SF 750 problems

B

Blackwolf

New member
Location
Southern California
  I just recently purchased a cherry 1974 Laverda SF 750. It looks like it belongs in a museum but  I  am not happy with it. I have rode it about 4 miles and already I am getting oil leaking from the left front head area. Also where does one adjust the idle speed as it has to be constantly throttled to keep it from stalling. I wanted a nice clean weekend rider that I could enjoy but now I need to reconsider my options. I would rather have someone familiar with Laverdas look at it but I am sure they are as common as hens teeth. I live in the L. A. area and would consider having it fixed by an expert but I may just want to get out of the exotic bike all together. I am used to owning BMWs and I never have has issues with them. This bike is just too quirky for me. Beautiful bike none the less.
Thanks,
Jim
 
Jim, they are never twist and go.
I would recommend you find a good mechanic who knows the breed and he can set it up correctly. Once set up they stay in tune a long time, as reliable as a BMW.
I can't help with a local expert but there is a great guy in New Mexico I can recommend.
 
Laverdas need riding regularly then they settle ,    but you need to fix what you have - she is 43 years old - who has'nt at that age needed a bit of TLC  , mine are 36 and and 33 years old and are dry and free of functional issues - plenty of assistance on here - get some pictures up  8) 
 
If you are able to do repairs and maintenance on BMWs of similar age then the SF should not be much of a challenge for you. It is just a matter of follow the basic suning and servicing steps common to pre digital bikes. Idle mixture is very simple on those Dellortos but first you need to ensure that ignition and valve clearances are set, both very easy jobs that are outlined in the owners manual. There aren?t many places it will leak oil on the LHS of the head, the tacho drive or it?s cover could be culprits or even a tappet cover, cleaning it first shoud locate it. If you aren?t very mechanically minded then yes you will need someone competent. It is a shame to want to get rid of it even before it has infected you like Laverdas tend to do, it is a very pleasant disease.
 
Buying any 43yo moto is buyer beware, unless you knew the bike, the owner, its history, you have absolutely no way of knowing what's been done to it (or not!). They aren't difficult bikes to get right, even if you had to pay someone experienced in them to remove the head and fix the leakage problem, then set it up properly. Often the problems are the result of DPO's (dickhead previous owner/s ... the term wasn't coined for no reason!!), too many of whom think they have the skill to do it all themselves.

As Tippie said, clean it and ascertain where the leak is coming from first. Then get it fixed, and tuned. If I bought an SF now, I would probably remove the head and barrels just to have a look-see, then I'd do the usual stuff like clean carbs, set valve clearances etc. Don't worry, you could just as easily buy BMW of that vintage and find problems ... none of which would be likely to spell eternal disaster.
 
Gummed up carbs from non use are more likely than an iddle setting.
Oil leak is either leaking exhaust gasket of cam end cover gasket.
Any engine not used regularly will see it's gaskets dry up and leak.

A 750 Laverda is as reliable as a BMW, but more importantly, it's exciting and fun.

:)

Paul

 
Thanks Ernesto for the picture of the carburetor, and thanks to all who replied. I will check the idle speed screws today when I get off work. As for the oil problem, it looks like a head gasket leaking. There is oil coming down the left front corner and made a small mess of a pristine aluminum finned cylinder barrel and engine case. I will clean it and check it out.
  Still trying to get used to the right hand shift as well. My size 15 EEEE shoes are a tight fit for shifting and my brain is still left hand biased.
Is there a left hand conversion kit for this bike?

Jim
 
Agree with Tippie oil leaks usually from loose tappet covers ,(often looks like it"s from the head,) or put in a new tacho drive gasket,
 
The original gear pedal was pretty bloody long. Some owners fitted shorter ones from a triple. A LH conversion will make it much less direct but SF3 had it and some owners have rigged up systems, but you have to be careful not to introduce friction/resistance and get the ratio good, lots of bits needed.
With your idle, if it doesn't respond to mixture screw adjustment then you'll have likely have to strip and properly clean the carbs.
 
There are o-rings (54) in the tappet covers.
Good idea to renew , at least check
them.
The area behind gasket no. 46 has to be
plain. 

Ernesto
 

Attachments

  • nwd.JPG
    nwd.JPG
    18.5 KB · Views: 124
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top