Tri Color 1998 Laverda 750S On Ebay

What a pretty bike!  Is it an original tri color produced by the factory?  Well probably not but someone sure had the right idea.  I rarely see bikes that have been repainted that look spot on.  This one does.  Maybe it is just easy to make anything look good in green, red and white.  Quality wise, it is hard to judge the paint by photos.   Moving on from the paint, you have a standard 750s with roughly 9,800 miles on it.  It is also graced with Arrow carbon fiber mufflers.  I don’t know if it is a full Arrow exhaust or just the mufflers.  There is just something about the lines of the Laverda that just scream sport bike:  it just looks right.  The twin headlights, twin exhaust, stout looking frame, air scoops at the front:  ok, enough of me trying to convince my self to bid.

From the auction:

I am selling my 1998 Laverda 750S.  You won’t pull up next to another of these rare Italian beauties! Tri-color paint scheme is in good condition.  It runs strong, just had the throttle position sensor replaced as well as a new crank sensor.  Odometer reads in KM so it works out to 9750 Miles This is a fast, flick able sport bike with all top shelf components…Brembo Brakes, Paioli forks and shocks, Arrow carbon fiber exhaust. Loves to be rev’d…This thing comes alive at 7000rpm.  Runs great, looks awesome.  There are some dings here and there in the paint but over all it is very clean!  I have to many bikes and sport bikes are not my style any more (46 years old now…a little slower and prefer to stretch out a bit) so this one has to go.

Maybe the seller is on to something when he wrote, “Why ride a Ducati….be different.”  You won’t pass many of these on the street and you will sure stick out with that paint scheme.  It looks like the other benefit may be that you can own an Italian sport bike with quality components and not part with a lot of your savings, say compared to a Ducati or MV Agusta.  Bidding is active on the bike and is hovering around $3,500 as of this writing.  .  Do we have any readers that own a 750s?  I’d love to read some comments about them.

I was hoping to find a clip with some sound of the Laverda engine. No luck on that but I did find this video review of the bike.  It is in Italian but gives some good close ups of the bike:

IK

This looks to be a very nice Laverda, fully-faired, 750S with low miles!  Located in Greenwich, Connecticut is a 1999 Laverda 750S with 4,086 original miles.  The seller makes no mention of maintenance history or condition other than that the bike is in “Very good condition.”  The asking price is $7,500.  This appears to be a bit high but, with the mileage and the fact that we’ve seen very few 750S that actually sell to gauge a price on, it’s worth it to ask!

This was the first new bike to be released from the new Laverda ownership which started in 1993.  These 750s’s feature adjustable Paioli 41mm USD forks, Termignoni factory exhaust, Brembo Goldline calipers with 320mm rotors and Marchesini cast wheels.   These bikes were introduced in 1997 and lasted through to the take over by Aprilia in 2000.  I haven’t had a chance to ride one of these but I don’t doubt they just as intriguing as the Ducati SuperSports and just as good looking.  If you’d like something that is just as special as a SuperSport but also just a bit more so, see this 750S on Craigslist here.

AG

I know we’ve had a few of these on RSFS lately but I sure don’t get tired of looking at them.  Maybe I’m stuck in the 90′s but these Laverdas  just look like a sport bike should.  Maybe it’s just that cool paint scheme.  I wont go into much of the tech specs since several have been posted lately but what you have is a parallel twin with quite a few top shelf components.   I’m not a big enough Laverda buff to know what led them down the path of demise but Piaggio (think Aprilia) bought the brand in 2004.  They then proceeded to stop all production and development associated with Laverda.  That is a shame because can you really have too many motorcycles coming out of Italy?  This particular Formula has a little history to it, read on:

The Last LAVERDA!  ALLOY FRAME,  MAG WHEELS, Weber , Brembo,  92 hp 400 lbs. All the best of the day. 1999 FORMULA 750 S The LAST and BEST LAVERDA. Got this one from the NICOLAS CAGE COLLECTION,,, he had 2 and decided to sell one so I got it. ONLY around 2500 miles. VERY CLEAN . LOOKS ALMOST NEW. Not many of these around, most are in collections. Manual, tool kit.

I could stare at the front of that thing all day!  I have to admit I’m having a hard time  putting a value on this bike. On one hand $8500 (the starting bid price) for an Italian sport bike with top shelf components doesn’t seem out of reason.  On the other hand, I checked the blue book value and it is barely half that price.  Can a Laverda buff help me out?  Is this a decent deal or someone inflating the value because someone famous owned the bike?  Check out the bidding on.

IK

1999 yellow Laverda 750S for sale with low miles on ebay.

Probably not many people know of Laverda (a small italian brand founded in 1873), and those who have heard of it may know only of the legendary 750 SFC and Jota.  So probably even fewer know about one of their modern sports bike, the parallel twin engined 750S:

If you are looking at this ad, you know what this is.

1999 Laverda 750 S in nice condition.  Recent tires, chain and lower ratio sprockets (15 vs 16 tooth front), VeniVidiVroom SS oil filter.  Runs great.  Periodically the tach will stop then start again, the bike continues to run fine.  The tach and ignition module is the same as was in my Ducati ST2.  I think there is a loose wire in the tach. The gas cap is difficult to remove, the location doesn’t help.  There are a few cosmetic scuffs from prior owner moving.  Too many bikes and relocation force reluctant sale.  This is a great back road bike with terrific transitional handling and a power band more like a multi than a Ducati twin.  12154 K Kilometers.  Stock exhaust but D&D offers alternative slip-ons which would give it the bark it deserves.

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“These bikes were outfitted with Weber-Marelli electronic fuel injection, Brembo Gold Line brakes, fully adjustable Paioli suspension (White Power on some models), state of the art hollow spoke Marchesini wheels and a modern beam or trellis frame. With 65 bhp (48 kW) available at the rear wheel and a very rev-happy engine, these bikes were nothing like traditional parallel twins. Within a year and a half, a larger, water cooled 750 appeared with a new engine in an aluminum beam chassis developed by frame specialist Nico Bakker, which boasted very fine handling and finish quality.”

Click HERE and HERE for some good background reading on the Laverda 750S.

If you want an Italian sports bike for not a lot of money (I’m guessing this one can be had for cheap) and are sick of seeing Ducatis, this yellow Laverda 750S just might be your ticket.  The current price is at $2091 with 11 hours to go – I would be very interested to see what it fetches at the end of the auction.

.

phil

1999 Laverda 750s Formula parallel twin for sale with Termi’s

Ah yes, another sexy Italian motorcycle for sale. You have to give it to the Italians for having the ability to consistently build great looking motorcycles year after year. And the cool thing is that it doesn’t matter what manufacturer it is, they all seem to have a keen eye for styling and Laverda was right there with the best of them (read: MV). If my memory serves me correctly Laverda was purchased by Aprilia which in turn is now owned by Piaggio. None of which amounts to much other than Laverda was eventually phased out sometime in 2004/2005 and is now for sale, again.

If you take a peek at the photos you may notice Laverda’s different way of thinking when building motorcycles. Laverda’s chain drive is on the right side of the bike and the brake rotor on the left side. Another point of interest is that while practically every other Italian motorcycle company was building some type of opposing twin cylinder engine, Laverda opted for the parallel twin. I’m not aware of any other company that built parallel twins that matched Laverda’s cc’s. Kawasaki makes the Ninja 500 in a parallel twin and that’s as big as I’m aware of in recent sport bike history.

I liked these when they were introduced and I still like the Laverda design. I’m especially fond of the orange Marchesini wheels. Asking price is $6,900.00 and is located on the Charlotte Craigslist should you be interested.

From the listing:

Rare Italian sportbike. One of two in NC. Low mileage, never dropped, garage kept. Black with orange magnesium wheels and orange accents. Upside down forks, carbon fiber, Paioli suspension, Termi exhaust, chip. 100 Hp, 396 lbs. Parallel Twin.

I’ve added a video of a Laverda parallel twin so you can hear how they sound if you aren’t familiar with them.

I like the sound of parallel twins when they are of a larger variety as I think they have a deep throaty sound, but when they get too small they sound like a scooter.

Cheers!

dd

I think I’ll keep the vintage sportbike theme going this week with this restored 1969 Laverda American Eagle GT750 on Spokane Craigslist:

quote from Criagslist ad:

I restored this 1969 Laverda American Eagle 750 GT in 2005. It has a McCormack Motors tag on it with a VIN of 1322. This was a frame up restoration. The frame has been powder coated and the paint is fresh. The motor has been rebuilt with the assistance of the North American Laverda expert, Wolfgang Haerter. The tank, seat, silencers, front fender, and instruments are not original. The instruments are there primarily for cosmetics – the tach works and the speedo registers but is not to be trusted. The bike runs well and presents itself nicely. It has a clear Washington title. I’m asking $4,200

I am far from a market expert on any bikes, but I find I’m really behind with these vintage bikes. But this doesn’t seem like a lot of money for what looks like a really fun vintage motorcycle! Help me out in the comments if you have perspective!

dc

Here’s another rare sportbike out of the San Francisco bay area; another 1993 Ducati 888 SPO for sale on Craigslist:

quote from seller’s Craigslist listing:

FOR SALE: A beautiful 1993 888 SPO with 13,700 miles. Your chance to own a piece of history, the last of the hand built Ducatis and the father to the 916. 1 of 200 imported into the USA in 1993 to meet homologation requirements for AMA racing. A truly special machine that helped Ducati win the World Superbike Championship in 1991 and 1992, hence the #1 on the tail section.

Purchased in 2000 with 5,200 miles. Service records since then for major service intervals i.e. belts, valves and throttle body synch done by BCM Ducati in NH as well as by Desmoto in San Francisco.

Bike is stock and in excellent condition. Some minor scratches and chips from riding it. Runs perfectly and is very clean. Has factory rear stand included. Sadly it must go since I only have room for one Italian mistress in the stable.

Please call or email me for more details and pics. Pipes and front discs on bike in photo are not stock and not included.

With a $10888 asking (clever), this is one of the more expensive triple eights to be listed on this blog. While most Ducatisti will agree this where they should be, I think this seller may have a long wait before finding a buyer considering what other examples here in the states have been going for.

dc

The photographs of this 1998 Suzuki RGV 250 SP Lucky Strike on Craigslist are absolutely beautiful!

quote from seller’s Craigslist posting:

1998 Suzuki RGV 250 SP
Lucky Strike
5000 Km
Perfect Condition
Washington State Title and Plate
Please, no stupid questions, or anyone other than a serious buyer who is a serious motorcyclist. If you do not know what this is, or how to ride it, I cannot sell it to you.

Pictures attached are the real deal.

$16,000.00 No offers, please.

This bike looks incredible, but the only problem is the asking price. It’s $16k! It does have very low miles and a title, but this is an outrageous premium considering the market and other examples of the Lucky Strike replica’s that we’ve posted on this blog.

dc

Update: This post is pretty outdated. Check out these Suzuki Lucky Strike listings on eBay right now:

06 07 Suzuki GSXR 600 750 Gas Fuel Tank Lucky Strike

US $300.00 End Date: Saturday Sep-18-2010 10:20:52 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $300.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

SUZUKI TEAM LUCKY STRIKE MotorCycle Racing Patch

US $6.99 End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 15:52:03 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $6.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

I love the classic orange Laverda’s and stumbled across this first one while taking the temperature for examples currently available for sale. It’s a 1999 and according to the seller of this Laverda 750 Formula, it only has 2500 miles! Check it out on San Fran Craigslist for only $5500:

quote from seller’s Craigslist ad:

Hey collecters, here is a super rare 1999 Laverda Formula S 750 in near mint condition. Only 3900KM(2500mi). This is a stunning bike to look at. These are ultra rare as just a handfull where built and few where imported to this country. This bike has a 750cc fuel injected parallel twin, six speed, aluminum fram, fully adjustable suspension, Marchasini wheels and Brembo brakes, and carbon fiber body panels. Put this bike in your collection now. You will not find another this clean or affordable. $5500

After spotting the first one, I decided to narrow my focus to the Formula model and found another in North Carolina for $6400 (Craigslist):

quote from seller’s listing on Craigslist:

One of a kind Italian SuperSport Motorcycle – Must see to appreciate – Very Rare – 1 of 2 in N. C. Stunning black & orange paint scheme, Paoli Suspension, carbon fiber fenders, Termi exhaust with chip, 100+ horsepower, always garage kept, never dropped, 26k kilometers (15,600 miles). Well maintained by a local professional mechanic.

I once had the chance to ride one of these brand new. We were visiting my parents who live north of Indy. Naturally I made sure we stopped by the Laverda dealership and checked out the gorgeous 750 Formula. He offered me a test ride on the spot and even offered a helmet. I declined without a jacket and other gear, especially as my then girlfriend (and future wife) was giving me the big time stop sign not to leave her alone at the dealership. In retrospect I should’ve taken the heat, but hindsight is 50/50 they say. My in person reaction as a young man was that while very attractive, it was overpriced for what it was. Years later seeing these examples, I’m more curious now than I was then. Especially with these asking prices considering their rarity.

Laverda 750 Formula Video:

If you’re a fan of Laverda motorcycles, you have to check out the ‘the Perfect Corner’ YouTube videos. This guy is a Laverda collector enthusiast and has filmed many of his rides and adventures. Not only a must see for fans of the mark, but also one of only a couple 750 Formula videos online:

dc

Here’s a beauty of an Craigslist find of the day: An 83 Laverda RGS1000 for $7500, and somehow it’s only covered 8100 miles since new!

I have to be honest in that I don’t know much about these bikes. But here’s what I do know: That 3 cylinder sportbike sounds freaking awesome! Check out these YouTube clips of similar bikes:

dc