Letter From Europe
LETTER FROM EUROPE
ALAN CATHCART
Laverda split likely
A divergence of opinion between controlling brothers Massimo and Piero Laverda is set to bring about a major upheaval in the course of the family-owned Italian manufacturer. Laverda already is under the overall direction of a state-appointed administrator since experiencing cash-flow problems in February. Younger brother Piero wants to discontinue motorcycle production altogether in favor of other light engineering projects, while dedicated bike-enthusiast Massimo wants to reorganize the company and press ahead with new models. Likely outcome is a split between the two, with Massimo opening a new plant about five miles away from the present Breganze factory, using a much smaller workforce.
Sadly, production of the threecylinder four-strokes with which the Laverda name has become identified over the past decade will end this summer with the assembly of the final 200 SFC 1000 models. Plans to build a production version of the 500cc enduro prototype constructed by factory technician Giulio Franzan have been abandoned. So has the much-rumored lOOOcc liquid-cooled four-cylinder project, brainchild of former MV designer Bocchi, who has left Laverda to design Alfa Romeo’s new FI race-car engine.
Instead, Massimo Laverda plans to intensify development of a new three-cylinder two-stroke engine that has already been successfully road-tested and shown to yield 57 bhp at 9200 rpm in 350cc form. A 458cc version is planned for export markets, using the same crank and con-rod with a larger bore. Thanks to a light weight of only 130 pounds for the complete power unit with six-speed gearbox, the finished bike is targeted to be a 320-pound, streetready machine. Two types of chassis have been tried—one a Kobas-type twin-spar as currently favored by GP designers, the other a square-section tubular spaceframe. The new bike will debut at the Milan Show, if company reorganization is complete.
Segale's 750
While most European frame manufacturers specializing in Flonda componentry have been concentrating lately on building chassis for the VF750 V-Four engine, Italy‘s Luigi Segale has turned his attention to the inline, air-cooled CBX750 power unit. With distinctive Segale trademarks of a chrome-moly chassis supporting the engine with aircraft alloy sideplates, the Segale CBX is available in street or race versions, and weighs just 374 pounds with full lighting and street equipment. Œ
