Already in 1969 messages were 'leaked' to the press and sent over the Laverda three-cylinder. The machine itself was shown at the Milan motor show. Only from 1972 / 73 was the '1000' (980) cc Laverda 1000 actually for sale.
The Laverda triples: and a long lead time
Completely in accordance with Italian tradition, the fat Laverda had been presented years before, but with Italians, after the most exuberant introductions, the deepest silence often appears. In 1972, few people believed in the arrival of the three-cylinder engine from Breganze. But when Kawasaki presented the Z900, the Italians were startled by their dreams and released the "1000" on the market. At the start of 1973, more than three years after the introduction, the 10003C finally came to the store. And that at the time of its actual 'being on sale' that machine was not technically fully developed yet?
A kind of planning
“Italians bring something to the market when they do it Mooi find enough ”. The final product development is then played via the customer. The machine ran, leaving all the specified Italian values there an 20 kilometer faster than the 750 cc twins and was actually above the 200 km / h. And that is pretty hard when you're in the wind. And to return to a bit of a serious approach in the design of the three-cylinder: Luciano Zen and his staff took Honda's CB 750 as a benchmark. Their engine could not be wider and heavier than the Japanese revolutionary.
Laverda wanted to go for top quality
Attempts to come to definitive agreements about delivery times and quality with Italian suppliers failed in keeping with the national character that 'Passion' always gives priority to something as banal as pasta. That's why the people from Laverda went shopping. The first production version of the triple had Bosch lighting, though Tommaselli handles, Lucas switches and Nippon Denso counters. Laverda had to get permission from Honda to use the specially made Nippon Denso counters.
The first models
The first models had wire spoke wheels and impressive brake drums, but fashion soon prescribed cast wheels and disc brakes. Moreover, the drums were beautiful, but they could not really handle their work. And the 35 mm Ceriani front fork? It humbly bowed when violence was exercised on it. Of the models with a drum brake on the front, only a few hundred have been made. They are therefore extremely 'hot' for collectors. Despite their inferior qualities when it comes to details such as braking power. Because from an emergency stop on such an early triple pitter you also get it enormously 'hot'.
With the eyes of now
If we now look at such a Laverda three-cylinder, then we mainly see the huge lump motor that hangs between the frame tubes in massive and impressive beauty. The whole machine looks rather rude than graceful Italian. The aluminum is fair and not alloyed to the anorex. The entire engine shines 'POWERFUL!' And one exclamation point is actually too little. The early specimens with their crutches at 180 degrees run sort of raw and brutal like a twin with a multiple personality disorder.
They can also vibrate very well. The later blocks with the crank taps on the 120 degree crankshaft gear that fits much better to the three-cylinder four-stroke concept run much nicer. And according to the hard core enthusiasts, that shows less character ... And it always stays that way in motorcycle country
Compliments, aptly brought with that MPS-suffering 2 cylinder!
In 1981 I have succumbed to the quality and appearance of the 3 pitter. This was due to a colleague who had had an 750 and an 100 Laverda but was unable to ride a motorcycle due to a (car!) Accident.
I then had a Yamaha XS500 and then had a Yamaha XS650 to trade in. Block of the 650 was super but the frame was simply weak and really did not steer (I sometimes dream of if I have the flu!).
I bought the 1000 from Jos Janssen in Grave, also a story in itself.
Jos took me (on the back) just outside Grave to a meandering dike to test drive. I think he only knew two positions of the throttle: full-open or closed and full-on-the-brake! (I was happy to be back after that ride back and forth from the dike…).
The engine was then serviced for more than a year by a practitioner in Brummen: Gerrit Eekhuis, unfortunately who had an accident with his hobby; he was a dealer and repairer but above all it was his hobby (3 / 4 hobby and 1 / 4 to make the pipe smoke).
After Eekhuis some “wandering” with maintenance addresses (because you can't just leave the Laverda everywhere!) And via Van Dijk-Driebergen - Motorado at Henk de Boer (HdeB, then Steenwijk, now in Sleen) and there I am still, with the same Laverda.
Henk is also a colorful figure who would fit Gerrit Eekhuis as far as enthusiasm is concerned.
With the Laverda I am still completely delighted and I can still (now completely…) more than I dare. You will find the most interesting figures with it, no uniform sausages from Japan but purebred horses that you have to pamper but then also do everything for you, those Laverdas!
It remains a pity that Laverda is “late” but also a person like Gerrit Eekhuis. You will really miss them….