Laverda 750 Ghost Strike
File:Laverda-750-Ghost-Strike---1jpg | |
Laverda 650 Ghost | |
Manufacturer | |
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Also called | Ghost 650, Ghost Strike, Ghost Legend, Ghost, 750 Ghost Strike, 650 Ghost Strike, 650 Ghost Legend |
Production | 1998 |
Engine | Four stroke, parallel twin. DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder. |
Compression ratio | 11.5:1 |
Ignition | Weber-Marelli electronic |
Transmission | 6 Speed |
Frame | Aluminum twin beam |
Suspension | Front: Paioli Racing Inverted adjustable preload, rebound & compression damping Rear: Paioli Monoshock adjustable spring preload, rebound & compression damping |
Brakes | Front: 2x 320mm discs 4 piston calipers Rear: Single 245mm disc 2 piston caliper |
Front Tire | 120/60 ZR17 |
Rear Tire | 160/60 ZR17 |
Seat Height | 770 mm / 30.3 in |
Weight | 189 kg / 416 lbs (dry), |
Manuals | Service Manual |
Engine[edit | edit source]
The engine was a Liquid cooled cooled Four stroke, parallel twin. DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder.. The engine featured a 11.5:1 compression ratio.
Chassis[edit | edit source]
It came with a 120/60 ZR17 front tire and a 160/60 ZR17 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 320mm discs 4 piston calipers in the front and a Single 245mm disc 2 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a Paioli Racing Inverted adjustable preload, rebound & compression damping while the rear was equipped with a Paioli Monoshock adjustable spring preload, rebound & compression damping. The bike weighed just 189 kg / 416 lbs.
Photos[edit | edit source]
Laverda 650 Ghost Laverda 650 Ghost
Overview[edit | edit source]
Laverda 750 Ghost Strike
The early spring and fair weather we have enjoyed
in Minnesota apparently grows motorcycles as well as it grows tomatoes. A rider
can hardly pick up a newspaper or walk onto a dealer's showroom floor without
coming across an announcement for a new factory in the works here in Minnesota
or encountering a new European brand fresh off the boat.
The newest immigrant is the resurrected Laverda.
This line of parallel twins successfully meets the challenge of the famous
Laverda twins of old and convincingly renews and reinvigorates the Laverda
legacy.
One morning last week I had the pleasure of
parking the venerable Seca Turbo for a day and riding off on a brand new Laverda
Ghost. A couple miles down the road I pulled into a gas station and received the
first surprise of the day: there was no fuel filler cap in the usual fuel filler
cap location. I stepped back and eyed the lock on the passenger seat pad. I
squatted next to the bike and peered up between the frame and the engine. There
the fuel tank was, resting between the seat and motor. The passenger seat pad
unlocked with the ignition key and hinged forward to reveal a tool set and the
fuel filler cap.
Fueled up and traveling north on 35W, I looked
down at the odometer as I neared Lake Street and was flabbergasted to see the
needle pointing at the 100 mark. This certainly did not feel like 100 miles per
hour. A Glance over at the Geo Metro effortlessly keeping pace with the Ghost
led me to realize that this was what it felt like to go 100 kilometers per hour.
At the day's first stop I closely examined the Ghost for any more
trick-or-treats, but the inspection revealed only Laverda's commitment to
quality and continuation of the company's sporting tradition.
The components are all top shelf--Marchesini
wheels, Paioli fork and Brembo brakes. The engine is a 668cc parallel-twin with
four valves per cylinder and fuel injection. Engine cooling is supplied by oil
and air with a large oil cooler hanging to the outside of each exhaust header.
The steel trellis frame, lack of a fairing, premium running gear and the name on
the tank (err, airbox cover) invite comparisons to Ducati's Monster, and the
Ghost certainly looks like it will do well.
It was time for Associate Editor Victor Wanchena
to take the Ghost out for a few hours (which was just as well since it looked
like rain). When he arrived at the meeting spot we went over the quirks, and I
mentioned that the idle was a bit off. We agreed that it is not uncommon for a
new model to need some adjustment to the fuel injection mapping. It's no big
deal for the mechanics back at the dealer, but we had only a day and would have
to live with the problem.
Victor turned the Ghost back over to me with
impeccable timing; the rains had just passed. I spent a few hours enjoying some
saddle time. The bike leapt forward from a standing start surprising me with the
quantity of low-end power. At speed and on twisty roads the Ghost liked to be
busy. If I let the revs drop too low the Ghost began to rattle its bones and
make a little noise. Luckily, Laverda had supplied a six-speed gear box and some
fairly active use of the shift lever kept the bike pushing smoothly forward
happily making horsepower.
Handling and braking departments left me with
nothing to complain about. The Ghost steered a bit more heavily than a Ducati
Monster, but then again so does everything else. Seating position, handlebar
position and overall comfort level scored very high marks with this five foot
ten inch rider.
Laverda has built the Ghost to inhabit the upper
reaches of the Hooligan Bike nether world. Though it appears the Ghost has been
rushed to the American market, uncompromising and dedicated sport riders should
be thrilled that Laverda is back.
Source by Troy Johnson
Make Model | Laverda 750 Ghost Strike |
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Year | 1998 |
Engine Type | Four stroke, parallel twin. DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder. |
Displacement | 747 cc / 45.6 cu-in |
Bore X Stroke | 83 X 69 mm |
Cooling System | Liquid cooled |
Compression | 11.5:1 |
Induction | Twin Weber-Marelli electronic injection |
Ignition | Weber-Marelli electronic |
Starting | Electric |
Max Power | 85 hp / 63.3 kW @ 9200 rpm |
Max Power Rear Tire | 81.6 hp / 60.8 kW @ 8100 rpm |
Max Torque | 75 Nm / 55.3 lb-ft @ 7750 rpm |
Transmission | 6 Speed |
Final Drive | Chain |
Frame | Aluminum twin beam |
Front Suspension | Paioli Racing Inverted adjustable preload, rebound & compression damping |
Rear Suspension | Paioli Monoshock adjustable spring preload, rebound & compression damping |
Front Brakes | 2x 320mm discs 4 piston calipers |
Rear Brakes | Single 245mm disc 2 piston caliper |
Front Tire | 120/60 ZR17 |
Rear Tire | 160/60 ZR17 |
Seat Height | 770 mm / 30.3 in |
Dry Weight | 189 kg / 416 lbs |
Fuel Capacity (res) | 19 Liters / 5.0 US gal |