Purchase advice

B

Bluedog 61

New member
Location
Singleton
Hi thanks for the add,

I currently own two nortons a 71 750 commando and a 2015 961 SF commando but feel the need for a classic triple in my life. Obvious choices ar t 160 triumph or laverda 1000 3c

So the bike I'm looking at has a history my brother bought it new in 76 then sold it to my good mate who still has it, we done many miles together I was on a Ducati 900 at the time, he stopped riding it in the early 90's and hadn't ridden it since.

I'm trying to pry it out of him we're both early 60's now and he has no intention of riding it or restoring it , it started life green and he painted it black mid 80's, he stopped riding it when the gear selector got stuck he says you can change up but not down and there is a spring broken internally and the cases will need to be split,

I don't know much more he said it's a bit rough but you'd expect that however it's always been garaged we've lived interstate from each other but catch up from time to time via ph, he doesn't know what to ask for it and I'm thinking along the lines of a near full restoration so would be thinking 10k would be my limit, I know it's subjective and whatever someone is willing to pay, appreciate any thoughts?

Cheers

Bluedog
 
The Sock said:
From the sounds of it, I’d expect it to be the gear-lever return spring, which doesn’t require splitting the crankcase. In fact, if you’re familiar with Laverdas, it’s a five minute job.
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I'll give him a call later today or this week, it might be me that has the story wrong, he's reasonably mechanical so I'd say it's something else
 
If it's the little spring inside the cases it costs next to nothing but the cases will have to be split, my mate did it on his by taking just the bottom casing off and leaving the top end intact. His gear change symptoms were similar to the ones you describe.
 
a full restoration (including engine, repainting, re-wiring, tires, brakes etc.) easily cost 10.000 alone. If that is your budget, there is not much left for the bike itself... Depending on the model and the location you are in (I suppose it is UK?)

The shifting mechanism is really very robust on these bikes. I am with the above statement, that in 99% of all cases, it is either a broken return spring or the excenter adjuster has become lose. Happened to me twice...
 
No singleton NSW, bikes in adelaide, it was 10k I will offer for the bike then restore from there, I'd hope to get out of it for around 10k as well on top I know how these things can blow out though I spent around 20 on my 750 commando and a few years to do it ..... but he has to accept the offer I think it would be pretty fair
 
OK - so the 10.000 are AUS$, which makes it roughly 6.500€. That sounds a bit more realistic. Not sure how the prices are in NSW and what status the bike is in, but if you have experience with restoring a bike, you should be able to judge the value. Red from Redax is the most competent source down there I think, you can get in touch either here over the members list and private message or contact him via facebook:

Facebook

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He can help with parts, machining and even complete restorations. Get some pricing there to see how this fits in your budget maybe ;-)
 
Bluedog 61 said:
No singleton NSW, bikes in adelaide, it was 10k I will offer for the bike then restore from there, I'd hope to get out of it for around 10k as well on top I know how these things can blow out though I spent around 20 on my 750 commando and a few years to do it ..... but he has to accept the offer I think it would be pretty fair
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There are loads of knowledgeable helpful Laverda enthusiasts in Australia, a lot of them post on here so you will be in good company. Maurice Turner among many others has a lot of 3C knowledge. Laverdas are much more expensive to restore than Nortons by the way.
 
I bought mine new, in '76, to replace my '73 850 Commando. From the getgo it was a far more challenging and satisfying bike to ride.
I never found anything that made me want to replace it.
It's been back to Breganze a couple of times, done several hundred Track Days and still brings a smile to my face every time I take it out for a blast.
Good luck with the purchase and restoration and many happy miles on yours, if you can get itKeith Martin pics 4.jpg.
 
I would not run an engine like that laid up for 30 years. It may eventually start and run fine but as the French say, that is taking a step back so as to jump better.

The problem with Laverda motorcycles paradoxically is that they are reliable. That means that when something is knackered, often, everything is knackered.

You're looking at several thousand for an engine resto, because the cylinder head and skulls will be cracked, the cams will be scored and the cam blocks not in good condition and the bottom end will be corroded after such a long lay up.
All the chains will need changing, along with the tensioners and clutch rubbers.
It won't go bang immediately, but it will go bang.

Paul
 
Paul Marx said:
I would not run an engine like that laid up for 30 years. It may eventually start and run fine but as the French say, that is taking a step back so as to jump better.

The problem with Laverda motorcycles paradoxically is that they are reliable. That means that when something is knackered, often, everything is knackered.

You're looking at several thousand for an engine resto, because the cylinder head and skulls will be cracked, the cams will be scored and the cam blocks not in good condition and the bottom end will be corroded after such a long lay up.
All the chains will need changing, along with the tensioners and clutch rubbers.
It won't go bang immediately, but it will go bang.

Paul
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When I described the as found state (stored ~40 years) of my SFC to Ian Falloon, his response was: change the oil, rebuild the carbs, crank it over at least a hundred times, then add gas. 😳

I've scoped the interior of my engine with a camera and haven't found any damage or rust. The heads and cams look fine (~4000 miles on the bike), just grubby. My plan was to flush and drain the oil, then refill with fresh, rebuild the carbs, and then after cranking more to circulate the fresh oil, give it a whirl.

Since reading today and talking with Wolfgang, I'm adding an inspection of the starter sprag clutch to that list as well. Should I be doing more??
 
I would fettle it and use it, unlike Paul, carb strip (obviously) Redex down the bores for a fortnight, fresh oil, drop exhaust and clean sump strainer etc

with the gearbox its all about feel, if the biro (detent) spring on the gear change selection drum is broken, then the gear lever will not feel the "indents" that the sprung (or not sprung) roller wheel will locate into in each gear selection slot, the "click" as it were and for neutral an even bigger "click". If the selector spring (external to crankcase in outer gearbox cover) is broken, then an upshift not returning pedal may exist or a downshift, but in each case, the pedal can be returned manually to test if the sring is broken, after a fashion, can be riden like this, if its the latter, a very easy fix, if not, dont faff around, engine out, strip, replace all gaskets, seals, piston rings and valve springs out of course/normality, valves can be inspected and attenedd to if needed, likewise chains,clean the oil slingers, and address anything that you find, (4th gear bush f.e). etc etc, but I would not strip it just because its stood still.

good luck with the purchase

CLEM
 
750 is an all roller engine with one camshaft. Not the same as a triple.
Apart from squirting plenty of oil at the valve gear and the risk of rusty bores, the big risk as far as I'm concerned is the main bearings being corroded having been for decades in the same position.
The bike will run fine but why not do the bearings straight away rather than wait a few thousand miles?

The only thing you'll gain from rushing it is money. For the time being.

Paul
 
Hey Bluedog, welcome to the forum,
You will get lots of good advice and sometimes a laugh if your lucky.
A year ago I purchased a Jota that had sat for nearly 20 years (32k on the clock), took it back to bare frame, reasembed with new bearings , rubbers ect,redid valve clearances and a few other bits and pieces and it runs fine, have done 12 thousand ks since then and its a cracker.
So you can get lucky, but if it does need a rebuild your even luckier cause Red is just over the border and if thats the case you will have a frigging awesome triple :) :)

Hope this helps
Cheers
Tom
 
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