OK, the answers may seem obvious, but … why is the Vespa Museum in Pontedera near Pisa? And the Ducati Museum in Borgo Panigale, Bologna? The Moto Guzzi museum in Mandello del Lario? And for that matter, the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee? Of course, it’s where those motorcycles were and still are made!
But until 2017, the repository for all things Laverda was in the town of Lisse, about halfway between Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands — close to 1,000 miles from the Company’s birthplace, home and manufacturing base in Breganze in the province of Vicenza, Italy. Curator and passionate guardian of his collection from 2006 to 2017 was Dutchman Cor Dees.
Sadly, Cor fell ill that year, causing concern as to what might happen to the collection. To the rescue came Breganze entrepreneur Werner Ricciolini, who bought 81 Laverda motorcycles from Cor, and has now converted an old industrial building into the Museo Laverda Breganze. The collection is bolstered by significant motorcycles and artifacts from the personal collection of Piero Laverda. The Museo opened in July 2022 and is a fitting tribute to Cor Dees, who passed away in 2019.
Rare and rarer
My first impression of the museum was how much emphasis is placed on the early, small-capacity singles from 1948 to the late 1960s. After all, these were the machines that established Laverda’s reputation for reliability, performance and economy. Included in the collection are the 1948 Laverda 75cc prototype, a 1951 75 Tourismo with original bill of sale, and the 75cc bike ridden to class victory in the 1956 and 1957 Motogiro d’Italia by Genunzio Silvagni. Laverda dominated small-capacity road races in the early 1950s, taking the first 14 places in the 75cc class of the Milano-Taranto race in 1953!
Did you know that Laverda built a 200cc 4-stroke twin? Before my visit to the museum, I was unaware of the “bicilindrica,” three examples of which are in the museum. The twin is said to have been one of Laverda’s best sellers, staying in production for ten years.
Laverda’s “big” break came with the introduction of the 650/750cc 4-stroke OHC twins, squarely aimed at the U.S. market. The Museo has a comprehensive display of these from the first 650 of 1968 with Grimeca brakes, through the Laverda twin-leading-shoe “Super Freni” to the last disc-braked, cast wheel 750SF3, and including a 750GTL “Polizia” from 1977. Most desirable of the 750 twins are the “Super Freni Competizione” SFC models that were so successful in endurance racing.
In 1969, almost before the 750 twins were established, Massimo Laverda and his long-time collaborator Luciano Zen were thinking ahead. The 1,000cc three-cylinder prototype was first seen at the Milan show in 1971. The Museo has prototype engines and some of the earliest-built triples, including a “1000” from 1971, as well as the production dual-disc 3C, cast-wheeled 3CL, the mighty Jota of course, 1200 TS, the 120-degree 1,000cc RGS and RGA, and the ultimate Laverda triple, the 1000SFC.
Perhaps the most overlooked Laverda street bike is the innovative and sporty 500 twin (Alpino in some markets) and its competition derivative, the Formula 500. The Alpino was the first production twin-cylinder motorcycle with eight valves and a 6-speed transmission. Making more than 52 horsepower at 9,500rpm, the racing Formula 500 was developed for a one-make race series, the Laverda Cup, intended to inspire younger Italian riders. The 500 also experienced considerable success at the Montjuic Park circuit in Barcelona, leading to the introduction of a race replica. A 350cc version was also produced to take advantage of Italian tax breaks.
Though not particularly successful in sales terms, the 500 engine was the basis for many later Laverda variants (though some suffered from underdevelopment), even after the family had ceased control of the company. This yielded the “Zane” Laverdas (from their place of manufacture, 10km from Breganze), including the 600cc Atlas dual-sport, 650, 750S, and 750 Formula.
But pride of place at the museum surely belongs to the 1,000cc V6 endurance racer. The museum has one complete example and two engines on display. Though never fully developed, the V6 exists as a monument to the Laverda family and longtime engineer Luciano Zen.
The Museo Laverda Breganze is on Facebook and at info@museomotolaverda.com MC
