in place beside the front two rubber mounts. Seems like between that, and the fuel lines is the only thing holding the tank on! The seat shows nothing of a possible latch that holds the tank either. However, the seat is beat up. What should I expect with this project/overhaul? Carb rebuild is definitely on the list. Thank you.
 

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Congrats on getting that 750. After refurbishing a 74 750, I can say the carbs will need new gaskets, possibly new slides, new fuel lines and probably spigots. Ditto on throttle/enricher and possibly clutch cables (contact Venhill for those). Bevel Heaven in CA has Dell Orto parts and servicing. The tank has a rubber strap near the seat. First try Evapo Rust remover on the tank before relining it. Along with Wolfgang in Canada, DAM Classic Racing in Australia and Ducati Paddy in UK are good Laverda parts sources. Get the Green Book manual.
 
TeddyG said:
Congrats on getting that 750. After refurbishing a 74 750, I can say the carbs will need new gaskets, possibly new slides, new fuel lines and probably spigots. Ditto on throttle/enricher and possibly clutch cables (contact Venhill for those). Bevel Heaven in CA has Dell Orto parts and servicing. The tank has a rubber strap near the seat. First try Evapo Rust remover on the tank before relining it. Along with Wolfgang in Canada, DAM Classic Racing in Australia and Ducati Paddy in UK are good Laverda parts sources. Get the Green Book manual.
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Thanks for the input. Any info on where to find the green book. I do have the original manual that came with the bike but I’m assuming the green book is a shop manual?
 
Opinion on the factory air intake? Was thinking of removing it and put conical air filters on or screened velocity stacks.
 
Nice score JP! In my opinion the bike os worth really doing a good job on - Anywhere that you fins o-rings or gaskets or rubber of any kind i'd be replacing. the tank sits on the front rubbers (easy to buy new) and two at the rear. The strap is as good as useless - I rode my SF1 with no strap at the back for decades.
Not sure what is common the the twins I've worked on and your GT but full carb rebuild with ultrasound and new bits wherever necessary. Remove the intake manifolds and replacer the o-rings. Having been stored well, you may find you can squirt a bit of oil into the cylinders and turn the motor over many times with the tappet covers removed so you can confirm proper valve actuation.
Check and adjust tappets, points and a fresh battery - you never know, it may just fire up! If it has an air filter and airbox, if it ere mine i'd be retaining that setup and fitting a new filter - you'll never get it to run right with screen over velocity stacks. Good quality conical filters like DNA would be my second choice.
Keep us posted how it goes. And - I'd be retaining as much patina as possible!
 
green book is available thru this forum or online. The OEM air box is a PITA to access but others may disagree- I fitted pod DNA filters w the air box snorkels to angle them from the frame. Velocity stacks will result in worn carb slides. Of course change the motor and fork oil and DAM Classic sells a nice billet sump cover w mag drain bolt for easier oil changes. Seat covers are available and find a local upholster to fit w new foam. Oddessey batteries are popular w Laverdas. Graingers has the magneto v belt, valve cover O rings and Fiamm horns cheaper, use Honda 750 exhaust gaskets, Bultaco East for non resistor plugs, Tons performance for good quality spark plug wires.
 
Last edited:
JPLav750 said:
Greetings,

Just inherited a ‘72 laverda 750 sf gt from a friend. The bike was her grandfather’s and was last tagged in 1980. It’s been garage kept its whole life but it has some wear. First off, the tank unfortunately had fuel and rust it in. Fuel smells like the worst old turpentine. I’m also not sure what was supposed to be holding the tank in place beside the front two rubber mounts. Seems like between that, and the fuel lines is the only thing holding the tank on! The seat shows nothing of a possible latch that holds the tank either. However, the seat is beat up. What should I expect with this project/overhaul? Carb rebuild is definitely on the list. Thank you.
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Greetings to you.

First: Congratulation that you've got the Laverda.

Second: It seems it is a 750GT, not SF.

Well known Parts-Dealer
in Germany: OCT, Laverda-Paradies,
in Kanada: Wolfgang Haerter,
in France: Lean Luis Olive
in Australia: Redax
and some more

A good site for knowledge is made by Jean Luis Olive,

Laverdamania.net

www.laverdamania.net www.laverdamania.net

Compare Prices before buying Parts.

Carburettor-Parts, Ducati-Paddy is an Option.

What Frame-Enginenumber is yours?

Regards
Rainer
 
It's a very nice bike.
Please leave it as it is including airbox. GTs are often modded by people who cannot appreciate an touring bike. If you want a bike that looks sporty, buy one.
Tank was very likely held at the back by a rubber strap across the frame. A hook on the rear of the tank and a hook each side on the upper frame rails to hold the strap.
Virtually all the parts needed to restore that machine are easily obtainable, you just need a wallet. The rare parts are all on there, including the seat.
Paul
 
My ‘69 GT very similar, had been stood for years. I got it going , carbs , oil, battery etc and rode it for a year.
Problem is all the engine seals will have gone hard/brittle and actually break up internally. I had a r/hand crank oil seal go and drenched the rear wheel in oil and the front brakes shoe material came adrift inside the wheel. Bite the bullet and strip the motor now- the cam tensionor wheels, all rubber bits will be buggered, valve springs will be tired , inlet manifold isolators will be brittle.Saying that, it looks like a cracking old GT- don’t restore it , get it mechanically right and ride it.
 
40+ years of lay-up are never kind to engines unless major precautions are taken. Gummed/rotted carbs are a sign that no precautions at all were taken. As advised, a full strip and rebuild should be considered. Not only for the engine though, lots to go wrong on the chassis and bodywork as well. This would ensure several years of enjoyment when done, instead of breaking down with stupid little niggles on every other outing. No need for a full restoration either if it isn't too bashed or rusted that mechanicals are comprimised. Sadly, experience has shown that these bikes weren't relegated to the back of the shed without reason.

It is a late GT, a rare bike in itself, not many left. A nice old chugger, it should be kept as close to OE specs as possible imho. These things top out at less than 50hp, it'll never become a racer, no matter what you hang in front of the carbs. The world doesn't need more SFC wannabes.

Hope for the best, expect the worst... and keep your piggy-bank topped up!

piet
 
I looked at your photo and the bike looks in pretty good shape w/ minimal rust. A crustier one just sold on BAT for over $4K. Do a leak down test and change the oil and check the valve clearances before starting it, followed by a compression test if it runs. If the seat cover is in good shape, just put in new foam.
 
rez said:
Greetings to you.

First: Congratulation that you've got the Laverda.

Second: It seems it is a 750GT, not SF.

Well known Parts-Dealer
in Germany: OCT, Laverda-Paradies,
in Kanada: Wolfgang Haerter,
in France: Lean Luis Olive
in Australia: Redax
and some more

A good site for knowledge is made by Jean Luis Olive,

Laverdamania.net

www.laverdamania.net www.laverdamania.net

Compare Prices before buying Parts.

Carburettor-Parts, Ducati-Paddy is an Option.

What Frame-Enginenumber is yours?

Regards
Rainer
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I was confused about this one. It’s says SF on the frame plate. But everything else seems GT. Will send picture soon. I also have the sissy bar and luggage rack for the back.
 
sfcpiet said:
40+ years of lay-up are never kind to engines unless major precautions are taken. Gummed/rotted carbs are a sign that no precautions at all were taken. As advised, a full strip and rebuild should be considered. Not only for the engine though, lots to go wrong on the chassis and bodywork as well. This would ensure several years of enjoyment when done, instead of breaking down with stupid little niggles on every other outing. No need for a full restoration either if it isn't too bashed or rusted that mechanicals are comprimised. Sadly, experience has shown that these bikes weren't relegated to the back of the shed without reason.

It is a late GT, a rare bike in itself, not many left. A nice old chugger, it should be kept as close to OE specs as possible imho. These things top out at less than 50hp, it'll never become a racer, no matter what you hang in front of the carbs. The world doesn't need more SFC wannabes.

Hope for the best, expect the worst... and keep your piggy-bank topped up!

piet
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I’m completely fine with keeping it as original as possible. Was just curious if there was any benefit to doing away with stock air box. Thanks for the info. 👍🏼
 
Not uncommon for documentation deviating from actual model denominations. Many Laverda models were not registered as what they actually were, that mostly depended on what specs had been used for homologation purposes with local authorities. Homologating a new model was usually an expensive venture for an importer, especially if only small numbers are involved (we're talking 10s, maybe 100 units, not 10s of thousands as in the case of Honda, etc). As the previous American Eagle marque had folded by then and the approvals for what were basically GT and S models were probably not transferrable/expired, the new SF and GT would have required seperate approvals. My guess would be the SF was sold in greater numbers than the GT in the US, so the "SF" monniker was used for all models. Were Slaters already involved with US imports at the time?

For example, the SFC was never approved for road use in Germany, the few that have managed to squirm their way through approval, be it legally, semi-legally or illegally, were mostly registered as SFs of some sort. Reckon much the same happened in the Netherlands and France as well.

If we were all completely honest with ourselves, there's not really much that needs modifying on these bikes. They were mostly state-of-the-art at the time and perfectly capable of what they were designed to to, ie, you got what it said on the box. Most niggles can be remedied simply by reverting back to stock specs! Sure, modern components could be integrated here and there, to better cope with todays traffic conditions, but a well-sorted '70s Laverda can be a pleasure/hoot to ride 50 years later. A worn-out, tired old dog on the other hand, can be a royal pain in the arse...

piet
 
Regarding the OEM "airbox" and filter, many here claim it's essential, and over the years of working on bikes I've found that OEM is usually the best. BUT the airbox is a PITA to install and remove, and gets in the way of removing the carbs for servicing and adjusting. Plus, the rubber "snorkels" aren't an airtight fit like modern bikes. I've installed DNA pod filters w/ the "snorkels" to allow an angled fit. I'm in the process of adjusting the carbs to eliminate spark plug fouling, and haven't ridden the bike much, so I don't know yet if this is affecting engine performance. DAM Classic Racing sells a similar OEM air filter and others have modified K&N and other filters to fit the airbox. DAM also sells an angled Mallossi pod filter but not sure if it will fit due to the frame constraints.
 
TeddyG said:
Regarding the OEM "airbox" and filter, many here claim it's essential, and over the years of working on bikes I've found that OEM is usually the best. BUT the airbox is a PITA to install and remove, and gets in the way of removing the carbs for servicing and adjusting. Plus, the rubber "snorkels" aren't an airtight fit like modern bikes. I've installed DNA pod filters w/ the "snorkels" to allow an angled fit. I'm in the process of adjusting the carbs to eliminate spark plug fouling, and haven't ridden the bike much, so I don't know yet if this is affecting engine performance. DAM Classic Racing sells a similar OEM air filter and others have modified K&N and other filters to fit the airbox. DAM also sells an angled Mallossi pod filter but not sure if it will fit due to the frame constraints.
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The original airbox looks nice if nothing else. It doesn't get in any way in the way for tuning the carbs or taking them off. The rubbers aren't air tight indeed, they aren't on any Laverda. In fact, you wouldn't notice if you took them off.
These old twins are progressively slipping into history, so please leave them alone and only modify what is immediately necessary for safety or durability.
Refer to Piet's post above which says it all.
As you say, you haven't ridden your bike much, so start by getting it sorted as it is and riding.

Paul
 
Point taken, but since the snorkels aren't air tight, how good can the air box be compared to pod filters? I do have a replacement OEM type filter that I might try afterwards to see if there's any performance difference. Yes, these are lovely old bikes but there's always room for improvement to them.
 
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