This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Messages - Laverda Dave
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 ... 228
31
« on: March 18, 2026, 09:50:19 AM »
Welcome to the forum Rick.
All these tales of sohc's and epic trips makes me think you need another sohc in the garage 😉.
If you live in Norfolk and you worked for 'The Big H' (as Bike magazine used to call them) did you therefore work at Lings Honda by any chance? My local dealer in Ruislip Manor, HGB used to get all their parts from Lings but things have changed now and most spares I order come from Belgium.
32
« on: March 17, 2026, 10:54:57 AM »
Welcome to the forum Rick, glad you joined us to share 400/4 info 👍
33
« on: March 16, 2026, 02:05:56 PM »
I called Brook suspension about the rear shock on my NC30 and they advised me they could also replate the front stanchions for about £220 (dont quote me on that price but I know they were a lot cheaper than Philpotts. I asked if they did them in-house but they said they sent them away. I thought it may have been to Dynosurf but Ken said Dynosurf no longer do motorcycle forks so I'm not sure who they send them to.
I went to Philpotts in the end (£320 but I dropped them off and collected them, its £10 each way to have them collected and posted and you need to put them in a cardboard tube to protect them). I got them back in 10 days, a pretty good turnaround and as usual they were perfect.
It will be interesting to see how well Brook's do if you use them.
34
« on: March 16, 2026, 11:24:54 AM »
I used a company called replacementkeys.co.uk.
I placed the order at 4pm and they arrived by midday the next day via 1st class post.
I've used this company twice now, 1st occasion was for a Lucas ignition key and the second time for a replacement key for my Clark tool chest. As long as you have a key code (usually stamped on the lock) they can supply a replacement.
35
« on: March 16, 2026, 11:20:22 AM »
Now there's a challenge.
I'm on the Laverda forum and one of the members had their carbs vapour blasted prior to placing in the ultrasonic bath. They were Italian Dellorto rather than Japanese carbs so I'm not sure of the exact zinc/alloy content but they came out like new.
Good luck Johnny and looking forward to the progress photos👍
36
« on: March 15, 2026, 08:33:49 PM »
I bought 25 containers with lids (the type you get a take away curry in) in my local hardware shop for £9.99. I use these to seperate parts such as one for each carb, front wheel parts etc as I strip the parts. Use a sharpie to label the lids. Being containers of the same style you can then stack them to save having various cardboard boxes and bags etc all around the garage.
37
« on: March 15, 2026, 11:12:53 AM »
That is an excellent post and very well detailed, thanks for posting. A real step by step guide and mentions all those hard to get parts and exactly where they fit and alternative suggestions 👍.
I'd be scared stiff to ride the finished bike!
38
« on: March 14, 2026, 03:02:32 PM »
Everybody will have a different method of working to suit budgets and time available.
The main thing to understand is that long periods of inactivity with a project is what leads to them never being finished and put up for sale as 80% complete.
The way I work nowdays is to strip the bike down and make a lot of notes of what needs doing as I go along and I take an awful lot of photos, it takes time but you'll be glad you did it two or three months down the road when you have forgotten where some of the parts you now have in various bags and boxes fit.
It's the long lead items that are the most frustrating especially chrome plating (3-4 months not being unusual so send those parts off first), powder coating and wheel building. Whilst these parts are away I tend to be rebuilding the carbs and engine, cleaning the wiring loom and ordering the endless parts for the rebuild (hence the taking of many notes).
Build parts in larger sub-assemblies such as carbs, footrest brackets with the footrests added, rear light bracket with the light etc. If you do this you will find the bike goes back together quickly and you will see big results in a short space of time.
39
« on: March 13, 2026, 10:48:18 PM »
18 front Tim but 17 rear that makes it hard to find decent rubber so 'faddish' I guess 😕.
40
« on: March 13, 2026, 05:05:24 PM »
A few things to report with the NC30.
I have ordered a new YSS remote rear shock, delivery time though is five weeks as it is with a new set of Samco hoses in the black matt finish (the gloss finish type is available off the shelf).
I collected all the vapour blasted and powder coated parts yesterday including the wheels, sub frame, footrest hangers and all the various brackets.
The fork leg bottoms and the rear swing arm have been vapour blasted and painted Ford silver fox. I know the fork legs should be painted in the grey colour as they are the adjustable type but as I will be painting this bike in the MK1 UK NC30 colour scheme the fork bottoms needed to be silver. The swing arm is ready to accept new bearings; I have fitted all new bearings in the rear hub.
New wheel bearings are now fitted in the front wheel and I repainted the disc centres. New tyres have been fitted front and rear. BT09’s are now unavailable (for the rear) so I have fitted BT31’s after going on various forums to find the best tyres to suit the bike.
The carbs have been fully stripped and cleaned in the ultrasonic bath. The original brasware was in perfect condition (with the correct size jets between front and rear cylinders) and even the float heights were perfect at 6.8mm! New viton o-rings have been fitted. Getting the carbs back together though was another story, an absolute nightmare with so many springs to hold. No wonder the advice on the forums is not to take them apart unless it is really necessary (echoed by the Haynes manual!). Every day is a school day and I learnt someting.
Next up is putting the bearings in the frame and suspension linkage and rebuilding the front forks using heavyweight springs to suit my weight as these bikes were built for an 8 stone Japanese rider and not an English lard-arse!
41
« on: March 13, 2026, 04:41:27 PM »
I took the exhaust heat sheild of the NC30 into Ashford Plating (I previoulsy had the chrome stripped off as I was going to have a cerakote finish applied). Ashford Platers gave me a price of £110 but I negotiated that down to £95, still expensive but the quality of their work reflects the price.
42
« on: March 13, 2026, 04:37:36 PM »
I did look into chemical blacking Peter but apparently it does have a poor resistance to corrosion if parts are exposed to water, grime and genersal road use so I discounted it.
The Frost solution looks feasible as long as it contains the chemicals of old, sadly a lot don't these days, yellow passivate now being one of them.
I first treated the bzp'd nuts and bolts with the sharpie pen about a month ago and gave everything four coats over a period of two weeks so far its all held up but of course nothing is yet fitted to the bike!
I'll give an update after a bit of road use.
43
« on: March 13, 2026, 04:29:37 PM »
Mottabatt every time for me (or an Odysey if you can afford it and find one that will fit).
44
« on: March 13, 2026, 04:28:14 PM »
Well done Keith, its getting there.
When is the maiden voyge planned?
45
« on: March 13, 2026, 04:26:03 PM »
I found them really helpful when I was registering the BIL's Z400J that was purchased new in Guernsy in 1981 and brought back to Southampton a week later and never registered here. I was expecting a huge fine but the lady I dealt with was amazing, of course it helped that BIL's father who bought the bike had long since passed so there was not really anyone to issue any potential fine to!
I think the DVLA is one of the best goverment departments to deal with, I've never had any problems at all.
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 ... 228
|
Show Posts