Another excuse to post bike pics That YELLOW 999s would fit in very nicely.... And the one that I should not have sold :cry:
I was a complete hooligan on the RG500 and am surprised that I never dropped it looking back, keeping up with friends on modetrn 1000's in Wales....engine was addictive but handling was very old school. I'm now happy to potter about and be a hooligan off road!
My Laverda 750 SF1, born in Breganze in 1973. I have a Multistrada Enduro and the XDiavel S, but I'm always drawn to the Laverda. Must be an age thing!!
That is lovely! My brother was a mechanic at Geoff Daryn Motorcycles in Sandwich, Kent from the mid 70’s until it closed in the late 80’s, they were Laverda and Ducati dealers and he visited the Laverda factory in Breganze on a training course for the triples, it sounded like an interesting place making a mixture of agricultural machines and bikes. In about 1977 (I think) he prepared a Jota for endurance racing and drove down to Barcelona in a clapped out Bedford van with numerous breakdowns on the way. Geoff’s usual rider (Golly Harris) shared riding duties for the 24 hour race on the old Montjuic Park circuit with Ray Knight (the journalist). Whilst testing it on the A2 complete with RG500 fairing and racing numbers etc. my brother got pulled and the Police wanted to throw the book at him because at the time apparently racing numbers were illegal on the road, but a copper who went in the shop regularly got him off. Definitely more carefree times! I really, really wanted a Jota myself but as a 10 stone weakling at the time (now I’m a 13 stone weakling ) a test ride showed that the two handed clutch, blister inducing gear-change, heavy throttle and teeth loosening suspension was more than I could manage! So I bought a Suzuki GS1000S instead like the one in my post earlier, still wouldn’t mind one though.
I too lusted after a Jota ever since my jaw dropped after seeing one when I was a teenager, i finally bought one about 13 years ago ,and it mostly lived up to the hype although the clutch pull wasn't too bad I could never get it to run perfect ,it had a horrendous flat spot at normal cruising speed (60-70mph) that I just couldn't iron out, and it used to eat spark plugs at a rate of knots...sounded the business though ,I sold it for peanuts about 7 seven years ago just before the prices went stratospheric...deep regret.
That's a really nice story, thanks for sharing it :thumbsup: The clutch on the 750 isn't too bad. More of a problem is that the rear brake pedal and gear lever are on the opposite sides to normal. So I'm either trying to change gear with the brake or worse still, trying to brake with the gear lever!! You just have to get your head in the right place before you ride it. However once you get used to it, its absolutely fine and a pleasure to ride with a great sound track.
Yes they can be a bit temperamental, but once set up they are normally ok. You are right though, it is a bit of an art. Prices are always creeping up for the Jota's, which is why I got the SF1. The Twins don't command such a high premium, but then I guess they don't have the appeal (unless its an SFC). I'm happy though. It's nice to have a bit of Italian history from what was a small family firm.
