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

I?m with Dick, I holed the centre piston one day. I too presumed it was a plug/lead. Ran it for a while trying to find the fault. Luckily it didn?t shit itself completely.

None the less Dick, you?ve got a big bloody mess in there.
 
Hi Dick, I have genuine heartfealt sympathy for your predicament, it could well have been me!
My 150000+km RGS doesn't get thrashed, but it does get used as Massimo intended once it's warmed up :D
There's no doubt that your motor is totalled, sadly, so I'm sure that the plans that you and Grant have in place will soon see it back in action.
It'll be good to understand the root of the problem though..... :-X
 
Heartfelt, I would have probably done the same Dick on the motorway like that, I see Alan has some cases on Ebay if numbers don t bother you.
 
The last time one of my pistons let go all I noticed was MASSIVE smoke out the back via the rear vision mirror and I couldn't believe it, slowed in 2nd gear for a bend and opened to taps while checking I wasn't holding anyone up. The time before it cut onto 2 cylinders and someone suggested in humor that a bit of the piston had hit the plug tip and that's exactly what had happened.That rebuild had me going Carrillo rods as I was sick of blowing up engines.  Its a horror I wouldn't wish on anyone, well maybe 1 or 2 fuckwits from my past.
 
I'm not sure if we ever learn what causes conrods to snap or valve heads to drop off and there seems no rhyme or reason to it either, my 81 Jota 7604 has a sister bike 7605? that had a catastrophic engine failure with complete destruction of the engine, yet my bike is heading for 300,000 kms with years of thrashing on her still original crankshaft.
When I see these horror stories it is pushing me to take that crankshaft rebuild insurance policy earlier rather than later as I couldn't take it if she blew up!!!
 
It seems to me that shops that are rebuilding cranks are in a position to examine rods that are presumably still in serviceable condition.  Maybe manufacturing defects can be detected that cause these mysterious failures.  I find particularly unsettling the reports of con rods failing at moderate engine speeds.  My Mirage has always been well cared for, never thrashed really, yet the engine could come apart without warning? not good at all for peace of mind.  It would be nice to be able to inspect the bits in order to get an idea if all is well or not, rather than merely waiting for the Big Bang. If that happens it could well be the end of the line for the machine.  Not a lot of engine cases offered up for sale that I see.
 
lawrence said:
It seems to me that shops that are rebuilding cranks are in a position to examine rods that are presumably still in serviceable condition.  Maybe manufacturing defects can be detected that cause these mysterious failures.
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I don't think I'd like to put myself in a position where I said, "I've inspected your rods, and they are OK, so I'll put it back together and you won't break a rod this lifetime"

If the rods are out for examination, you may as well throw them in the bin, and replace them with something that is proven to work.
I seem to recall that Red has a drum full of original rods that he has swapped out for Carrillo rods.
 
chrisk said:
Been playing Laverda most of the day. All I need is a belt, comes tomorrow, and I'm good to go.
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I'm sure you could find someone local to come around and give you a belt today.  :LOL: :LOL:
 
lawrence said:
It seems to me that shops that are rebuilding cranks are in a position to examine rods that are presumably still in serviceable condition.  Maybe manufacturing defects can be detected that cause these mysterious failures. 
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Nothing mysterious.
Those rods are pushing the half century, some of them even in regular use.

Paul
 
Paul Marx said:
That being said, isn't the rod problem on triples more of a 120? thing?
Paul
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no, seen just as many broken conrods on the 180's as the 120's, also seen broken rods on 750's and 500's
never seen a broken conrod on a 75cc or 100cc engine though

 
I have not heard stories that Laverda's are more prone the con-rod failure than any other marques.
If this continues we might develop a wide paranoia about riding our bikes?
 
redax5 said:
no, seen just as many broken conrods on the 180's as the 120's, also seen broken rods on 750's and 500's
never seen a broken conrod on a 75cc or 100cc engine though
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:LOL:

It's just that the only ones I've seen in the flesh were 120s.

Paul
 
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