The Last of the Line: Laverda SFC’s Grand Exit

Riding the Laverda SFC

Few bikes pull their rider’s emotions in opposite directions quite like the SFC1000. Riding the tall red Laverda can be either hugely enjoyable or a big disappointment, depending on what you expect from this last of Laverda’s illustrious line of 981cc aircooled triples.

In fact, while aboard this immaculate SFC, I often experienced those contrasting feelings at the same time: torn between enjoying the Laverda’s speed, smoothness and stable handling; and regretting the fact that it lacked the raw character and deafening exhaust note that made its predecessors such as the mighty Jota so memorable.

Perhaps the mixed messages are inevitable given that the SFC entered production in 1985, just as the old school superbikes with their aircooled, two-valves-per-cylinder engines and steel-framed, twin-shock chassis were giving way to the new generation with their liquid-cooled, four-valve motors and monoshock frames. The best of the old breed still had much to offer, but their time was running out.

Laverda’s Demise

Those feelings are particularly poignant in Laverda’s case because the firm that built some of the greatest bikes of the 1970s no longer exists. The Laverda SFC name was last seen in public at the Milan Show in 2003, when the Aprilia group, which had recently bought struggling Laverda, unveiled an orange prototype sports bike powered by a 998cc V-twin engine borrowed from the RSV Mille.

But plans to begin a Laverda revival with that SFC stalled when Aprilia hit financial problems shortly afterwards. The Laverda brand was abandoned by new owners Piaggio, who had more urgent projects in which to invest. So the SFC1000 remains the bike with which Laverda’s superbike story came to an end.

And what a story it was, for a small company that had begun life building agricultural machinery in the northern Italian village of Breganze. Laverda had progressed from building small bikes in the 1950s to producing muscular 744cc parallel twins in the late ’60s, notably the 750S (S for Sport) and later 750SF, whose F initial came from its big, Laverda-made twin-leading-shoe drum brake (Freni). The SFC initials were first used in 1971 by the most famous of the twins: the SFC750. It was essentially a racing version of the 750SF, hence the name, with C standing for Competizione.

Laverda’s Best Decade

The 1970s was Laverda’s great decade, thanks mainly to the marque’s string of aircooled triples. The 3C and 3CL were followed in 1976 by the mighty Jota, initially produced when the UK importer tuned the 3CL, but later produced by the factory. The Jota’s blend of handsome looks, powerful dohc engine, sturdy chassis and aggressive character helped make Laverda one of the era’s most glamorous marques.

Tough Times

But the 1980s was much more difficult for Laverda, which lacked the funds needed to develop a new engine that could form the basis of a lighter, more sophisticated superbike. Instead, in 1982 the firm released the Jota 120, which replaced the familiar 180-degree crankshaft motor with a smoother running 120-degree layout.

Later the same year came the restyled RGS, which combined sleek bodywork with a softer, quieter- running engine and exhaust system. Several variants followed, notably the more powerful RGS Corsa. The RGS models were stylish and fast, but expensive and undeniably dated alongside the Japanese alternatives.

By 1984 Laverda was in financial trouble, but at that year’s Cologne Show the firm unveiled what would prove to be its last new superbike: the SFC1000. The name was arguably a cynical attempt to boost a production roadster using the name of a famous racing model, but this SFC was still a fine bike.

The Last Superbike

Its engine was borrowed from the RGS Corsa, so was the most powerful version of the venerable 981cc, dohc three-cylinder unit. That meant it had forged pistons, borrowed from Laverda’s Formula I racebike, which increased compression ratio from 9:1 to 10.5:1. Larger inlet and smaller exhaust valves also helped increase peak output by about 8bhp. The factory did not quote a power figure but independent dyno tests gave a rear-wheel figure of about 84bhp at 7000rpm, suggesting a crankshaft output in the mid-90s.

The chassis layout was closely based on the RGS, with a gold-finished version of the familiar steel twin cradle frame, and a new box-section swing-arm. Suspension was by Marzocchi, with air-adjustable M1R forks up front. Six- spoke, 18-inch diameter cast wheels, Pirelli rubber and Brembo’s top-of- the-range Gold Line brakes completed an upmarket specification.

When I first rode an SFC back in the 1980s it was a nearly new machine loaned by its proud owner, who had already replaced the leaky original Marzocchi Symbol shocks with a pair of S&W units. The immaculate bike that I rode years later on an Italian test track was in standard condition, and looked stunning as its red paintwork and gold frame shone in the sunlight, the shapely bodywork cleverly cut back just enough to leave the engine’s black finished air-cooled cylinders on display.

The SFC’s basic shape was almost identical to that of the RGS although its bodywork was no longer made from the flexible ‘Bayflex’ plastic previously used. The big 22-litre tank had an unnecessary second filler cap but contributed to an appealing view from the rider’s tall seat. Above a gold top triple clamp was an alloy plate holding white-faced Veglia speedo and tacho, a smaller black-faced temperature gauge and a row of warning lights.

The SFC’s generous screen added to the bike’s tall feel as I pulled away, impressed to find the trio of 32mm Dell’Orto carbs giving a crisp response to the throttle, although tuned Laverdas didn’t have a great reputation for low-rev running.

Dyno tests at the time showed a dip at about 4500rpm, presumably introduced to help scrape through emissions tests, but this was barely noticeable as the big triple revved towards its tacho’s 8000rpm red mark, while I enjoyed flicking up through the impressively smooth- shifting five-speed gearbox.

Performance

Straight-line performance was pretty impressive, even accepting that contemporary rivals such as Kawasaki’s GPz900R meant that Laverda had no chance of emulating its Jota forebear’s claim to be motorcycling’s fastest. Like the Jota it was good for a genuine 225km/h, and got there mighty rapidly. Unlike the original Jota it was smooth throughout the rev range, just passing a few tingles through the low bars, and its screen combined with the stretched-out riding position to make high speeds effortless.

Where this bike didn’t match the earlier triples was character, as the 120- degree engine’s refinement contrasted with the lumpy charm of the old 180-degree unit, so was less involving as well as considerably more rider- friendly. I loved the 120 motor’s loose, free-revving feel, in contrast to the 180-degree lump’s harshness at high revs. But the muffled warble of the SFC’s efficient exhaust sounded distinctly tame compared to the bellow of a rampaging Jota.

Mind you, in 1985 that criticism was easily answered by Laverda, who offered a ‘sports kit’ comprising free-breathing three-into-one exhaust system, plus larger main jets for the Dell’Ortos. Serious riders could even buy a race kit that included hotter cams, special valve springs, 36mm carbs and a close-ratio gearbox. Whether that would have made the SFC competitive on track is open to debate, but it surely would have added some old-style aggression to the mix.

How Does It Handle?

Handling in standard form was very good for such a tall bike, particularly as the SFC was far from light at 244kg dry. The chassis couldn’t hide its ’70s origins even when new, with its long wheelbase, lazy steering geometry and 18-inch wheels and tyres already seeming dated at a time when superbike design was moving towards racier geometry, smaller front wheels and wider rubber.

Hurrying the big Laverda through the test track’s tighter turns required plenty of input at the clip-ons, and I was always conscious that even the rear Phantom was only a narrow 130-section tyre. But although I wouldn’t have described the SFC as agile, it held its cornering line well and was very stable at speed. That well proven steel- tube frame was respectably rigid, and the front and rear Marzocchis combined a firm ride with plenty of damping.

Those Brembo Gold Line calipers slowed the bike with impressive authority, too, and showed no sign of fading even after repeated hard use into the slow bends. That circuit blast was hugely enjoyable, but it was my earlier road ride that had seen the SFC at its best. Unlike its predecessor the Jota, which had won a string of production race championships, the SFC was not a hairy-chested sports bike but an elegant gran turismo machine, happiest on the open road at a slightly more relaxed pace.

There, its rider could appreciate the excellent wind protection, reasonable fuel range (although the triple’s fuel consumption was nothing to shout about), and the comfort allowed by the adjustable bars and footrests.The SFC undoubtedly had much to offer back in 1985, even if its performance couldn’t match that of the GPz900R or Suzuki’s radical new GSX-R750. The model was well received by press and customers alike.

Laverda had planned to build a limited edition of only 200 SFCs before starting a new era with a range of middleweight triples. Those SFCs were soon sold, despite being over 50 per cent more expensive than the new breed of Japanese rocketship.

Writing On The Wall

But sadly Laverda’s growing financial problems meant the new middleweight triples never reached production, and the SFC remained as the final effort from the marque which only ten years earlier had been a byword for unbeatable superbike performance. Laverda was still displaying a red SFC1000 as its flagship at the Milan Show in autumn 1987, alongside a black version with wire spoked wheels that was aimed at the German market.

Two years later, the original firm collapsed and a new company, Nuova Moto Laverda, emerged with plans for a second production run of unchanged SFC1000s, to generate some income while they developed a new range of bikes. But those bikes were never built. And although Laverda did come back to life under new ownership, with a series of alloy- framed parallel twins, that firm also eventually died. Aprilia’s plans to use the SFC name for a Laverda badged V-twin never progressed further than the Milan Show prototype.

All of which means that the bright red SFC1000 was the final fling not just of the famous family of air-cooled triples, but of the original Laverda marque whose history stretched back more than half a century. Which is a little sad, but hey. The SFC is big, stylish, fast and unmistakably Italian. All things considered, it was a fitting way to end the story…

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