OK... if you were paying attention a couple posts back, you remember me saying something like "now if I can only find a complete front wheel"? I can barely believe this one, but I posted a note that I was looking for a complete front wheel on the Laverda list, and my buddy who sold me my 1975 3c mentioned he knew someone who had one that they had built for their SFC race machine, but had since switched to a 4LS setup. Therefore, he might have a wheel for me and left me his contact info. I got hold of the gentleman and sure enough he had a complete, machined, newly laced and basically perfect front wheel for me. Even the linkage hardware had been re-chromed. New stainless spokes and nipples, drum surface machined, new pads bonded on and chamfered correctly. AND...AND... it was the model that I wanted! It's the Gorgeous Laverda model that was on a couple machines, the early SF and the early early triples.The machine *should* have a smaller Grimeca unit similar to what is in the rear wheel, but I really wanted to beef it up and at least upgrade the front to the later, larger Laverda made SF type. This is it. Score, baby!!!! OK.. so here's the really really killer part. It should have been well over $800. Maybe $1200 when you consider the work setting it up etc. They go for pretty big money. Basically, he gave this one to me for the price of the rim. I could not believe it... and seriously owe him a beer or something when we finally meet. Or a return favor. He just knew I needed a wheel for my machine, and was happy to have it go to someone that also had the Laverda sickness, I suppose! Man... I gotta say.. even this incident aside... the Laverda guys have been am amazing bunch. The best! Man.. this apparently was meant to be *my* machine. Un.Be. Lievable luck! Now... do I look for a match for the rear?!?!? I am still going to look for the correct front drum and keep it in a box, and would do the same with the rear IF I swap it for a Laverda unit. They are thin on the ground, so that may take a while. I want to ride it, so the Laverda front will provide a bit more stopping power... especially with it being setup correctly and all.
