£30k & Which One To Have...

I rode back to the UK from Grenoble in the company of a 750GT in 1975 and it was the most unreliable bike I’d seen at that time. Eventually had to rewire the ignition just outside St Quentin after the loom caught fire. That bike would not be high on my list of wants Andy

 

I thought the DB1 (special) https://www.madeinitalymotorcycles.com/post/bimota-db1-special-1 would be the one but looking at it it actually turns out that the features that would make it a DB1 have all been taken away , namely the superbly original and innovative bodywork.

I would go for the cheaper DB1 that actually looks like a DB1 ought to look: https://www.madeinitalymotorcycles.com/post/bimota-db1-special

 

I'd go for a bimota or possibly a langen

 

I like all of the above especially Bim's but it's a no brainer for me with number two on your hit list.

 

916 SPS - Dream poster bike of my childhood

 

I'd question that's original mileage for the SPS. Only because looking at the picture some of the components look a little too tarnished for 591 miles. Unless it was just stored somewhere that wasn't climate controlled or damp. Just my opinion.

 

Interesting comment. I was (sort of) interested in the Laverda triples they have. I asked a few questions on the Laverda Forum and got some pretty scathing replies (this was wrong, that was wrong, far too expensive etc). That said, some of their bikes do look nice.

 

funny you mention this. I joined the Laverda Forum when I was looking for a Jota. Great bunch of folks and so knowledgeable about Laverdas. For me as a novice on the brand it was very intimidating and I started to over think things when searching for a bike. These guys really are meticulous and I mean that with the utmost respect for the members

 

Have to agree with you abut the Laverda Forum - there is a wealth of knowledge there (almost as much as on here !) and they're certainly meticulous. As you say, a bit scary for an ignorant novice like me...

 

I bought my 1977 Jota from MIIM a few years ago, it ran ok-ish for a couple of months before the ignition packed in, although to be fair it was the original bosch item from the mid 70's, anyway i bit the bullet and had the bike transported to Laverda Scozia in Glasgow to have the bike assessed and to have a modern digital Ignitech ignition system fitted together with an uprated alternator etc...turns out the top end needed a full rebuild, inc valves/guides cam blocks and a cylinder head skim, and the carbs needed a full refurb due to some gummed up jets etc - total bill (inc ignition ) over £3500.

When i got the bike back it had been transformed from a lumpy ,hard to start bag of spanners to a start on the button (every time) growling beast of a bike that is an absolute pleasure to ride.

The thing with laverda's is there arent many people who specialise in working on them any more, some pretend to be experts but arent, IMO there are only a couple of proven experts that i know of in the Uk, Keith Nairn (Laverda Scozia) in Glasgow and Ged Shorten (GCS) in Dorset (i think?) ...thats the thing with older bikes, the older they get the expertise to work on them dwindles to the point where there's no one left who knows what theyre doing, but i have to say the ILOC forum and the Laverda uk forums are full of excellent advice and friendly knowledgeable people.

Made in Italy Motorcycles have a lot of shiny bikes and tend to be more knowledgeable about Bevel dukes, my experience might not be typical, but if you buy a Lav off them be prepared to get it fully sorted elsewhere.