New Member - First Laverda

CLEMTOG said:
Welcome Ben, I am sure you will have much to talk about, dont always take the answers as gospel, we all make mistakes, me more than most!
I have been a Laverda nut for very close to 50 years, just a few months shy of my first purchase in May 1973. I still have that SF1. There are plenty of very knowledgable people on here and the dealers in Europe and elswhere are usually very co-operative as well, we are also blessed with contact with ex dealers who all have very good memories. Special tools can very often be improvised, but not always so be carefull, If you take my advice, the very first thing to bolt onto your frame will be the centre stand and its springs, followed by the swingarm, and then the motor, various ways of installing that lump not all of them conventional, I always make a pair of lifting handles using 10mm rod inserted through the front mount holes and the lowewr back mount holes, and cover the painted frame with the outfall hose from a washing machine split down its length, but centre stand and springs first
CLEM
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This is your bike, get a copy of this mag if you can, it has a colour section with photos.

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Superbike Magazine - September 1977 - Laverda Jota, TT Pictorial, Silk 700S | eBay

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Here's how the bike is packed for shipment. Cost for packing and shipping is about three times the cost of shipping a complete motorcycle, but about a fifth the cost ot taking two weeks off to drive 5,000 miles round trip to pick it up. It is located in Phoenix AZ and I live almost as far east in the continental US as you can get. Packed weight is 828 pounds. Shipping time is about five days.
 

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Christmas came yesterday. The two crates together weighed 828 pounds! Everything was very well packed. Of course I immediately pulled the cam cover. The good news is that both cams are stamped 4/C. The middling news is that there is no cam chain and no valves or springs under there. I’m hoping they are in the boxes. It looks like serious motor scrutiny is needed.
 
cam chain, you would always fit a new one wouldnt you? and same for valve springs, valves? well I would use them if I had them and they were good, easy to get replacements but not cheap, its the small parts, like the spring seat washers and tops, collets etc, that would be a pain in the arse, hoping you find more stuff. The inlets have oil seals fitted and a lot fit them to the exhausts, (not stock) sometimes a change of exhaust guides is needed for that.
CLEM
 
Thanks Clem. I’m all ears at this point. I have to assume that everything is on the table for evaluation. I have a Moto Guzzi v7 Sport on the lift for assembly right now so I am going to pack the Laverda carefully away. Building more than one bike at a time is stressful and expensive. I can’twait to dig into the Jota though.
 
Scout63 said:
Christmas came yesterday. The two crates together weighed 828 pounds! Everything was very well packed. Of course I immediately pulled the cam cover. The good news is that both cams are stamped 4/C. The middling news is that there is no cam chain and no valves or springs under there. I’m hoping they are in the boxes. It looks like serious motor scrutiny is needed.
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Question for me would be, why it all was taken apart. As far as the head is concerned, I'd hand it over to an expert to build it up with nowadays valve seats etc etc for a hassle-free future. But I'd assume, that also all other bits of the engine need a thorough scruteneering ...

Cheers,
Jo
 
It came apart many years ago. It was last registered in 1984. My seller told me that his friend was the second owner from 1983, cracked a piston and took it apart to Café it. He never got to it and sold it to my seller in 2016, who powder coated the frame, refinished the wheels and brakes, had the gauges restored and rebuilt the forks. I bought the bike in parts. I’ll need to take it slow. I’m already thinking about how to ship the whole engine out to Wolfgang, or whether only the cylinders and heads.
 
"Question for me would be, why it all was taken apart. As far as the head is concerned, I'd hand it over to an expert to build it up with nowadays valve seats etc etc for a hassle-free future. But I'd assume, that also all other bits of the engine need a thorough scruteneering"

I could not agree with you more Jo, very wise words, but, especially the head, where do you get excellent work done and not "lose" the thing for three years, hopefully when scout 63 comes to build the motor the current head gasket problems will be sorted, or maybe that problem has not arisen on the continent?
CLEM
 
Hi Clem,
I’m not aware of any issues with the head gaskets, I relied on Piet for the revision of my engine. But I remember that he explained to me that it was important for the liners to sit 0.2mm below the sealing surface, and, to ensure this, he slightly machined the collar of the liners on the underside.

Laufbuchsen - Position im Zylinder.JPG

This was also described here, where he further mentioned, that the gasket needs a slightly thicker fire ring in this case.


Cheers,
Jo
 

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Yes Jo, I understood that, (always did) the curved dam affect, doesnt affect me as I use my own copper gaskets and drop the top of the liner .02mm to create a truly flat surface, current engine has now done zillions of miles with one fitted, its actually in "quite worn" state and has every right to be!

In the UK quite a few people are experiencing oil leaks, which SEEMS to be from faulty head gaskets, is this not happenning on the continent?
I would have every comfidence buying a head gasket from Phil Todd, but have no need of such as (I said) I use my copper ones. All other sellers might or might not be buying from other non Toddy sources.

CLEM
 
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CLEMTOG said:
In the UK quite a few people are experiencing oil leaks, which SEEMS to be from faulty head gaskets, is this not happenning on the continent?
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It happens, but rarely if you follow a certain routine (and I know I am preaching to the choire now, Clem; be sure I don't mean you!!): a) Piet assembles the engine and let it sit over night to re-tighten the head the next morning before it goes into the frame again. This helps a lot... Then re-torquing it to the right settings after 300, 500 and 1.000km and you won't see any leaks (given the surfaces are straight and everything is mounted correctly, no cracks or weird reving of the engine in a too early stage).
 
You do realize it's a constant fight to stay alive riding a Breganzie - Ensure She's over and above being ADORNED and cared for and you might survive and above all never tell your Wife ;o)

One must be in a Good Physical and Mental State to get the most outta of a Breganzie or else it's a Nightmare.

WHY! Because they are FAST enough to kill you if you drop your attention for 1 seconded.

Breganzie's where the 1st Cafe Racing Motorcycle offered to the Public back in the late 60's and early 70's and they do the job for you WIN races - If you have the GUTS.

Aprilia and KTM Motorcycles are Modern Breganzies.

It all boils down to: You really should go for SHIT before you mount a Breganzie.

Just give me my 1970 Breganzie 750 FS0 and I'll teach you what Racing is all about - Alas I'm too old now ;o)

The 1000cc Breganzie Triple Jota was KING of the road from 1973 up until 1984 before the Suzuki 1100 GWXR stepped in for 1/2 the price.
 
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