Real Classic LAVERDA SF750
Keen readers may remember my 1976 Yamaha DT250 from RC217. Its restoration was carried out in a rather fine railway arch workshop in South London. Sadly the lease came to an end in 2022 and all I had for a workshop would be my single lockup: no power, no light. So three bikes were sold off leaving me with just my 1973 Triumph TR5T and a modern Guzzi. No more restoration projects for me…
Or so I thought
18 February 2023 saw me at the motorcycle show at Excel in London. I like to pop along to see what's going on in the wider biking world, add another pot of miracle leather cream / snake oil to my collection and possibly bump into an acquaintance. A feature of this show is an auction run by Silverstone Auctions. You buy a catalogue for a couple of quid, which gives you access to a compound where all the lots are displayed. You mooch around, prodding seats and twiddling throttles and gasping at the estimated values of some of the more exotic MVs and Ducatis.
Lurking to one side was a vision in sparkling blue metallic paint; a 1973 Laverda 750SF which looked a bit grubby but original and complete. My wife Hazel was with me. She's a keen biker too. ‘Ooooh, that's lovely,’we both said simultaneously. Well of course there is no point in me doing anything about it because I don't have a workshop, just my little lockup. Right?
Wrong! I went back for another look. Yes, it all seemed to be there. Inside the petrol tank was a bit rusty but not bad, the centrestand and
