New possible owner looking at a '75 3C tomorrow

G

gpzkat

Full member
Location
Mission Viejo, California
Found one in my price range, has been sitting a few years but is clean. I will bring jumpers and some starter fluid to see if I can fire it up, just want to listen a bit. I have lusted for a Laverda for 40-plus years. This one looks clean, 12K miles and it's all there. I've restored everything from Honda ATC 110s and Vespas to Nortons, Triumphs, BMW's, etc, to turbo Suzuki GS1100E Bonneville racers, so nothing scares me. But I want to hear it run. Wish me luck and if any tips, I appreciate it. If all goes well I'll be a complete nuisance on this forum!
 
Great! Do it! They're fun bikes, and the oddity factor makes life a bit more interesting when showing up somewhere on one. Rare bikes especially in the US.
What to warn you of depends a lot on what has or hasn't been rebuilt or upgraded over the years. Most have a modern ignition by now, but if it's got the original one that can be problematic. Easy to fix with a Redax ignition/alternator which gets rid of the puny charging system as well.

Sounds like you know this sort of stuff already, but if it's been stored a while drop the bowls and check for green stuff, if badly affected that can be a pain to rectify and sometimes even requires new carbs (exact type no longer available but similar PHF's can still be bought new, or go Mikuni). Also pull off the valve cover, oil it up before turning over, check condition of cams/buckets and a sanity check it's got some valve clearance. Bottom end is all rollers (as per Suzis) and is generally solid unless stored wet when rust pits can develop between pins and rollers - very rare though. Starter sprag clutch can be a bit weak, especially if it's been a hard starter throughout it's life. Not a problem once refreshed and the engine is set up well.

Others will no doubt have more. Post a photo so all the old grumps can pick it to pieces provide balanced and thoughtful critical analysis. :p

Cheers
Steve
 
Thanks, this is the bike. $7500. Dusty, sort of grainy photos. Seems al there, time will tell - tomorrow... I have rebuilt countless carbs. My method is to put all the bits in a bucket of Berryman's carb dip and then set the bucket in my very large ultrasonic. Works a treat. I have a single Mikuni VM34 on my '66 Norton N15CS, boy oh boy, that thing is like a clock. Having owned several Fiat 124 Sport Coupes, Italian stuff is in my wheelhouse. Seems Laverda got it right where it counted, going overseas for clocks and electrics but staying with wheels, suspension and brakes from Italy.

Yeah those Suzukis are ridiculous, I've resurrected many and they seem indestructible. I put a pic of my Mr. Turbo equipped Bonneville racer which did 183 MPH in '85, street registered. Built in Don Vesco's shop. It was tired and dirty but I did it properly. Nice EPM magnesiums, 183 RWHP on the dyno on a hot day (115 F) with low boost and a smallish HSR 42 Mikuni I put on for street riding, and 12 lbs boost. It ran 25 lbs boost in race trim with 6.5:1 compression, welded crank, ported, all the internal bits (cam, studs etc), S&S Super B carb so 225HP is probably about right, sea level.

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Looks like a good honest example just looking for some TLC.
The nitpickers will be along any moment... :D

In general terms aside from the ignition and charging on these early examples, they got things pretty right as you say. Pretty tough bikes, very good metalurgy in the engines, cranks or cams "just wearing out" is unheard of other than through oil-neglect. They only have a rudimentary oil strainer and some modest centrifugal oil filtration at the slinger plates, so run basic 20W50 and change it ~2000mi.
The cylinder heads took a few years of refinements to the casting to make them more robust, look for cracks in the sharp corners of the camchain tunnel on an early bike like this perhaps. Sometimes the cylinder or cam studs might pull out if they're been routinely over-tightened over the years. Timeserts will sort it if required.

Go buy it!
 
My Norton has a 'sludge trap'. I separated the crank, a bolt-up affair supported at each end (ugh). Mine was pretty clean and all's good. I've added a filter. The seller seems like a legit bike guy, still into bikes but smaller ones as he's in his 70's. I get it. I've been reading about Laverda triples for 40 years now haha, seems they are pretty robust. I think with 12K miles it may be quite good. Given their price I should think they woudn't be the normal yobbo hooligan that abuses them.

I appreciate the advice and will check camchain tunnel. I've done a few timeserts on Japanese bikes, guys with monkey fists going crazy on cam covers etc.
 
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It already has the right-side gear change, so it avoids the early, complicated left-side factory conversion mine had. Think insanely long rear brake cable down the left over to the right, mine had a cable almost 1200mm long, nuts. That bike will make a stunner for sure. Definitely add some lube to the top end, maybe spin it with the cam cover off to check it's getting oil up top. Take a video for us, plebs, please. Try reading the tyre codes, it might give a tip as to when it ran last.
 
Made a deal, very happy. Will be in my garage tomorrow, didn't take the trailer today. The bank isn't open Sunday anyway. No air box components. Spent a good while going through it and it all looks good mechanically (thanks for the tips). Of course time will tell but it was owned by a JPL engineer, so that may say something. It has not been messed with. The tank is rusty but recoverable. It will shine like new, top to bottom. There are only a couple of bits like footpeg brackets that need plating - in time.
 
This will make 3 red bikes. Big red #1, '83 Suzuki GS1100E will be demoted to #2, and sold - I have a better one with fresh blue paint that I'll keep, just finishing it up. Little red is the 66 (or 67) Norton N15CS, built from a pile of rusty parts.

Sorry, I need to correct above. I think the 2nd owner was a JPL engineer. The first owner was a female airline pilot. How cool is that?

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The K&N chrome 'cap' is fouling the side cover, which caused a tiny chip. The only flaw in the 3 painted pieces. I will probably put a sock type Uni on to avoid that getting worse. The Suzukis run tremendously better with the stock airbox. CV carbs are not great without that plenum chamber. I got two very nice '83 GS1100Es for free - the owner couldn't sort them out. Kept working on the carbs but in the end it was cheap Chinese coils - and all the time he had good stock ones, got the originals out one of the many boxes of spares he included, set jetting to stock and rebuilt/synched the carbs, put on stock exhaust and bikes run perfectly. I will check the jets on the Dell'Ortos to see if they've been upped a bit.
 
So betwen me and my son (we share bikes) we have the Norton, 1 up, 3 down, right side. Laverda, 1 down, 4 up, right side. Then on the left, a couple Suzukis, 1 down, 4 up. Also a KTM 450 EXC 6-speed, and an '79 Honda ATC110 deathtrap, which is a dual-range 4-speed auto. Certainly will keep us on our toes!
 
Good job. Sounds like you've got a very decent base to work from there. Good luck that everything works as it's supposed to, once you've done the basic prep. Metal will be a breeze to clean up (especially compared with a a rat- or possum-piss soiled barn find!).

Don't be shy of ditching the std charging and ignition systems - huge improvements out there, such as the Redax kit (as previously mentioned).
 
piranha-bro2 said:
Good job. Sounds like you've got a very decent base to work from there. Good luck that everything works as it's supposed to, once you've done the basic prep. Metal will be a breeze to clean up (especially compared with a a rat- or possum-piss soiled barn find!).

Don't be shy of ditching the std charging and ignition systems - huge improvements out there, such as the Redax kit (as previously mentioned).
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I have only restored one possum-piss soiled barn find, and strangely enough it was in Melbourne (Essendon) haha.

I can see that the electrics haven't been touched, original plug wires, wiring harness not spliced, etc. Here's hoping all's good, but if not I'll be on here asking for tips.
 
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