Additional photos are available here for your perusal.
Triple cylinder motorbikes have made a bit of a comeback in recent years with the excellent offerings from makes like Yamaha and MV Agusta but this unique powerplant saw fairly widespread use in a number of bikes before inline fours and twins became the standard, and among the triples of the past the Laverda Jota 1000 is legendary. Produced from 1976 until 1982 the Jota 1000 was for a brief period in time the fastest production bike you could buy in the mid 1970’s.
The Laverda brand has a long history dating back to its founding in 1873 as an agricultural engine company, but it really cemented its high-performance reputation during the late 1960’s when it released larger 750cc variants of its twin cylinder bikes following increased competition from other makes, notably the Japanese builders. The triple cylinder bikes that would follow in the early 70’s were spurred on by the British Laverda importer Richard Slater, who urged the Italian firm to produce the bike and worked closely with the factory to develop a high-performance version of the bike. These early Jota’s were offered only in the UK in 1976 and they quickly set the high speed record for a production motorcycle using high compression pistons, performance cams and less restrictive exhausts.
The early Jota 1000 was noted for its unique 180 degree crank that gave the bike an almost rough but dramatic feel and noise, this was later changed to a smoother running 120 degree phasing crankshaft setup in 1982. The engine has a total displacement of 981cc with its 3 cylinders and makes 80 horsepower. Featuring dual overhead cams and air cooling, the engine was updated to electronic ignition in 1981.
Despite weighing in at just over 500 lbs, the Jota still has a very svelte appearance, aided by its slim waistline thanks to the compact three cylinder engine. Disc brakes front and rear helped slow things down and handling was about average for bikes of its time. By the time 1982 rolled around, the Jota 1000 was showing its age against the more modern Japanese offerings and it would only be a few more years before Laverda would cease trading along with many other European makes that were unable to keep up with the blistering pace coming from Japan.
This example is VIN: DGM7787OM. The seller imported the bike from London, England, through Slater Brothers in 1984.
The odometer shows 15,113 miles.
Maintenance:
The seller states that he has installed a “new front brake master cylinder and new carburetor intake rubbers.”
Modifications:
Crash bars.
Krauser panniers, tank bag, fairing.
Inside of the tank:
It is riding on Pirelli Phantom tires with date codes of 493.
The sale includes one key, manuals, and extras.
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
Currently located in Whitehorse, Canada, this Laverda is offered on a clean Canada title. Have any Jota 1000 stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
