TawCottage wrote:aogrady wrote:
No list from other half luckily, but maybe when the camper is finish, i can get the motorbike back on the road.......
You mentioned a motorbike........Make, model, year, maybe a photo???
Steve
Yeah, motorbike, it's a 1997 Laverda Formula C. 668 cc parallel twin
It's a rare bike, even in the UK which was one of the larger markets, during it's production run, the Formula version had a total production run worldwide of just 200 bikes, of which approx 50 came to the UK, with a handful of those 50 then sold as the "C" track version, with uprated ecu and open race Termignoni exhaust system. The bikes were fitted with all the trick bits in the day, Marchesini hollow spoke wheels, White Power suspension, and Brembo Goldline racing brake system and Weber Marelli fuel injection, when pretty much everyone else was still running carbs... The aluminium beam chassis is designed by Nico Bakker, and has a short 1375mm wheelbase, it's a exceptionally good handling bike, though even when new the engine wasn't as powerful as a Jap inline 4, but it did have bags of character- and a 6 speed gearbox of false neutrals
It is a lovely sounding twin, with good grunt, although little power below 4500, it's sings from 6k+ to the 8K redline....
At the time, back in 1997, mine was the very last new crated Formula left for sale in the UK, All the Formula's have matching numbers, 1620 being my engine and frame number, now, nearly 20 years later, only a handful of Formula's survive, and I have the chassis and V5 of another one, chassis number 1610 and another chassis for a 650 Sport, (number 1395) and spare carbon/kevlar bodywork, wheels, wiring harness etc. I need just a engine and suspension and i could probably make another one...
Anyway, here's the first part of my story.....
I bought it brand new in 1997 after passing my test after I had a serious injury to my arm and nerves, suffice to say, falling into a plate glass door and severing your artery and all the major nerves in your left arm isn't recommended, neither was being on a life support machine for 2 days........a long term recuperation followed, with my determination to ride a bike again in the forefront of my mind, the Laverda is what i promised myself once i got better.......
I owned it for a few years, and part exchanged it for a new 750 Formula S in 2000, both bikes suffered from major engine problems whilst under warranty, and in late 2001 the 750 was off the road at the dealers, my best friend died on her bike, and another friend killed a few months after. I went right off bikes, and sold mine, and for years was bike less, but it was always there in the back of my mind.....
Talking to a friend about bikes a few years back, as he was keen to pass his test, i told him about my old Laverda I once owned
Got to mooch about on the internet, as you do, ended up browsing on eBay (as you do) ....anyway, as we were looking, we saw a few Laverda's for sale, Ghost, Jota, 668, yadda yadda....er, Formula.....Whoa! Back that up a little man! Formula you say? 650 Formula you say???? Let's have a closer look........
Well, that looks like my bike! That's because it is my bike - you never forget the reg plate! Wow! What are the chances of that every happening? 4 years never owning a bike? Any bike, especially a Laverda?! I'll place a bid....."Your crazy man!" my mate said; "You got the money to pay for it?" No! I said, but I'll get it!! I'll get a loan if i have too!
I rang the dealer on speakerphone, got him to confirm the chassis number......1620....Jaws dropping on my mate.....I said i was really keen, would he end the auction early? No, he would let it run, as there another bidder...damn. I need to play this cool......
Del Boy falls through the bar - Only Fools and Horses - BBCI tried to offer more, he said he would contact the other guy - basically, I'm sure he got me to bid a few hundred more.... All the time, he knew i wanted it, he didn't know why, or why i was so keen. I was happy just to buy it, didn't care if it had mot, tax or anything....I WANTED MY BIKE BACK!!
As he didnt know who i was, he certainly didn't know i owned it from new, he went on to tell me about the service history, the big pile of receipts, all the money spent on it etc.......Yeah, pal, I know, that was me i was thinking.....The other guy pulled out as he didn't want to bid anymore, as the dealer had told him he had interest elsewhere (it was advertised elsewhere too) - I agreed a price with him to buy it NOW!
DEAL DONE!! He had sold to bike at a fair (good) price to some bloke who hadn't seen it, and was gonna collect the following weekend....That was me....He took my details, still the penny didn't drop at the dealer...
I had 2 big problems: I didn't have the money for a bike i had just agreed to buy, or anything to collect it in.....OK, I had some money for a deposit, that's it held.....now speak to the loan company....sorted....funds in place.....borrowed van.....sorted for the following weekend.....
I needed a van, as i sold all my kit some year back....
Words can't begin to explain how happy I was after 4 years of not owning a bike, there it was, bam, just that moment in the day, that time, that place - it was there. It was meant to be. I always regretted getting rid of it first time round - even to part ex for another new Laverda. This is it. For keeps.
Not. Selling. Ever.
We collected it, filled in the forms - then the dealers face looked puzzled, then smiled...."I know why you wanted it it now!" he said....The penny had dropped, but not before it was mine!
The bike had been through another 2 owners since i had it, but had stayed within a 50 mile or so radius.
I asked how come he had it - apparently the bloke who brought it in, was quite a big chap, and i guess wanted a little more speed and comfort - he traded it in for a GSXR1100...this explains how hard the suspension was when i road it later, I found some paperwork from a race tuner in Silverstone, he had it get up for his weight and riding style, shame, as I had it handling so sweetly when i had it, shame i didn't write down the settings....
And the best bit? The bit that made the rescue all the worth while? Well, apart from getting my first bike back, is that the dealer had the bike in stock for 6 months plus, with very little interest from anyone "Pretty bike, Laverda who?", those who knew anything about Laverda's stayed away, storys of engine problems etc.... So, basically, if it hadn't sold on eBay, this was it's final curtain call, he was gonna keep for another few weeks, then chop it up after Xmas and turn it into "a interesting looking trike"
The dealer was going to chop it up!! Jesus!! There were only a handful ever made!! I bought it late November......with weeks before final death.
Some things really are just meant to be!
That's it, now full circle, this has been the story of my 1997 Laverda 650 Formula C from 1997-2004....
That was 10 years ago, it has been on the road briefly on and off, but has lain dormant for pretty much the past decade. Relationships have come and gone, and children have arrived in the past four years, plus owning the bus for the last 7 nearly, it has always been on the back burner. I promise myself "this year, I'll get it on the road" Linda says it'll just rust away, it's alloy, plastic and carbon fibre i tell her, but she won't listen.....
This year though....
Cheers,
Alistair
by TawCottage » Mon May 26, 2014 10:21 pm 
that I had fettled by Carl Forgartys' spanner man, but it was a bit too good for the road and, even though I'd had a few years racing a 350 Yam among other bikes, after a couple of "soil yer pants" moments combined with 2 years of very expensive add-ons and servicing, I traded it in for a Honda Goldwing, which took us over most of Europe during my 10 years of ownership ...... enough, I won't bore you with the detail.....the rest they say, is history 
