LAVERDA JOTA 50th ANNIVERSARY EVENT

[Rocker62]

If you fancy a day out on Sunday and are in the Cotswolds area come along to this “do”. 200 - 300 Laverda’s expected and will probably be the last time this many Laverda’s are in one location. I will be giving my 500 Sport the day off and will be heading over on my Laverda triple.

[Morini Jen]

Whay hay!.. .. P.K. Davies and Roger Winterburn...!

There's a trip down Memory Lane..

Very tempted to pay a visit. Shame about the weather forecast but splendid bikes in a beautiful location will be nigh on impossible to resist.

[MickeyMoto]

Oi, stop advertising the enema!

Bad enough people talking about Duc, Duk, Ducrap, ok Audis.

Why ride a heavy tank when you can ride an economical lightweight?

Luckily the Venn diagram didn't contain all the choices, so I'll go for a ride instead... on my BMW.

[Rocker62]

“ OR any event you think Morini enthusiasts would be interested in “. I know several Morini owners with Laverda’s. I’ll try anything to get people out on their bikes even BMW’s, . Laverda’s, especially the triples are a heavyweightl beast that provides a bull in a china shop visceral experience as opposed to the rapier like precision of a Morini.

[MickeyMoto]

Only jesting.

I owned a 1200 and an RGS, but found the 500 the best one. Unfortunately, the spares situation is dire for the 500s. I found the big ones too tall and too heavy and too thirsty.

The Laverda 500 is a better bike than the Morini 500 in my opinion.

[Rocker62]

I agree with you ref. big Laverda’s and the scarcity of parts for the 500. Better than a Morini 500 ? Having never ridden one I’ll take your word for it ! A mate of mine in our village has a Montjuic which I followed for 65 miles back from a similar event last August. It was possibly my most memorable ride last year. It was a spirited ride with me following close behind. On removing my helmet at home I realised I had lost my hearing such was the noise emanating from his silencers, a very loose term !

[MickeyMoto]

You need to ask Keith about his Monty! We used to ride out, me on my Morini Sport. Remember the Bike magazine cover with the guy removing his brain?

I had to rebuild the 500, the crank is pressed up ball roller bearings, I bought the last cages. Same with the engine breather, last one of the rubber things. Cam bearings were not clever and to do the shims was an absolute pain. Servicing a Morini is a morning's work. The Morini is a simple engine, but what it lacked in outright performance made up for it with better economy.

However, the Laverda 500 is an amazing bike when ridden hard, especially the 2nd generation with a balancer shaft. I thrashed mine from Perth to Harrogate one morning to get home in time for work, the Morini would have struggled.

[Rocker62]

I do remember that Bike magazine. It’s hard to speak to Kieth these days after his starring role in this month’s Classic Bike. He’s become a bit of a Prima Donna !

[MickeyMoto]

Definitely Pre-Madonna...

He bought two copies, one as a Christmas gift for his wife. He is refusing to sign my copy.

just serviced my Strada. 1.5 hours including changing the belt...

[Morini Jen]

Well, I paid a visit to the '50th Anniversary of the Laverda Jota' event and it really was a rather splendid 'do'. I bimbled down there on my friend Geoff's 350 Panther. A little bit of rain on the way there but not enough to worry about. I parked up on the green opposite the pub, just a few yards away from a red Morini 500, so 'Greetings' if that was your bike.

It must have been the biggest ever gathering of Laverdas, and Jotas in particular that there has ever been. The first bike I went to look at was a Cropredy Liberator which I'd only ever seen in magazines. There were quite a few bikes with special frames. A couple of little 98cc bikes, which I believe have a good reputation for being robust little things, I must find out more about them. There were several Montjuic race bikes as well. It must be the first time I've seen more than two at the same event. I was a Paddock neighbour with Dave Fitzpatrick a few seasons ago.

I arrived just after 1:30pm, just before the 'Thanks Everybody' speech in the back garden. It seems that people had travelled from all over the world to be there. I think I saw Alan Cathcart there so there may well be a write-up in one of the magazines shortly.

Well done to all the Laverdisti (if that's the right word) who brought the whole thing together. You did yourselves proud. 

[Rocker62]

Hi Jen, I spoke to the owner of the 500 Morini, he told me he had got it from Denmark. Somebody may know the bike or him ? Unfortunately I’ve forgotten his name but he said he also has a MV Augusta 750S. I was parked in the garden area, red Laverda Jarama sporting a red tank bag. I left just after Malcolm Cox’s speech so you may of spotted me. Weather was a lot better than expected. I still fancy a Monty after owning 4 big triples.

[Morini Jen]

Hi Steve.

Well, I certainly would have seen your bike but I don't think I saw you leave. I don't know enough to identify a Jarama, other than the script on the side panel.

When I left I followed a silver Jota with pannier bags through the village. We trickled past the 'Road Closed' signs then he went straight on for Badsey and I turned right towards Stratford.

I am looking forward to the reviews and photos etc. of the event. I also hope you fulfill your dream of having a Montjuic. If memory serves, I reckon the standard Montjuic exhaust would probably fail the noise test at a modern race meeting! Still, they are bikes which seem to provoke a lot of passion, and being similarly smitten by Moto Morini I know what that feels like.

Of course it all makes perfect sense...

[RobinSF1]

Hi Jen, I spoke to the owner of the 500 Morini, he told me he had got it from Denmark. Somebody may know the bike or him ? Unfortunately I’ve forgotten his name but he said he also has a MV Augusta 750S. I was parked in the garden area, red Laverda Jarama sporting a red tank bag. I left just after Malcolm Cox’s speech so you may of spotted me. Weather was a lot better than expected. I still fancy a Monty after owning 4 big triples.

Charles Greenstead owned a MM 500 from Denmark and Julian Coster owns an MV 750S, both ILOC stalwarts.

[MickeyMoto]

I thought Julian owned a Magni?

[Rocker62]

He was a very well spoken gentleman. Well to my rough ears !