Laverda
| Moto Laverda
|
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|---|---|
 |
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| legal form | Società per Azioni |
| founding | October 13, 1949 |
| resolution | March 31, 1987 |
| Reason for dissolution | insolvency |
| Seat | Breganze , Italy |
| management | Francesco and Massimo Laverda |
| Website | www.laverda.it |
Moto Laverda was an Italian motorcycle manufacturer . The company, founded in 1949, went bankrupt in 1987. Founded in 1993 as International Moto Laverda SpA , Laverda was taken over by the Piaggio Group in 2004 . Since then there has only been a 50cc version of Laverda, which is based on the Aprilia SX50.
On January 1, 2014, 1,724 Laverda motorcycles were registered in Germany.
history
Francesco Laverda, the grandson of the agricultural machinery manufacturer Pietro Laverda, founded in 1949 in Breganze the Moto Laverda SpA and launched the production of vehicles with the motorcycle Laverda 75 . Later displacement models were added, such as the Laverda 100 type in 1953 , a mini scooter with a 50 cc engine, and a four-stroke model with 200 cc that was exported to the USA.
Laverda 750 (1968-1976)
Massimo Laverda († October 26, 2005), son of the founder, brought out the Laverda 650 in 1968, the displacement of which was increased to 750 cm³ a little later. They were two-cylinder machines, the specialty of which was the frame that was open at the bottom and the supporting engine. The model years included:
- 750 : model year 1968–1969. Grimeca brake
- 750 S : Model year 1969–1970 Flat handlebars, slim tank, rounded fenders
- 750 GT : model year 1970–1972. Touring handlebars, angular fenders
- 750 SF : model year 1970–1972. Drum brakes with 230 mm
- 750 SFC : model year 1971–1976
- 750 SF1 : model year 1973.
- 750 SF2 : model year 1974–1975. Brembo disc brakes in front, drum in rear
- 750 GTL : model year 1975–1976. Duplex drum brakes
- 750 SF3 : model year 1976. Like SF2 with cast wheels, disc brake also at the rear
Production of the 750 models ended at the beginning of 1977.
Laverda 750 GT (1970)
Laverda 750 S (1969)
Laverda 750 SF (1971)
SF ("Super Freni") drum brake (1971)
Laverda 750 SFC (1972)
Laverda 750 SFC (1975)
Laverda 1000, 1200 (1973–1987)
In 1970 the development of a machine with a three-cylinder engine and 1000 cm³ displacement began. The first prototypes were created by adding another cylinder to the two-cylinder engine; In contrast to the 750 series, the frame was a closed double loop frame . The three-cylinder engine (with a 180 ° crank pin offset of the middle piston, the outer pistons run parallel) went into series production in a modernized form with two overhead camshafts ( DOHC ) and bucket tappets . The first fifty machines (1973) had spoked wheels with drum brakes, a three-in-one exhaust system, and the tank was made of plastic; From the start of series production at the end of 1973, the tank was made of sheet metal and the exhaust system was a three-in-two design, the model name was Laverda 1000 .
The end of 1974 (model 1975) was the Laverda 1000 3C (power lt vehicle registration 78. Out DIN-PS at 7.750 min -1 ; specified in the manual: 80 horsepower at 7,250 min -1 ). The machine with 980 cm³ displacement has a five-speed gearbox, double disc brakes (Ø 280 mm) at the front and a rear drum brake (Ø 230 mm). In a test carried out in April 1975 by the magazine “Das Motorrad” (Issue 8/75), the result was a speed of 209.4 km / h (long-standing solo) and an acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 4.7 s. The machine was offered in Germany at the beginning of 1975 for 9,000 DM including 11% VAT , which today corresponds to around 17,300 euros.
From the end of 1976 there was the 1000 3CL , now with cast aluminum wheels, a rear brake disc (Ø 280 mm) and a "rear bumper"; In 1977 the 1200 T was put aside; The difference to the 1000 series was the larger cylinder bore and the rear suspension struts positioned at an angle. The Jota and 1200 TS were in the equipment (for example cladding, fittings, side panels, slightly increased performance) modified 1000 and 1200. The 120 ° - 1000 RGS models offered from 1983 onwards had a completely different double tube frame with elastically suspended motors; the 1000 SFC is a slightly modified "RGS" and in 1987 was the last motorcycle produced in Breganze.
Laverda 500 (1976-1984)
In 1976 the Laverda 500 appeared on the German market, a light and powerful motorcycle with a half-liter engine (bore / stroke: 72 × 61 mm), which made 44 hp (32 kW) and was intended to expand the Laverda range. A smaller version reduced to 350 cm³ displacement was specially developed for the Italian market. The racing version Laverda 500 SFC (1981–1983) was created from the half-liter machine .
Laverda LZ (1977–1986)
With the LZ series, Laverda also built light machines with two-stroke engines of 50, 125 and 175 cc. These two-stroke models were produced almost exclusively for the Italian market. Off-road motorcycles with 125 cm³ and the Laverda OR 600 Atlas with two-cylinder four-stroke engine and 572 cm³ displacement were also on the sales list.
Two bankruptcies
A sales and financial crisis followed in the 1980s, and Laverda staggered from one crisis to the next. It was due in particular to product diversification that was not in line with the market. Bankruptcy was filed on March 31, 1987. The Moto Laverda brand was re-established in 1993 as International Moto Laverda under Francesco Tognon and new products with 650 cc engines were presented. In 1998 Laverda became insolvent again, the rights were transferred to an investor, then to Aprilia in 2000 , which in turn was taken over by the Piaggio Group on December 30, 2004 .
Start of production (1995-2000)
In 1995, production started in Zanè with the 650 , 650 Sport , 668 Sport, 668 Ghost and 668 Ghost Legend , which were developed from the old 500 model. The Ghost models were available with aluminum profile or tubular steel frames. The engine developed 64 hp (47 kW ) at 8,000 min −1 and had a maximum torque of 60 Nm at 7,000 min −1 .
In 1997 the displacement was expanded to 750 cm³ and switched to water cooling. The type designations were 750 S , 750 S Carenata in Italy, 750 Strike , 750 Ghost Strike , 750 Diamante with tubular frame, 750 S Formula , 750 Super Sport and 750 T 8 . The first version of the engine 750 S and 750 S Formula 1998 made 92 hp (67.6 kW) at 9000 min -1 , and had a maximum torque of 75 Nm at 6500 min -1 . The 750 S for Italy, cc 747 and half-fairing, rendered only 82 hp (60 kW) at 9000 min -1 , and had a maximum torque of 74 Nm at 7000 min -1 . The other models 1998 to 2000 contributed 85 hp (62.5 kW) at 9,200 min -1 and had a torque of 75 Nm at 7200 min -1 .
1999 nor the models 750 S Formula 95 bhp, the 750 Super Sport , 750 Strike , 750 Black Strike , each with 92 hp and the "750 Sport" with 82 hp at 8,250 rpm -1 presented. The machines were immature and are considered to be very prone to failure. Production stopped in 2000.
Using the name Laverda, a model was developed based on the Aprilia Mille 1000 V2 with a special frame and attachments. A prototype was realized. The development called Laverda 1000 SFC was presented at the Motor Show in Bologna in 2002. The project has been discontinued.
Racing
Laverda was very involved in racing, especially in endurance races, and developed special models for this, such as the 750 SFC, 500 SFC and the Laverda V6 .
Race wins (track (country) - placement - driver):
1971 (all on 750 SFC ):
- Zeltweg (A) - 1st place - Brettoni
- Zeltweg (A) - 2nd place - Cretti
- Oss (NL) - 1st place - Angiolini / Hutten
- Barcelona (E) - 1st place - Brettoni / Angiolini
- Vallelunga (I) - 1st place - Bertorello / Loigo
- Bol d'Or (F) - 2nd place - Brettoni / Cretti
- Modena (I) - 1st place - Angiolini
- Modena (I) - 2nd place - Brettoni
1972 (all on 750 SFC):
- Monza (I) - 1st place - Gallina / Pescucci
- Vallelunga (I) - 1st place - Gallina / Pescucci
- Barcelona (E) - 2nd place - Gallina / Schreyer
- Zolder (B) - 3rd place - Cash / Wittich
- Modena (I) - 1st place - Gallina / Pescucci
- Modena (I) - 2nd place - Bertorello / Loigi
- Modena (I) - 4th place - Cereghini / Falletta
1973 (all on 750 SFC):
- Imola / 1 (I) - 3rd place - Brettoni / Loigo
- Imola / 2 (I) - 2nd place - Gallina / Nicola
- Zandvoort (NL) - 1st place - Van der Wal / Strijbos
1974 (all on 1000 3C ):
- Barcelona (E) - 6th place - Lucchinelli / Fougeray
- Mugello (I) - 3rd place - Brettoni / Cereghini
- Spa (B) - 2nd place - Gallina / Cereghini
- Spa (B) - 3rd place - Lucchinelli / Fougeray
literature
- Jean-Louis Olive: Laverda: the complete history from 1949 to 1989 . Translated by Wolf Töns. Heel, Königswinter 2007, ISBN 978-3-89880-834-7 .
Web links
- Laverda website
- International Laverda Owners Club (English)
- Laverda Community Germany (LGD for short)
- Breganze Motorcycles in the Laverda tradition
Individual evidence
- ↑ kba.de FZ 17 (accessed on April 28, 2015)
- ↑ The model year starts on September 1st and ends on August 31st of the following year.
- ↑ Klassik Motorrad 02/2003, pp. 92–93.
- ↑ laverdafahrer.de (accessed on January 16, 2017)
- ↑ The figure was based on the template: Inflation determined, rounded to 100 EUR and applies to the previous January.