Re: What did you do to or for or with your Laverda today?

Been busy on 2 projects:

A series 2 Jota that will become a carbonara special.



And the 750. Plans for this have dramatically changed following someone persuading me to sell it. Frame is off for painting, as is the bodywork. Fork stanchions still in the UK being rechromed so I'm in the middle of tidying up the engine.

 
It will be going to live in your country when ready.
I'm making it a stock twin drum SF, as it was originally.
Saying that I still have the other frame, most of an engine and a few ideas, sort of where I was in the beginning!
 
Got the "18 years in the shed" SF2 going yesterday to the massive joy of the new owner. We had scraped off enough grunge and dust to check it over a couple of weeks ago. We then just checked the compression 180psi on both, a quick rub between the points with 1200 wet and dry and checked the timing (spot on after 18 years unridden naturally), checked the tappets, spun the fuses in their sockets to get some current through them, checked the 18yo oil which was like new and made sure it pumped up to the valves. Stripped and blew out the carbs which were pretty gummed up. It fired up but died straight away each time so I took the carbs home and ultrasound cleaned them, reassembled with mangy needles etc just so we could see if the motor would go ok. And yesterday it fired up first stab of the button and ran like a new one which it just about is with only 23000k on the clock. Ran it for about 5 min, heaps of response, not a trace of smoke and with a barely any fiddling settled into a strong idle. It has a rattle from the primary case at idle so I?ll check that out. Drained the oil and the strainer was clean. Bloody good machines the factory built back then. Now to get it stripped and tidied up, the easy part? Hmmm.
 
November the 11th. Armistice day. No farmer were I live in northern France can plough without bringing up a shell or a body.
Took the SF2 out to Ypres end of morning, official ceremonies over so didn't run over anybody.
Had a beer.
Then back to France and to Fromelles where I learned that there was a museum.
Fromelles was the first battle in which the australians were engaged. July 1916.
It was a massacre against well dug in and seasoned Bavarian troops.

In 2010, a mass grave was found and 250 bodies dug up. They were buried by the germans at the time and forgotten.
Mostly australian, a few brits, many unidentified even with DNA matching.

100km in all. Small roads, perfect bike.
Paul
 

Attachments

  • 20151111_135921 (Small).jpg
    20151111_135921 (Small).jpg
    38.8 KB · Views: 19
Here in the US this day morphed into Veteran's Day, as opposed to Armistice Day.  That was back in the 1950s, so many of us have little or no grasp of the "Great War."  I certainly grew up ignorant of it, but that all changed when, as a young man,  I visited Verdun.  Jesus, what a sea of graves in terrain with obvious pock marks from the artillery used so long ago!  It was moving beyond words for me, yet - sadly - the world has not learned much if anything from that horror of our own making.  :'(
 
The 750 bodywork is almost ready. Currently it has been sealed on the inside and has been painted in primer.
Should be ready by Friday, can't wait!

 
Fromelles was the first battle in which the australians were engaged. July 1916.
Click to expand...
Slight correction Paul ;). The first battle that Australia fought during WW1 was the battle of Bita Paka in New Britain on 11 Sept 1914, the of course there was Gallipoli on the 25 April 1915.
Fromelles was their first battle on the western front.
As a little point of interest, it's thought that the first shot of WW1 was against the German ship SS PFALZ off the Mornington Peninsular, Victoria on the 25 August 1914.
Time to get back on topic :D
 
lawrence said:
Here in the US this day morphed into Veteran's Day, as opposed to Armistice Day.  That was back in the 1950s, so many of us have little or no grasp of the "Great War."  I certainly grew up ignorant of it, but that all changed when, as a young man,  I visited Verdun.  Jesus, what a sea of graves in terrain with obvious pock marks from the artillery used so long ago!  It was moving beyond words for me, yet - sadly - the world has not learned much if anything from that horror of our own making.  :'(
Click to expand...

To quote from Eric Bogle's song:-

And I can't help but wonder, now Willie McBride,
Do all those who lie here know why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you "The Cause?"
Did you really believe that this war would end wars?
Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame
The killing, the dying, it was all done in vain,
For Willie McBride, it all happened again,
And again, and again, and again, and again.
 
Got the yokes, forks and wheels back on this morning and have been dodging away at it all day.
Temporarily fitted (disc brake) forks as the correct ones are still away being hard chromed.





I get the bodywork back from the painter tomorrow around this time.
 
... relieved some inner tension.  Rode up through the rainforest with my lurvely SeFFie.
I reckon this SF twin is a keeper.  Noice!
IMG_2047_01.jpg


& had a cuppa and chat with the Teahouse community.  Was a quiet day up there.
IMG_2030_01.jpg

Did not encounter any other vehicle heading our way across the mountain.  Up or back. 
Was only scrub-turkeys x2 and goanna x1.  Not uncommon. One always needs to pay attention.
Yes thanks,  I am feeling much better this evening.  (thumbup)
 
AndyW said:
That looks really good, Mark, have you repainted it since Bello? 
Click to expand...
No Andy.  Paint is ex-USA same same.  I have got use to looking at it,, but got a budget cost for a local respray today.

No hurry.  Just gotta dispose of a couple of triples first!    :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top