A bike I think I want

[chickenstrip]

https://i.postimg.cc/1zn9sXkZ/4qu86nc4p2by.jpg


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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[pepperami]

Who would not want a Jota in their life?
Or a Mirage?
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[chickenstrip]

Not just any old Jota. A Formula Jota!
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[Suntan Sid]

I remember Jota's being raved about in the bike press in the late 70's early 80's.
Never seen one on the road in the intervening four decades, I seem to remember seeing one parked up on the prom in Douglas during, TT fortnight.
I assume the original showroom prices were astronomical, which is why the only people who ever rode them were the biking journos!
Can't say I ever liked the look of them, they just look clunky!
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"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[chickenstrip]

In 1981, the Jota cost £3k new, which was considerably more than, say, a GS1000. But we've always paid a premium for Italian exotica. But you'd certainly need to find an astronomical sum to buy a nice example now.

It's rare for someone of our age ( ) to say they don't like the look of them, but personal taste is what it is. I've always like big air cooled engines in a bike - it was part of how they should look to me back then, hence my love of IL4s today; they're just what I got used to.

But the Jota is iconic, and not without reason. Fastest production bike of its day, 3cyl grunt, sound gorgeous, Italian with all that implied in style and exclusivity, and were commonly painted ORANGE! And this before KTM road bikes were a thing

I remember when Slater Bros. released the Formula Mirage, which seemed to take them up a notch further. But that is the best pic I've seen of any of the Formula bikes - I'd forgotten it could be done to a Jota too, very rare.

My brother had a mate who had an unfaired Mirage with what I think was a factory limited edition paint job, a desert scene on the tank. Can't find any references to that particular edition though, so maybe he just had it sprayed like that himself? It sounded the nuts though.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[Polarbear]

Wonderful bikes. An iconic image from my youth. Built by a company that made combine harvesters

Buy it
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[The Shaggy D.A.]

The topbox would sit a bit high on that.
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[stevo as b4]

Ooh er!
A big black Lav Jota with a formula mirage body/seat unit, and astralite wheels!

I know the Jota 1000's are supposed to be faster, but for me it would have to be a silver Formula mirage 1200 with gold wheels like the one in my superbike book.

I'd probably have kicked over a Katana 1100 and a GPZ1100A to get the Lav, though I think if you'd put a CB1100R in front of it you'd get my full attention back to big Jap road burners.

I can't believe I wasn't old enough to ride any of these bikes until the Fireblade had been out for 2years. So much missed opportunity!

[chickenstrip]

I got to polish them and drool over them in a showroom as a lad. Never got to ride them though, too young

The Katana (Target Designs) was a bit later, and a shock to the system styling-wise, but seeing them on the drag strip soon changed my mind.

CB1100R, yup, another beauty.

But they lacked that Italian class. Lacked the electrical gremlins too though
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[t121anf]

[pepperami]

[chickenstrip]

[Polarbear]

Stock picture but this is how I remember Laverda Jotas.

https://www.bing.com/th?id=OIP.BrlQWibufSHwHzeiU0kJ0gHaEq&w=294&h=185&c=7&o=5&pid=1.7

Orange, with the baby fairing
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[stevo as b4]

A Laverda 1000/1200 in a Harris Magnum chassis or even an Egli chassis is quite a nice thing too!

I think it's a shame that Aprilia had a big financial wobble after buying The Laverda name. It would have been something a bit awesome to see a modern beam framed Laverda with a re-tuned Aprilia Cube Moto GP engine maybe?

[Fizzer Thou]

[jjdugen]

Aaaargh! Nightmares!
Heavy, wobbled worse than a Z1, did I say heavy.... Oh, and vibey and chewed batteries and heavy and rattly and impossible to tune Del Ortos. Only bike I have ever made really serious money with, so not all bad!
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The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?

[Sister Sledge]

I dunno like. I'm leaning more towards dislike - even now I'm older.

I remember shops on Westgate Road trying to sell Laverdas but I never actually saw one on the roads.
To me they're too chunky and appear to be from history. Even when new.

[stevo as b4]

Italian superbikes were all different from each other much more so than any Japanese UJM road burner.

You had pretty and dainty Ducati 900SS's and less dainty but slim and unique Guzzi's. The Laverda's that look solid and strong with big carved from stone looking sandcast engines. Then the delicate finned MV750 America etc. Or Benelli and it's Honda lookalikes.

For me I'd put the Laverda triples behind the Ducati and Guzzi's looks wise, but ahead of the Benelli and the ugly MV Agusta's.

[chickenstrip]

[Polarbear]