Rare Project – 1986 Laverda Lesmo

In Italy, Less than 5k, Sport by Ted CloughLeave a Comment

Here’s a project for someone who loves the thrill of the chase, looking for obscure, unobtanium parts to complete a project that will be worth – well, not much.

Tha Laverda Lesmo was a 124cc 2-stroke that put out a massive 23hp at 9,200 rpm. It was only produced for two years – 1985/86. A little surfing through Laverda Forums will have you discover that they were fragile bikes that liked to eat pistons after a few thousand km’s. That would not be a problem if spares were available, but evidently, they are not.

With those issues in mind, this would still be a fascinating option for someone who likes cool little Italian bikes, especially if you were not concerned with total originality – and there is no real reason to be, as these do not seem to fetch any sort of real value, even when complete and original. You could probably find some suitable substitutions for the missing pieces of this project. Clip-ons were probably some sort of generic Tomaselli, and some sort of period turn signals are likely available. You might be able to get Gustaffson to make you a windscreen. The seat would be difficult, for sure.

As usual, buyer beware. I have not talked to the seller, but a quick glance at the pictures shows what appear to be loose body panels, missing fasteners and left side case cover. I suspect this was all disassembled, bodywork painted, and then bodged together for pictures. It would be prudent to take your own patience and mechanical ability into account before jumping into this project…

If you’re feeling ambitious, you can find this Laverda for sale here on Craigslist in Atlanta for $995.