1984 Laverda RGA Jota

Introduced at the 1981 Milan Motorcycle Show, the final development of one-liter three-cylinder Laverda, the RGS was well-received. Elegant styling throughout the bodywork caused a stir. But at its heart was a Giuseppe Bocchi-revised, less revvy version of the new-for-’82 Jota’s 120-degree crank, rubber-mounted engine installed in a lowered frame with altered steering geometry that made the RGS more stable and easier to handle. Quieter to meet noise regulations belied the gentlemanly performance of a bike capable of 140mph and quarter-mile times in a little over 12 seconds. Mick Walker tested the RGS 1000 for Motor Cyclist Illustrated in October 1983, finding the big Laverda ‘a long-distance, high-speed muscle bike which in the right circumstances is perhaps the best there is for continental style motorways or high-speed ‘A’ roads.’

The 1984/1985 RGA (and RGA Jota) was a mechanically similar, less expensive version without the unique RGS features. It carried a conventional fuel tank and a bikini-style fairing surrounding a round headlamp.

The motorbike offered

This 1984 Laverda RGA Jota was purchased new by Louis Orsini of Eugene, Oregon, who bought it at TT Motors in Berkeley on January 30, 1986. At some point, it passed to Michael Fiore before then passing to our consignor in 2009, showing 36,646 miles on the odometer. Well-loved and maintained, the RGA Jota is presented in exceptional condition – it looks more like a 5,000-mile bike. Riding all around Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, etc. our vendor has enjoyed a further 7,000 miles in the last 16 years. Checked through to ready it for sale, the bike starts well and rides as it should with fully operational systems. It is not a bike that will disappoint.

According to Wolfgang Haerter, the main Laverda parts supplier for North America, very few RGA Jotas came to the U.S., maybe a half-dozen or so, making this an opportunity to own an Italian exotic motorcycle with striking design and rarity – the perfect recipe for a collectable motorcycle.

A new gallery was added showing the engine internals and the leak down test results. Further information on the mechanical overhaul is that the forks have had a recent service with new seals and boots and contain Race-Tech cartridge emulators and springs with rear shocks from Bitubo. It runs on fresh ridgestone BT46 tires and just prior to sale had a valve adjustment and comes with notes bike of valve clearance and current shim thickness. As can be seen the engine was rebuilt with uprated billet cam towers