RGA 1000 Jota, one owner, time to move on

I enjoyed the saga of this bike too, especially since I own it's younger bother #2490. I've put it up for sale recently but I like Fast Orange too well to give it away for 1988 prices. It's true, the market for these things has always pretty small. I had a lot of inquiries about my Jarama which was posted in the same ad, but only one for the RGA Jota. I noted the comment about valve seat problems. Mine had a receding valve seat, center exhaust, right from the original sale. You could see it in the regular valve clearance adjustments of the first owner who was an obsessive record-keeper. I had a good machinist work on that some years ago but I think maybe I will need to pull the head and have the whole thing done by someone who is more familiar with these. I'm sorry to hear that 2489 is going to Australia, but I expect it'll get ridden the way it should be there. Wolfgang thought there were only about a half dozen RGA Jotas imported to the US, so it's getting to be one of the rarer models in this country.
 
Yup! The bike left California in January on the next leg of its round-the-world-in-80-years journey, having moved steadily Westward from Breganze so far that it's technically East of Breganze now. I think it's onshore by now?

I've been a total slacker in getting the bits & bobs over there. They are, at least, all bubble wrapped and stowed in some bins. There's no excuse for letting them sit there like that.

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eabergman said:
I enjoyed the saga of this bike too, especially since I own it's younger bother #2490. I've put it up for sale recently but I like Fast Orange too well to give it away for 1988 prices. It's true, the market for these things has always pretty small. I had a lot of inquiries about my Jarama which was posted in the same ad, but only one for the RGA Jota. I noted the comment about valve seat problems. Mine had a receding valve seat, center exhaust, right from the original sale. You could see it in the regular valve clearance adjustments of the first owner who was an obsessive record-keeper. I had a good machinist work on that some years ago but I think maybe I will need to pull the head and have the whole thing done by someone who is more familiar with these. I'm sorry to hear that 2489 is going to Australia, but I expect it'll get ridden the way it should be there. Wolfgang thought there were only about a half dozen RGA Jotas imported to the US, so it's getting to be one of the rarer models in this country.
Click to expand...

I told my friends that Australia is literally a big ranch out west where my Laverda can run and play with other Laverdas just like it and live happily ever after.
 
eabergman said:
Wolfgang thought there were only about a half dozen RGA Jotas imported to the US, so it's getting to be one of the rarer models in this country.
Click to expand...

#2655 is still in the USA, originally sold and prepared by Renaissance Motorcycles in Tucson for its first owner to enter the La Carrera Classic race across Baja California in Mexico, when that didn't happen he sold it to me.

RGA Sprint.jpgRGA Sprint.jpg
 
Just thought I would continue on with the story of the RGA, I stored her for a year while I got on top of a number of bike builds but now have recommissioned her and put her back on the road.
I have always been a bit cynical of the RGA and looked upon them as the entry level budget model Laverda, the reality is they are a great sit up and ride long distance bike, this 120 engine seems to have a lot less vibration around that 2800 rpms than a 120 Jota/SFC1000/Corsa.
And just a little more tuning and I am sure she will travel nearly 300 kms on a tank of fuel.
Thanks Zeke
 

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