| December 31, 2023
Cycle News Archives
COLUMN
Italy, Japan, Great Britain All Rolled Into One
By Kent Taylor
An Italian motorcycle, built on a Japanese theme and acts like a British machine? That, according to CN staffer Lane Campbell, summed up the 1975 Laverda SF2, and while a dinner of fish ’n chips, sushi and a glass of Chianti might not excite your taste buds, the international flavor of the Laverda managed to leave tester Campbell fully sated.
Laverda’s company roots were in agricultural equipment in the late 1800s, and the first motorcycle didn’t make the scene until shortly after the end of World War II. Like the brothers’ Ducati, Laverda’s decision-makers likely saw the need for cheap transportation in war-ravaged Europe. Like Ducati’s Cucciolo, Laverda’s first motorcycle was a diminutive bike, a 75cc four-stroke machine. And, just like Ducati, Laverda could not resist the allure of the racetrack. By the mid-1950s, Laverdas were becoming the favorites of club racers throughout much of Europe.
Laverda made mostly small-displacement machines for the first quarter century of its existence. In the 1960s, Francesco Laverda (the grandson of the company’s founder) decided to pursue the development of a larger-displacement motorcycle that could possibly give the company a footprint in America. Bigger was better in the USA, and Francesco believed there was room for another player in the game being played by Harley-Davidson, Triumph and BSA.
The initial design was a 650cc parallel-twin, which would later grow up to be a 750. The company began importing into the U.S., where some of the machines would be rebranded as “American Eagle.” It was such a machine that daredevil Evel Knievel rode it before making the leap to Harley-Davidson in the early 1970s.
The 750 SF2 tested by Cycle News in our January 14, 1975, issue pumped out a friendly 65 horsepower. Anemic by today’s standards, the big Italian could stand toe to toe with some of the competition. Its fighting weight of 486 pounds put it in the same class as Honda’s CB750, which offered similar horsepower but needed two more cylinders to get the job done.
Cycle News (and other magazines) took a look at the parallel-twin, missing its front downtube on the frame, and immediately likened it to a Honda Super Hawk, a sporty bike that shared a similar design during its short life. But no one combines form and function like the Italians, and the SF2 stirred the soul in a way that most Japanese motorcycles could not.
On the road, CN compared the SF2 to a Norton, stating, “The road feel of the machine is excellent, the frame is rigid, the tracking is spot on, and the suspension does a thorough, no-nonsense job of coping with wavy pavement.” The British similarity continued. “Touring straight up, it hearkens back to the ol’ Triumph riding, miles gobbling days of yore,” wrote Campbell. He went on to state that the SF2’s steady-as-she-goes character was at its best in the 60-70 mph range. The bike was daunted by neither wind nor rain or bumps in the night. The reader could’ve imagined an awkward stretch from the thin seat and longish “tapered bread loaf” fuel tank to reach the “low and wide” handlebars, but CN makes no mention of feeling uncomfortable on the bike.
In the corners, however, the Laverda’s big-bike feel became something of a liability. “This exceedingly stable motorcycle is a handful to throw down and pick up quickly,” CN said. “This limits your speed through extremely tight, twisty stuff…” Ground clearance was also an issue, as Campbell was able to scrape the “bulbous exhaust crossover pipe.” But he went on to compliment the bike in the wide, 50-60 mph sweeping corners, where the bike “just feels so fine.”
The parallel-twin, with its single overhead camshaft, produced enough power to prompt the test crew to label it as “very strong and responsive.” The 360-degree crankshaft suggests that the SF2 would likely bring not-so-good vibration to the rider, and it did, with CN likening it to a “high-frequency foot and hand massage.” The Laverda shook itself free of a few nuts and bolts during the 800-mile road test, but excessive vibration was much more the norm for 1970s-era motorcycles, and it didn’t seem to cost the SF2 any style points. In the area of little things, the Laverda included a well-written and illustrated owner’s manual, complete with parts explosion, so that the rider could see how their motorcycle was making its 65 horsepower.
The SF2 retailed for $2863, a full grand more than the Honda CB750. Spotting a Laverda on the street today is as rare as catching a glimpse of a whooping crane. The company itself was absorbed by Aprilia and despite many comeback rumors over the years, Laverda is fully gone, taking the beautiful SF2 with it.CN