Riding a bike no one has ever heard of, Laverda

1200ts said:
I bought my SFC1000 from Steve Carroll. He had a book listing all the Laverda's he had sold and the customer information. When he added me to the book he said that 90% of his Laverda customers and their bikes had disappeared. Steve closed his shop about the year 2002 and I have not seen him since.
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Yes, Steve was a good bloke and a keen Laverda enthusiast he did his best to promote Laverda but they were a tough sell to people who never heard of them. Way, way back must have been 1982 or a bit later, fuck I'm old, (and forget stuff) Steve Carroll organized The California 500 motorcycle Rally. A 500-mile 2-day rally ride that covered some of the best riding mountain roads in Southern California. Steve rode a red RGS and there was another guy a friend of Steve on an SF and me on my well-used 3C, that was the last time I saw 3 Laverdas together (2005 NALOC Rally excluded). It was a fantastic rally very much a European selection of bikes well over 100 bikes.
 
My memory from 40 years ago is not so great but what I remember is:

I first met Steve Carroll in 1976 when he was working as a mechanic for Lance Weil who owned Ricky Racer in Costa Mesa. He left and stated his shop called European Cycle Specialties in Garden Grove. At the time he was not a dealer and sold only used bikes. This was about 1980 I think. He then moved a few miles to a new location and became a Ducati dealer and then Laverda. One day about 2002 I went to his shop for parts and it was gone. No idea what happened to him.

Lance Weil was still in Costa Mesa selling Laverda's until they went out of business. Lance always claimed he sold more Laverda's in the US than any other dealer. In the early 1990's he moved his shop to Los Angeles and then Burbank.
 
Paul,

They were also part of my motorcycling life when they were new but only in magazines. My first job in 1977 I made $2.65 per hour ($5,500 a year before taxes) so could never even dream of owing a Laverda and I really wanted one. A used 1973 Yamaha RD250 was all I could afford.

Once they disappeared from the road, I forgot all about them and was in to British bikes until by chance I saw two 750 twins for sale in 1992. Back then it was not uncommon for people to say I used to have a Laverda. Now, no one remembers them.
 
1200ts said:
The lack of any motorcycle shop that will work on a Laverda in Southern California means unless you do your own work it becomes a bike rusting away at the back of the garage.
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sadly, that is very true. I am blessed to live in Germany with plenty (well - 3?) of Workshops that do work on Laverdas within a distance of 300km, the closest being OCT with just 80Km away. Piet, who used to work for OCT, has retired now, Roger (the owner) is in his 60's, too, many of the guys that worked for OCT have left for other business and the other dealers and workshops in Germany are run by similar or even more aged people (like Andy Wagner or Bodo Bergmann). Not sure for how long they will be able to service the bikes... Adding to that, the Breganze Bikes aren't tempting to my son (while the Zane is), so I guess he will not be wanting them in the future.

I was on a bike meeting recently after some years again, roughly 200km away from me. Tour was great, a lot of chearing from people that I haven't met for some time. Sitting there, we remembered all the dead ones of that scene, which was good but also scaring to see how many have already gone to their last ride. Looking around, I looked into really aged faces and wondered, how long we will be able to even ride our bikes... Maybe time to sell them off before no-one wants them anymore? They are not complicate and parts are available, but who really cares once we are dead? I think no-one really, at least not the way we hope for. Sad.

Not sure where abouts you are in California, but I know of Richard K. who is located in Pacific Grove close to Monterey. He restored his lovely Jota by himself (among some other nice machines). He could at least help maybe with sources for work. He and his wife are british and travel a lot between the states and Europe (yes, geografically, GB is still Europe... ;)). Also, when I went to SF some years ago, I had at least 3 people from California who would be willing to meet. Unfortunately, time was limited, so I had only the meeting with Richard and his wife at their location. I can get you in contact via Facebook if you like.
 
I have only one recommandation for anybody envisaging purchasing a Laverda today: if you can't do most of the work yourself, don't buy it.

Do you think people riding bikes 80 years old or more worry about where the dealers are? The oldest of our Laverda are now 74 having been built in 1949.

Paul
 
I reckon (at least I'm hoping!) I'll make it in the saddle until electric is to Laverdas as digital is to print film. I'm 68 this year, know Laverdas inside out having got my Sf1 in early 1975, still fit and love riding briskly. The SFQ will see me through. i'm sure my son and daughter would love to keep it alive, knowing that these bikes have been part of my life for 50 years, but fettling it is never ever likely to happen.
 
I'm an analogue guy in a digital age.
At least you can work on a (Breganze) Laverda.
How many of the current eletronic engine management computerised bikes are going to be still functional in forty years' time?
Safe to say, I'm unlikely to be around, but there's a fighting chance my Triple still will be.
If it can give 10% as much fun, riding it, as I've had from it, there's going to be a broad smile on somebody's face.
 
The Sock said:
I'm an analogue guy in a digital age.
At least you can work on a (Breganze) Laverda.
How many of the current eletronic engine management computerised bikes are going to be still functional in forty years' time?
Safe to say, I'm unlikely to be around, but there's a fighting chance my Triple still will be.
If it can give 10% as much fun, riding it, as I've had from it, there's going to be a broad smile on somebody's face.
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Have you converted your triple to points yet?

Jim
 
CDI: Capacitor Discharge Ignition?
As a doctor, I've been faced with all sorts of discharges, but that one leaves me cold.
Paul
 
The only bike I ever fiddled with that had points, had them tucked up inside a shielded flywheel that I never was able to pull or get at. You could just see them through a tiny access port. I don't even remember what it was, probably some kind of Japanese Dirtbike like an early DT or XT Yamaha. Probably a good thing really that I couldn't muck with them.
 
Vince said:
The only bike I ever fiddled with that had points, had them tucked up inside a shielded flywheel that I never was able to pull or get at. You could just see them through a tiny access port. I don't even remember what it was, probably some kind of Japanese Dirtbike like an early DT or XT Yamaha. Probably a good thing really that I couldn't muck with them.
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Most under 30s have never heard of points.
Paul
 
Alzero said:
Then it was Steve who sold me my bike in Garden Grove.70 year old memory need a kickstart once in a while.
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Yes European Motorcycles were in 'Little Saigon' aka Garden Grove
1200ts said:
One day about 2002 I went to his shop for parts and it was gone. No idea what happened to him.
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Yes me too Bruce, I was over that way pulled up at the shop and it was an empty showroom, never seen or heard of Steve since then.
 
Had a discussion the other day at my Firefighting headquarters that is being computerised. I pointed out that some members are more adept at getting their heads around all the new gizmos than others (me included). I made the point that it's not a matter of intelligence but more a matter of preference. Some like all the electronics that has invaded our world, such as display screens in modern cars or the TFT displays and other electronic fruit on modern bikes where others are quite content with only a speedo and tacho. For me, that's all I need or want.
 
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