Description
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Additional photos of this 1982 Laverda Jota 1000 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: 7341.
The odometer shows 1 Km.
The seller of this Jota 1000 is hoping to find it a home in the hands of a real Laverda enthusiast. He notes that the history of the bike can be traced back to when it was sold new in France and the restoration work was carried out by Charles Laurent of Voxan fame who poured over 800 hours into bringing the bike into its current condition. Before the restoration commenced, the bike had logged 30,000 km.
Modifications:
This Jota 1000 has received an extensive restoration having been completely disassembled and every part of the of the bike scrutinized and restored before reassembly. The only non-OEM parts noted by the seller are a pair of Koni rear shocks and a custom carbon fiber toolbox.
The tires are new, and in keeping with tradition they are the same make/model as the ones fitted when the bike left the factory in 1982.
Cosmetic Blemishes: No cosmetic blemishes to note, the bike shows as new and the owner notes: “you can be sure that the inside of the engine is as clean as the external parts”.
Currently located in Paris, France this Laverda is offered on a clean French title. Have any Jota 1000 stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
Please Note: In response to customer requests, we are implementing an automatic bid bump: if your proxy bid meets or exceeds the reserve price, bidding will jump up to meet that price and you will see “Reserve price has been met” under the price. Please contact abhi@iconicmotorbikes.com if you have any questions!
