’78 LAVERDA 500: THE LEGEND IS BACK!

Who knows if some of his work that makes me always curious to write an article “about what has been built”. And finally, when one day he’s decided to stop running on the board along with a big name “Radical Ducati“. Previously, it has made disturb in my mind, Is it true or not? He will end up the business just like that? However, it seems not. The passion to build a custom motorcycle was still there.

This is the new transformation, and of course he certainly know it. He must have a new nickname, the name that certainly should remind everyone of him “after his return from a wandering”. Your name is “Pepo”, Everyone knows that. And now, a name has been created “XTR Pepo”. And I have to say “The Legend is Back!”.

Previous story “It’s about Radical Ducati” has brought him more than what he expected. And what about the new name? Will it be as successful? After talking with some who keep up to date “also build custom motorcycle”. The name of the company is not going to determine your success, but who is behind of custom motorcycle. The name is a second thing, the important thing is creativity, the builder should have a characteristic, and the arts.

Everyone already knows that, Pepo Rosell known as extreme bike constructor from Madrid, Spain. So, Pepo should be proud for several reasons above. Because he still had the passion for bikes until now, he worked alone helped by a mate, and continue to create something. Some people might agree if I say “he built a timeless machine”. And this is a bike that he had, a 1978 Laverda 500 Alpino. He wanted to make a Radical Laverda.

On this project, Pepo said “The project is built to make a tribute to the Laverda Montjuic and the endurance races bikes of the early eighties”. If you want to know, when I checked in one of the leading auction site, here. The price of Montjuic is quite fantastic, for a bikes a year younger than Alpino. What price achieved? Sold for £ 12.650.

Laverda Alpino is a middleweight twins. Most Laverda twin enthusiasts dismiss the Alpino for being bland and short on performance and tend to recommend its rip-snorting sibling, the Montjuic. Yet the original 500 twin has its followers. Laverda’s middleweight twin was launched in 1977. The ground-breaking DOHC 497cc air-cooled parallel twin was the first Italian production motorcycle of its type to utilise four-valve heads, with the spark plugs located centrally (great for combustion: less wonderful for routine maintenance).

Laverda launched a smaller 500 cc twin cylinder eight-valve entry-level machine named the Alpina in 1977 (quickly renamed Alpino due to trademark infringement and Zeta in the USA). It came with a six-speed gearbox and balance shaft. A 350 cc version of the Alpino was also available from November 1977 – primarily designed for the home Italian market where a high tax was payable for machines over 350 cc.

This was followed by the improved Alpino S and Formula 500 racer in 1978, to support a single model race series. Its import into the UK led Roger Slater to develop the Montjuic in 1979 which was a road legal F500 with lights, sidestand & instruments. It evolved into the MK2 in 1981. EEC noise restrictions saw its demise by 1983. Tellingly, Massimo Laverda said that each Alpino sold lost the factory money.

The Alpino was also the first non-Japanese production model to use a six-speed gearbox, and its spec also included a wet multiplate clutch (typically heavy in use), two 32mm Dell’Orto carbs, 8.6:1 pistons, electronic ignition (which caused problems as you’ll see), Bosch 12V 150W alternator (let down by the compact battery which tended to flatten quickly).

The 72mm by 61mm engine featured Laverda’s typical 180-degree crank arrangement, with the motor tilted forward by 20-degrees in the frame to give that pleasing ‘urgent’ aspect to its appearance. An immensely rigid welded loop steel frame with duplex engine cradle, stiff Marzocchi suspension front and back (35mm forks and 5-way adjustable twin shocks), and three dual-piston 260mm Brembo discs all round.

This Alpino was light, dry weight was just 155kg, stable, has modern suspensions and wheel messures, has race brakes. This bike is ready for the race in a circuit or cool enough for everyday use, nimble and blessed with a willing, free-revving engine. It steered and stopped superbly but offered little more ultimate performance than a Honda 400 twin – yet the Laverda was as expensive as most litre-class fours.

When asked: why choose a ’78 Laverda 500 Alpino? Pepo says “Everyone has a point of boredom. I want to make a different bike from the usuals: Ducati, BMW, Triumph and universal four-cylinder engines”. So, this is a truly transformation, change habits, to create something new, and let’s see the response from those who saw it, readers who read this article, other builders, also custom motorcycle enthusiast.

via otomotif.org by Imam Sadikin