One time, I was riding my Laverda and...

..... something hit me in my knee. It was a single lane road, and the Jota was cruising above 120kph, just the beginning of it’s happy zone.

I’m looking down, thinking something is different..... and what had hit me was the brake lever. FFF.

So I slow to a stop (funny how, even though you know there is no lever, you go to pull it in anyway), turn around and ride back a Klm or so, turn around again, put the bike on the stand and start walking head down, looking for the lever.

Cars are zipping past and I’ve walked for half hour, looking for the lever. I hear a bike heading in my direction, and a Ducati SS900 pulls up behind my bike and off hops a bloke, he asks me what I was looking for, and chuckled when I told him my brake lever just fell off. We walked and chatted looking for the lever.

Bingo, found it in grass. I pop up the seat, remove my hairbrush (needed that back then) and pull out my Allen keys, pinch a 6mm screw and nut from the rear mudguard. And put the screw through the handle. It was a set screw and I thought how the thread was going to bugger the holes, but better than nothing. The Nyloc nut wouldn’t fit, so resigned myself to the fact that for the rest of the trip I’d hold a finger on the lever, just in case.

We said our farewells, and as the Ducati came around me while I was gearing up, the guy stopped and yelled “ Isn’t it great riding a bike with character”.

Fucking character all right!
 
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One time I was riding my SF0 in November and I ran out of room at 80mph going around a corner.

Practicing Hi-Siding saved me ;o)
 
piranha-bro2 said:
In that order?! What did you do that was so bad the fuzz beat up on you??

I once foolishly let a Laverda-owning friend's younger brother ride my SF. he'd been nagging me for years. Came back with a canary on it (unroadworthy, for excessive noise - I'd been riding it for 8 years and never a hint of such a thing). Not long after i noticed something amiss in the tranny and sure enough the mainshaft had cracked off at the oil hole in the output/5th gear boss. He was a typical young rev head so I wouldn't be surprised in hindsight if he was trying to wheelie the bloody thing and that caused the break. Moral is of course, be very careful who you lend your wheels to!
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Just noticed question re: arrested/assaulted. Was returning to Sydney from south coast late at night on freeway. Noticed headlights behind getting closer. Slowed to let it pass but car also slowed. Wound up nearly stopped. No evidence of police equipment on this white Falcon so off I went, on the rev limiter for some 20k’s, way too fast to take the one or two exits available. Then, up ahead, the dreaded blue lights (and chopper in air to boot). Uh oh. This must be for me..Attempted to ‘sneak by’, but these guys tried to literally knock me off with swerving etc. so I stop. Drag me off, near new RGS falling on it‘s side. Rip my AGV off (with strap still fastened) turn me on my face, kick the daylights out of me. Fattest pig sitting on my back. On with the handcuffs and into the squad car to one horse town cop shop, where I was warned if I attempted to share the experience, I might never “be found”. Oddly, after processing, I was taken back to the scene where RGS was now on it’s side stand. Fortunately it had enough left in the battery to get me home, no telling how much acid had escaped.
A letter to the ombudsman futile, went to court. Appointed mouthpiece on the day tells me he plays football on weekends with cop who arrested me, so I elected to defend myself. Tried in vain to tell story to beak but of course was interjected every other word. Judge gave “minimum punishment” Lost license a year. Could have been worse.
 
Okay. My turn.

Back about 1983 I was leaving town on my SFC and heading off to a friends place for a weekend stay. I was using my left foot to cover the exhaust when I was in town so as to avoid attracting the attention of the Revenue Collecting Motorized Patrol (RCMP .... although it was in Ontario so actually the OPP or Ontario Provincial Police). I happened to pass a speed trap on the edge of town so I eased past and when I thought I was far enough away I removed my foot from covering the exhaust and gave copious throttle to get me up to about 80 mph - 130 kph. I decided I should look over my shoulder and lo and behold I was being pursued . I thought that was a rather silly thing to do and as it was a straight stretch of road for a good 5 miles or so I just put more throttle on and probably got up to 120 mph or better. I lost sight of him and as there was a 4 way stop coming up I slowed down. Bugger if that revenuer wasn't still coming after me! I made a left turn and took off on another straight stretch of road. I lost sight of the dirty rat and this time I stayed up at speed until I came to another intersecting highway. I slowed down and turned right to parallel my original route. No sign of pursuit but I kept it up at about 100 mph. Was maybe about 10 miles down the road when I saw a car pulling off opposite side of the road ahead of me. Another bloody police car. The officer got out and stood out on the road waving me down. I slowed down and then as I approached him I reasoned that it might be foolish to give in so easily so I blasted back up to a great rate of knots again and when I saw an intersection ahead I then made a right turn and made my way back to the original highway. I was now back on my original track and it was getting close to dark so I slowed down a bit and thought all was well. Alas the cavalry had radioed ahead and sure enough another patrol spotted me ..... this time it looked to be one of the big block Chrysler pursuit cars that could achieve almost as many knots as the SFC. It was time to give it all and now to think about what to do next. He wasn't close to me yet but I wasn't increasing the gap either. I remembered that there was a side-road ahead that I knew from trucking. This road was gravel but I knew it turned off just over the crest of a hill. As I reached the hill I began to brake hard. I had disconnected the rear brake switch for situations like this and now it was paying off as he wouldn't realize I was stopping until it was too late. I was slowed down enough to make the turn and then started up the gravel road. I looked back to see the cruiser blast by the road but he noticed my lights so I knew he would be back. I turned in the first farm lane and drove down into a grassy ditch, shut down and extinguished the lights. Sure enough, about 30 seconds later I saw the bastard headed down the gravel road and off into the twilight. I decided maybe a rest would be wise so I lay in the long grass for maybe an hour. I eventually powered up again and cautiously ventured back out to the gravel road and made my way to the paved highway. No drama ensued and as us stealth riders like to say "the coast was clear!" It was probably about another 20 minute ride to my friends place and when I arrived I decided to tell my story to see if anyone would believe me. I wasn't far into the story when another friend who had arrived before me mentioned that she was passed by numerous police cars with flashing lights. It seems I really had attracted their attention. I decided to leave my bike at my friends for the next week as I suspect that an orange motorcycle may be on the watch list.

Jim
 
Jim I can relate to that dodging OPP in the Sudbury Basin ;o)

Although I eluded the cruisers they all knew who I was as was as I was the only one whom owned a Flame Red Italian motorcycle and I tuned there their Hot Rods = Cat and Mouse game - I was so bold as to hide behind a bar and down as pint before proceeding the chase - Never got caught - I was much younger back then ;o)

SFO or say a SFC is 100 to 118+ mph down any straight at over 7500 rpm approaching 8000 rpm - FAST in her day !

Loved my Breganzie Twin up until the day I had to let her go ;o(

Yes I had failures but nothing I could not FIX on my Wife's kitchen table. I built her kitchen table strong enough to hold a motorcycle ;o)
 
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Here is my one and only pursuit tail. I was leaving a late night at Sydney Tech, it was impossible to park anywhere there so I was on my T140v Bonnie.930pm and heading home over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I had lost my tail light cover so the bike had a white light showing. Instead of heading home, I dropped into a mate house on the way. About 400m after his turn there was an RBT stop, I could see their blue lights on the side of the road. That's 2 cop cars doing Random Breath Testing. So I was at my mates for 30minutes or so and partook of some Iligal substance while chatting. Then I headed home thinking nothing of said RBT I slowly rode past and waited at the next red light to turn right. I then noticed the reflections of the Red and Blues getting suddenly brighter as the light went green so I turned right. And these reflections continued to get brighter, so I got a brilliant idea, I would reach out and flick the headlight top-mounted toggle switch to turn my lights off and to the bolt. So I did, for about 30 seconds. And then I thought what the hell am I doing, I haven't done anything wrong so why am I panicking, maybe being a bit wasted was impacting on my brain. So I turned the lights back on and slowed to a stop as the Hyway Patrol car nosed into the gutter blocking me off and the Cop got my keys. 30 seconds later there were 4 cop cars all light up surrounding me from all directions. And that when the interrogation started with a fairly big audience of cops and residents all watching on my big crime moment. So I get asked where I was earlier that night and I explain about Sydney Tech and the bag on the bike with my textbooks and then he says and I quote, we were chasing a bike all over the Harbour Bridge and lower north shore with white rear light and I put it to you that it was you we were chasing as you were passing the bridge at that time. I was staggered at this cleaver line of questioning, he insisted that as I was there at that time it must have been me. So I admitted being there on the bridge at that approx time but had not been speeding or been chased. This went on for 30 minutes, he also wanted to know if I was in a patched club and if I had a nic name or alise as all Triumph riders were in clubs. I continued to deny his clever assertions and he must have got bored and one by one they all left, no fine for me. So at least it turned into an interesting story in the end.
 
Cool story Jim.

Circa 1990: Tootling along through Monbulk Vic on my Black Jota, I see a bike in my mirror, it's getting closer as the traffic lights at Lilydale turn red, and I need to turn right to head up to the Black Spur for an afternoon of riding. A Silver/blue SS900 pulls up and follows me when the lights go green. On more open road, I get into it and the bloke on the SS is keeping good pace. After running up through the Spur I stop at the pub for a beer.

The SS pulls in and the bloke riding walks into the pub, still with his belstaff on, shaking his head. I never knew why he was shaking his head, but I soon left ............... about 25 years later Maurice Turner, who owns a silver/blue SS said ......... was that you?
 
A Cop friend of mine says to me while I tune up his 70 454 Corvette Sting Ray in my garage looks at my bike says: "We've been looking for that bike." and I say: "Well there she is." ;o)
 
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My first encounter with the NSW Laverda Club involved a meet up at some blokes house on Eastern Valley Way about 5ks from my place. They were riding to the Sydney Opera House forecourt to take a mass photo to give to one of the Laverda brothers by the club president who was heading to Europe for a holiday and parts buying trip for the club. So approx 20 Laverda heading out across the Harbour Bridge to the Opera House. I doubt any pre-arrangements had happened as we just turned up and all parked at the base of the steps all lined up, BTW I have never seen these pics so if anyone has a copy please post it. My first time with so many Laverdas at once. It was pretty nuts, I doubt anyone was under 120 and more over the Bridge, with its 70k and heavily Policed limit plus traffic. That day I learned you put 2 Laverdas together and it's usually a race. There was a BBQ back at that house and I meet some interesting Charitures that day. I won't go into it but that blokes Euro trip turned very ugly so I heard later.
 
One time pulling up to the Frontonac Hotel in down town Sudbury Ontario with my Breganzie I parked between 2 Horses tied to meters.

I swear I must have on Acid - But I wasn't.

There's a long story after that where my Laverda ended up parked in the hotel lobby (Minus the Horses) and there was an absolute insane week end party.

I had nothing to do with the Acid, the Opiate Black Hashes or Cocaine - For some reason everyone put me on a petiole for holding the party.

Mean while there were a dozen's of Harley's chained to meters around the block - Go figure - Nothing like stopping in to have a light beer - LOL

Nobody could make up a story like this if it wasn't true - Apparently I was a very likable guy but not affable; other then, your reputation is not necessarily true ;o)

One thing I learned after that incident is that Hog Riders revere Breganzies and go to no end to prove it as there was NOT a Japanese bike to be seen.

After my light beer heading to my ride to see my SF0 in the lobby when 2 big Hoggers tap my shoulder and say: "Stick around we're buying"
HIC moment - Hell's Angels !

One of my adventures riding a Breganzie in the Great White North ;o)
 
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Paul: Kashmir, some Afghan black and India Temple Balls were layered with white streaks of opiates - I know I was a teenager in the 60's when the Vietnam War was terrible. Opiate Black hashes was expense at perhaps $640 a lb back then.

I preferred Brown or Blond Lebanese at $400/lb. A few joints of Lebanese with a bottle of Beaujolais Wine on the week ends ;o)

Crystal Meh was a killer - Lost a few acquaintances to that shit in the 60's - Meth is still a killer - Can't say Cocaine is - I'm rather partial to it - haven't used it in for over 40 years but in my old age I do require 2 or 4 Tyenol #1's on bad days - considering I've broken about every bone in body at one time or another including my neck in 2 places and1/2 parallelized on my left side - I'm 73 - I wonder if I going to wake up tomorrow. I don't give a shit - been there done it ;o)
 
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I remember slabs of black Afghan with a gold seal stamped on it, from Mazar y Sharif, or the Kashmir which was a tress, but no white streaks.
Opium is black anyway.
Lebanese or Moroccan was basic diet here
I was also a teenager in the 60s.
My military service was in Paris. Easier than Vietnam or Indochina as the French called it.

Paul
 
Paul well at least were on the same page being a teenager in the 60's.

Granted we were educated and basically stuck to schooling as most of our friends were back then - I personally have a 3 years of University in Physics, Math, Electronics and History. As of interest I've expanded more into Electronics and History over the years.

You might enjoy this "Can't get you Out of my Head" Documentary: https://fmovies.wtf/film/cant-get-you-out-of-my-head.lrjmz/0rpo7z9
To summarize: The idea of one's self is an small accessory of the brain to simplify the larger part of the brain containing the chaotic and irrationality of the world around us. Rational people like Politicians and Dictators exploit this theory of mass hysteria to no end without results. I kinda got into Psych 101 when writing labs up in the auditorium during lectures - The Prof place the exam on my desk I wrote it and I past it. Then he revoked the credit because I was not registered in his course - Now that's PROOF ;o)

LSD, Peyote, Psilocybin, PCP, LSD 25, we could have become really become really fucked up back in 60's but not compared to the Hypo Synesthetic Addictive shit on the streets today that our kids have to contend with.

By the way, that Moroccan Keif was crap - Pakistan Hash was a norm in the 70's and 80's here in Northern Ontario by 71 I had no interest in getting stoned. Black Beauty and White Crystal along Disco took over and young people died. I did dabble with cocaine up to the mid 70's. I was never addicted to drugs.

Gotta cut down on the Scotch and Cig's - Very addictive and too expensive ;o)
 
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chrisk said:
Cool story Jim.

Circa 1990: Tootling along through Monbulk Vic on my Black Jota, I see a bike in my mirror, it's getting closer as the traffic lights at Lilydale turn red, and I need to turn right to head up to the Black Spur for an afternoon of riding. A Silver/blue SS900 pulls up and follows me when the lights go green. On more open road, I get into it and the bloke on the SS is keeping good pace. After running up through the Spur I stop at the pub for a beer.

The SS pulls in and the bloke riding walks into the pub, still with his belstaff on, shaking his head. I never knew why he was shaking his head, but I soon left ............... about 25 years later Maurice Turner, who owns a silver/blue SS said ......... was that you?
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I do remember chasing a black Jota years ago through the spur and stopping at the Narbethong pub in fact I was a regular on the black spur years ago and actually rode through there to the Spgahetti rally.
 
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Laverda SF said:
One time pulling up to the Frontonac Hotel in down town Sudbury Ontario with my Breganzie I parked between 2 Horses tied to meters.

There's a long story after that where my Laverda ended up parked in the hotel lobby (Minus the Horses) and there was an absolute insane week end party.

Nobody could make up a story like this if it wasn't true - Apparently I was a very likable guy but not affable; other then, your reputation is not necessarily true ;o)
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Hahahaha ..... those are the best stories! My Laverda had too much to drink a couple of times and spent the night in a restaurant in Fergus, Ontario. My Ducati Monster had a real penchant for the drink and has spent the night in the Rock Pit in Revelstoke, Dakotas restaurant in Chilliwack and Beethoven's Pizza in Cultus Lake, BC. Tried taking the Monster to a meeting but ended up doing a wheelie in front of the police station instead.

Jim
 
One time I was riding my Laverda and the drive chain broke.Overtaking a line of 3 to 4 cars at Knockdown near Tetbury in Gloucestershire,just passed the lead car when all drive disappeared , just changed into top so revs didn`t go too sky high,pub and lay-by on the right so indicated and pulled into there.Took a look and realised what had happened.No chain,chainguard completely destroyed but it had done it`s job by preventing damage spreading any further,although there were a couple of gouges in the cush drive/sprocket hub.
Heard someone say "I think this is yours" and saw this bloke walking towards me holding the chain (which must have cooled down a bit by now).
For a second I thought he was going to tell me the airborne chain had damaged his car/smashed the windscreen and killed grannie sitting in the front seat,or something,but he just wondered if it was still of any use,which was good of him,but it wasn`t.
Chain was an early Renolds O-ring,actually made in the USA if I remember correctly.
Regarding chains,the "Welsh Flyer" Parry Thomas back in 1927 was attempting to break the World Land Speed record at Pendine Sands in his Higham car powered by a 27 litre Liberty aircraft engine.He broke the record in one direction,but because the sand was wet all by-standers could see was a cloud of spray as he went by.
He turned around to do the run in the opposite direction and at about halfway an explosion of flame could be seen through the spray followed by silence.
It was thought at the time that the engine had seized and the exposed drive chain running along the outside of the car had snapped , the broken chain now sything across the open cockpit causing 90% decapitation injuries to Parry,who now lost control of the car causing it to roll over before coming to a halt. The remains of Parry were taken away and the car buried in the sand at the spot it had come to rest.
Malcolm Campbell was due at Pendine the following week for his attempt at the record and when he heard what had happened to Thomas he promptly beefed up the chain enclosure of his Bluebird car.
Despite all this I still prefer chain to shaft drive,had a Yamaha T80 (Yamahas take on the Honda C90) which had shaft drive which seized up on me (the shaft drive that is) at about 45 mph riding home from work.I left it outside the gates of the nearby crematorium and walked home.
It was still there the following day when the local motorcycle shop went to pick it up.
At least with chain drive you can actually see it to inspect it and when fitting new chain/sprockets you have a brand new drive system.
 
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