Tag Archives: Laverda

Cor Dees’ Laverda Museum | Laverda heaven

Cor Dees’ Laverda Museum

With Phil Aynsley


Cor Dees was a Dutchman with a serious Laverda addiction! He bought his first Laverda in 1988 and, as can be seen, added the odd one or two after that.

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The Laverda Museum

He constructed this purpose built building in Lisse which opened in 2006 and I photographed there in 2015.

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The Laverda Museum

Unfortunately, due to ill health, it had to be closed in 2017 and the collection has since been sold. Thus it was lucky that I was there to shoot these bikes well before then, and can now present this incredible collection here for your enjoyment.

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The Laverda Museum was put together by Cor Dees

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The Laverda Museum – Unfortunately due to ill health it was closed

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The Laverda Museum – The collection was later sold off

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The Laverda Museum – 81 models were featured alongside extensive memorabilia

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The Laverda Museum – Dees started collecting in ’88 but quickly became addicted to the iconic Italian brand

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The Laverda Museum – Dees built a close relation with the Laverda family

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The Laverda Museum

Cor built up a close relationship with the Laverda family and was able, with the help of the late Massimo Laverda, to obtain the remaining spare parts and two incomplete V6 prototypes as well as vast quantities of period advertising material, film, documentation and other memorabilia. In all some 81 bikes, scooters and mopeds comprised the collection, covering the years from 1950 to 2000.

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This was the original Laverda sign over the factory and weighs in at 400kg

This is the 400kg marble sign that hung over the entrance to the Laverda factory from 1952 until the building was demolished in 2000.

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The Laverda Museum – The collection included a number of race machines

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The Laverda Museum – Including the brand’s V6

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The Laverda Museum

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The Laverda Museum

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The Laverda Museum – The 1000cc V6 (closest)

The line up of race bikes includes the legendary 1000cc V6 (link), one of the three 1000cc space-frame triple endurance machines, the ’75 750 SFC that won the Belgian Championship and the company’s only GP bike – the ’87 125cc prototype (link).

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The Laverda Museum – An original Laverda drawing board

One of the original drafting boards.

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The Laverda Museum

Laverda manufactured a wide range of agricultural equipment from their founding in 1873, such as this press.

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The Laverda name is actually used to continue to produce heavy farm machinery to this day

While no longer in family hands, the Laverda company still makes tractors and other heavy farm machinery.

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The Laverda Museum – Scooters

There is a wide range of memorabilia on display. Also a neat 200cc twin and several scooter models.

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The Laverda Museum – A 750 GTL in police get-up

The Police version of the 750 GTL.

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The Laverda Museum – 1971 1000cc triple prototype

This is most likely the 1000cc triple prototype bike that Laverda displayed at the Milan Show in 1971.

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The Laverda Museum – A 1981 RGS 1000 in touring form

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The Laverda Museum

A 1981 RGS 1000 fitted with the saddlebags and fairing from the later Executive model.

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The Laverda Museum

Laverda is hardly known for its off road models but the company produced quite a number over the years. Here a 600 Atlas (left) and a 250 Chott (right) find themselves above the Husqvarna powered LH3 (125cc) and LH4 (250cc).

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The Laverda Museum – The company also produced off-road machines

The 250TR Chott, ISDE version.

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The Laverda Museum

A line up of early bikes.

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The Laverda Museum

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The Laverda Museum

The Navarro was released in 1990 as the update to the Lesmo. The bodywork was more encompassing, the wheels 17 inch and disc brakes fitted front and rear. The 125cc 2-stroke was the same motor fitted to the Cagiva Freccia C12R. Only a few hundred were sold due to the combination of somewhat dated specification and high price. Power was 29 hp at 10,300 rpm, with a dry weight of 115 kg.

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The Laverda Museum – A 650 vertical twin on the right

The first of the “new” vertical twins was the 650 which was introduced in May 1968 (link) before quickly being superseded by the 750. Somewhere between 50 and 200 were built.

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The Laverda Museum – 750GT in blue

The 1000 prototype with a 750GT.

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The Laverda Museum – A 1971 Laverda 750 SF1

Source: MCNews.com.au

Laverda 1000C | Laverda’s 1000cc Triple

Laverda Triple Cylinder Prototype

With Phil Aynsley


The Laverda 1000 triple was first seen at the Geneva Show in 1969. At this early stage the motor was basically a 750 twin with an extra cylinder grafted on. It was still a single OHC design with the starter behind the cylinders and the belt-driven generator in front.

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Laverda’s 3C Prototype

However by 1971 Massimo Laverda and Luciano Zen had massively reworked the design. It now sported a DOHC cylinder head with narrow angled valves, together with very substantial crankcases.

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Laverda’s 3C Prototype

The original 120º crank was replaced by a 180º unit (the outside pistons moving together, with the centre piston 180º out of phase).

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Laverda’s 3C Prototype

The new design was first displayed at the 1971 Milan Show, named the 1000C, and the bike I photographed is in fact this prototype, with engine number 1000 001.

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Laverda’s 3C Prototype

By comparison to the production bikes that followed in 1972, it is quite unique with sand-cast cases of a different pattern, 750 instruments and handlebar, ignition key placement and even sand-cast Dell’Orto carbs.

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Laverda’s 3C Prototype

The 180º motor was replaced by a rubber-mounted 120º in 1982 and after evolving through a total of 16 different models production of the triple ceased in 1986.

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Laverda’s 3C Prototype

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Laverda’s 3C Prototype

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Laverda’s 3C Prototype

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Laverda’s 3C Prototype

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Laverda’s 3C Prototype

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Laverda’s 3C Prototype

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Laverda’s 3C Prototype

Source: MCNews.com.au