new member with a 750 - random musings, questions & updates. :)

Hi all,

I've recently bought a very special 750 -special to me at least as I spent nearly my whole childhood next to or on the rear seat of this one. It was my dad's, and via a rather strange curve it's now in my shed. My dad bought them (there were 2) in 1980, sold one and kept the other. The registration papers are marked SF and it was first registered in march 1971. My dad told me it was actually a GT, despite the registration. Since the frame number is LAV.750*4503* judging by what I was able to find on the forums it is indeed a GT? The previous owner as well as my dad liked the early S/SF hump tank & seat so that's what it's got. The tank, while well used, still is in original paint and has a small leak, unfortunately.

He swapped the engine around (750*15513*) for later GTL, and did a host of modifications, some of which include changing the clutch lever and hand grip for an English type (IIRC from a Norton), a longer or later swing arm (something to do with bearing types & stability?) a knob was welded on the frame for a Ural side car frame (hence the "next to" when referring to my childhood!) and it has SF clutch springs as the GT clutch would slip with the heavy side car. For familiy vacations it's also pulled a little trailer in the past.
He also had an accident in the 1990s, so almost everything screwed or bolted on came from "friends with Laverda parts in sheds" -sheds long gone by now. The dented exhaust dampers, which were quite new at the time of the accident, are a reminder of that. (there used to be a front rim in my dad's shed with a horseshoe-shaped indent from a guardrails pole... lucky guy at that time, my dad!)

It says ~18.500km on the meter, but it's done far, far more than that, being the primary family vehicle for years. It's been standing for quite some time, so the usual maintenance will have to be done -new oil, valve clearance, leaky front fork seals, replace the Smits instrument suspension O-rings, replace the old tyres, etc. It's been in this shape in the family for a long time, and while I do want to maintain & improve, I won't be doing a full restauration as that's not in the spirit of how it is ;)

Can't get the photo posted, but I'll try again later. :)

Jeroen
 
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Hi all,

I've recently bought a very special 750 -special to me at least as I spent nearly my whole childhood next to or on the rear seat of this one. It was my dad's, and via a rather strange curve it's now in my shed. My dad bought them (there were 2) in 1980, sold one and kept the other. The registration papers are marked SF and it was first registered in march 1971. My dad told me it was actually a GT, despite the registration. Since the frame number is LAV.750*4503* judging by what I was able to find on the forums it is indeed a GT? The previous owner as well as my dad liked the early S/SF hump tank & seat so that's what it's got. The tank, while well used, still is in original paint and has a small leak, unfortunately.

He swapped the engine around (750*15513*) for later GTL, and did a host of modifications, some of which include changing the clutch lever and hand grip for an English type (IIRC from a Norton), a longer or later swing arm (something to do with bearing types & stability?) a knob was welded on the frame for a Ural side car frame (hence the "next to" when referring to my childhood!) and it has SF clutch springs as the GT clutch would slip with the heavy side car. For familiy vacations it's also pulled a little trailer in the past.
He also had an accident in the 1990s, so almost everything screwed or bolted on came from "friends with Laverda parts in sheds" -sheds long gone by now. The dented exhaust dampers, which were quite new at the time of the accident, are a reminder of that. (there used to be a front rim in my dad's shed with a horseshoe-shaped indent from a guardrails pole... lucky guy at that time, my dad!)

It says ~18.500km on the meter, but it's done far, far more than that, being the primary family vehicle for years. It's been standing for quite some time, so the usual maintenance will have to be done -new oil, valve clearance, leaky front fork seals, replace the Smits instrument suspension O-rings, replace the old tyres, etc. It's been in this shape in the family for a long time, and while I do want to maintain & improve, I won't be doing a full restauration as that's not in the spirit of how it is ;)

Can't get the photo posted, but I'll try again later. :)

Jeroen
Great story! Keep the updates coming as you progress to getting the bike up and running.  Welcome to the Forum. You are in the right place. There is a wealth of knowledge on these pages. I have never seen or heard of someone attaching a sidecar to a 750 twin, a triple yes, I am curious to see a photo of a Laverda twin with a sidecar
 
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Hi all,

I've recently bought a very special 750 -special to me at least as I spent nearly my whole childhood next to or on the rear seat of this one. It was my dad's, and via a rather strange curve it's now in my shed. My dad bought them (there were 2) in 1980, sold one and kept the other. The registration papers are marked SF and it was first registered in march 1971. My dad told me it was actually a GT, despite the registration. Since the frame number is LAV.750*4503* judging by what I was able to find on the forums it is indeed a GT? The previous owner as well as my dad liked the early S/SF hump tank & seat so that's what it's got. The tank, while well used, still is in original paint and has a small leak, unfortunately.

He swapped the engine around (750*15513*) for later GTL, and did a host of modifications, some of which include changing the clutch lever and hand grip for an English type (IIRC from a Norton), a longer or later swing arm (something to do with bearing types & stability?) a knob was welded on the frame for a Ural side car frame (hence the "next to" when referring to my childhood!) and it has SF clutch springs as the GT clutch would slip with the heavy side car. For familiy vacations it's also pulled a little trailer in the past.
He also had an accident in the 1990s, so almost everything screwed or bolted on came from "friends with Laverda parts in sheds" -sheds long gone by now. The dented exhaust dampers, which were quite new at the time of the accident, are a reminder of that. (there used to be a front rim in my dad's shed with a horseshoe-shaped indent from a guardrails pole... lucky guy at that time, my dad!)

It says ~18.500km on the meter, but it's done far, far more than that, being the primary family vehicle for years. It's been standing for quite some time, so the usual maintenance will have to be done -new oil, valve clearance, leaky front fork seals, replace the Smits instrument suspension O-rings, replace the old tyres, etc. It's been in this shape in the family for a long time, and while I do want to maintain & improve, I won't be doing a full restauration as that's not in the spirit of how it is ;)

Can't get the photo posted, but I'll try again later. :)

Jeroen
Hi Jeroen
I've an SF that was registered 71, it was imported from Holland from what I can see. It's serial number is 4875 . Not too far ahead of yours in production .Hope you get the pic up, would love to see it too.
 
78jotadave.

There have been quite a few SF outfits over the years, the UK Laverda club (ILOC) was founded by Hal Kendal who he himself had one in the USA before coming to UK for a two year contract, once here he crashed the outfit (sidecar on the wrong side) and rebuilt it with the sidecar on the left (UK) side. I did see that bike a few years ago but it was solo and the sidecar lugs had been ground off, but the evidence was still there. This one was 1222, started as an American eagle and finished up as an SF with SFC cams, pistons, and carbs.

The factory produced a sidecar and a kit as prototype in 1975, I test rode it around the factory track after Hal had done the same thing, we were the only two sidecar riders in a group of about 15 visiting the factory, as soon as Hal was off the bike he was wisked away from me and interogated, I then got my ride and had the same post ride meeting. That outfit was a disaster it was far too soft and the steering was as heavy as a Diamond T tank transporter with flat tyres.

Currently Dave Herbert (UK) as a sidecar on his, with very clever home made bracketry to mimic the lack of front dwn tubes, it is a very well set up outfit, but I havent ridden it (yet) there have been others, A triple with a double adult would you beleive? I always saw one or two at the now defunct Silberstead rally in Germany, but then again in that territory sidecars are much more popular and you might even see four triples with chairs as well. Evel Kneival had one as well, for parading around the arena pre and post suicide jumping, that sidecar was chassis 1242 the other two that he jumped were 1053, and 1243.

There is of course around the world rider Graham Rose with his RGA, but when he did "his trip" crossing 44 countries it was solo, but has had a soidecar on it for many years now and regularly seen at shows and Baskerville etc,

I dont think either type of Laverda twin or triple makes a very good sidecar outfit, low gears are too high, far to easy to do clutch damage and difficult to get the trail adjusted without the use of leading link forks, but then again, my own sidecar is a yamaha XJR1200 with Watsonian GP, leading links and every possible other gadget (including headlamp on the left/front of sidecar, that makes sidecaring so great.
CLEM
 
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Great story! Keep the updates coming as you progress to getting the bike up and running.  Welcome to the Forum. You are in the right place. There is a wealth of knowledge on these pages. I have never seen or heard of someone attaching a sidecar to a 750 twin, a triple yes, I am curious to see a photo of a Laverda twin with a sidecar
Thank you! Will do, though I'm strapped for time as I'm studying for a (work related) certification exam in april... and my other, dare I say it, 3-letter acronym-propeller-badged-motorbike needs finshing up! I definitately have photo's of at least one sidecar setup, one was a closed Ural/Dnepr sidecar (so a roof and door -definately not factory spec!) the other a more standard and open top standard Ural/Dnepr sidecar. I'd have to dig pretty deep but now you've got me curious as well :)
Hi Jeroen
I've an SF that was registered 71, it was imported from Holland from what I can see. It's serial number is 4875 . Not too far ahead of yours in production .Hope you get the pic up, would love to see it too.
I'm from Holland :) Pics in the next post!
Good history there. A pic would be nice.
Thanks! Pictures in the next post :)
Great story, Jeroen. I can't see my son or daughter taking in my Laverdas any time soon!
I grew up with motorbikes, when we were very young we were in the sidecar and later on the rear seat. I still remember watching over my dad's shoulder as a grew up what it would be like to drive myself! I went from an '86 MZ ETZ-150 to a '78 Kawasaki KL250A-1, a '79 Guzzi V50 (Polizia) and my current '74 BMW R90S -the Laverda wasn't planned at all but I would hate to see it being sold on and losing sight of it. It's probably one of the most used and least orginal 750's out there but other than it's optics & needing some work it runs great. :)
 
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So here are the photo's as promised Those aversed to well used and not original 750s might want to look elsewhere :)

Not the prettiest or cleanest, but just completed a 950km journey -other than broken speedometer suspension (hence the duct tape) no problems :)
750-1.png
Don't know what, but something odd going on with the seat (seems high?) and the rear fender seems too narrow for the frame so the side bolts are missing. Not sure what's happening there, but as I wrote earlier, a lot of parts were from "friends with Laverda part sheds". Origin or provenance unknown. Not original of course but dad liked the GT rear fender and the SF front one. (I kind of do as well!)
750-4.png
Speaking of ducttape ;)
750-6.png

custom dad functional modification ;)
750-2.png

Sidecar frame lug, long disused but still there.
750-5.png

The accident damage still visible on the bike on exhausts and tank emblems: (Koni shocks, by the way)
750-3.png
750-7.png
Dad still has parts to make it look a bit better, including nice exhaust pipes & dampers and NOS tank pads.

Now looking at the more detailed photo's again the tank looks a lot more rusty than I originally thought. The tank paint is mostly original, but in reasonable to bad shape.

Jeroen
 
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I dont think wither type of Laverda twin or triple makes a very good sideacr outfit, low gears are too high, far to easy to do clutch damage and difficult to get the trail adjusted without the use of leading link forks, but then again, my own sidecar is a yamaha XJR1200 with Watsonian GP, leading links and every possible other gadget (including headlamp on the left/front of sidecar, that makes sidecaring so great.
CLEM
I have zero experience with sidecars... Spoke to my dad yesterday. He got the sidecar subframe from someone competent, engineer or something, it was ages ago so he doesn't remember all the details. It was not a factory thing but well made (heavy). He installed SF clutch springs as the clutch would slip, and had different sprockets for more pulling and less top speed. A more modern setup would probably drive a lot better, but for a few years hauling two kids around until they could get on the rear seat it did seem to work.
Clever parents I had -they were sitting on the Laverda, while my brother and my argued and rowed in the sidecar. Much better than a car rear bench in that regard :D

The Ural/Dnepr sidecars were sold separately, the frame went to someone in Belgium, but that's 20+ years ago.
 
Hi Jeroen,

These 750s with no prefix usually were GT or GTF. I bought one some 30 years ago and after decades waiting for it’s turn, I started building it up a few months ago. Frame number is LAV.750*3272*, papers show GTF, but the engine was S spec (4/S camshaft) when I bought it.
I build it mostly from parts that I have so it won’t be all original, but want the silhouette of the bike to be 750S, because I love the looks of the model. Looking for an 750S rear mudguard by the way.
The front brake may become something a little stronger than the original one, I have a Ceriani 4LS front wheel, (a bit tricky bease it doesn’t have a speedo drive, but can’t exclude the possibility of twin Brembo discs ending up in there. Time will tell.

The tank on yours looks like it originates from an early SF by the way.

Have fun!
Marnix
 

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I dont think wither type of Laverda twin or triple makes a very good sideacr outfit, low gears are too high, far to easy to do clutch damage
I think Laverda’s and sidecars are rubbish as well Clem, wouldn’t want to ‘drive’ one to Croatia, round Northen Europe or take to Breganze and back for the 75th, especially with a 235,000 km old clutch 🙂
 
Since I got I'm, I've downloaded a number of photos of bikes from around the same serial number as mine as a sort of reference for me.The last one showing how mine is currently, and with the later seat unit which I prefer the look of.
 

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The bike looks fantastic. Any bike with a sidecar benefits from swapping our the front end for a leading link or similar, and gearing sorts out any tall gearing issues, but that drum brake could be a freak out in an emergency. Dave Pierce in Vic Australia fitted at least one of his DJP chairs to an SF back in the day. Sidecar people are a fantastic breed apart, I came very close to joining in a few times but stuck to bikes that you have to put your foot down when you stop.
The seat brackets look to be extended (or maybe fit a later frame?) and the brackets at the side behind the seat bolts are not mudguard supports, they are for a carrier I think.
 
I should have noted in my earlier post that you (Graham Rose) and your bike are an exception (no change there then) and you forever the cycnic as well.

Be interesting to know how the Aussie (red engine) bike got its right hand exhaust pipe installed, and that added subframe looks "springy" does it not.

CLEM
 
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