Alpino

Alpino ne Alpina

Rumours of a brand new middleweight Laverda began as early as 1974 and these were substantiated when a prototype 500cc twin was shown to the press in late 1975. Finally, in 1977 the first Alpinos , or Alpinas as they were then called, went on sale. Apparently BMWs tuning arm objected to another use of the name Alpina for an automotive product and as a result the Alpina became the Alpino. The Alpino name was only used in the UK, in other markets the bike was simply a "Laverda 500", with the exception of the US where it went by the name of "Zeta". The 500cc machines are often overlooked by Laverda enthusiasts because the 500s , on paper at least, appear to lack the glamour of the larger twins and the mighty triples. This is unfortunate because the 500cc twins are one of the best products to roll out of the factory gates.

In its day the 500 represented a brave attempt by Moto Laverda to create a genuinely modern, medium capacity machine . Many Italian bikes of this period seemed to combine ‘character’ and design flaws in roughly equal proportions! In contrast the Laverda 500 was a credible attempt to combine Italian design flair with Japanese standards of reliability and ease of use. A bike which could take on the Japanese opposition in the salerooms by offering the same levels of refinement coupled with a dash of Italian brio.

Pre launch disaster

The bike was aimed at the domestic market and would undoubtedly have been a resounding success but unfortunately, just weeks before the product launch, the Italian government announced a tax increase from 18% to a crippling 35% for all machines over 350cc. This was a tremendous blow for the company who had to revamp the machine and launch it as a 350 on the domestic market before looking to the UK, Spain and Germany for sales of the 500. Germany and the UK already had well established Japanese dealer networks selling a variety of middleweight machines at very competitive prices. The Italian economy was unstable in the 1970s and early 80s leading to unpredictable inflation rates . This caused problems for Italian exporters and Laverda found themselves selling a premium priced product into a market awash with lower priced Japanese alternatives. The circumstances surrounding the launch of the 500 could not have been any tougher. Trading conditions in Spain were more favourable and thus became the primary market for the Alpino.

Factory shot of the 500 showing the bulge in the primary case containing the balancer shaft

The designers

The main designers behind the 500 project were Technical Manger Luciano Zen and Adriano Valente. Zen of course had been with Moto Laverda from the early days of the company and Valente also joined Laverda in the 1950s. Zen’s hand was on every major project the company created right up until his retirement in’83 whilst Valente, the Vice Technical Manager,specialised in design and engineering calculations; he also had responsibility for the final engineering drawings for production. The styling of the 500 [and the various derivatives such as the Formula and the Montjuic] came from the pen of Lino Borghesan, one of the most influential Italian motorcycle stylists of the era.

Borghesan was an excellent frame designer, but his forte was styling . He was responsible for the 750, 1000 and 500cc machines and the legacy of his crisp, chiselled designs , uncluttered graphics and distinctive but simple colour schemes endowed Laverdas with the brutal elegance which sets them apart from all other motorcycles. Piero Laverda describes Lino Borghesan as ‘a true artist, with the natural talent of a classical painter’. After his retirement he went on to do project work for Aprilia and Derby and interestingly, his son is the Bimota stylist.

In the States the 500 was known as the Zeta

Technical innovations

The Alpino was the world’s first production twin cylinder motorcycle to feature four valve heads and the first Italian production motorcycle to come equipped with a six speed gearbox. With its DOHC engine, electronic ignition and Brembo brakes the Alpino was every inch the thoroughbred Italian motorcycle that its larger siblings were. Up until the introduction of the 500, Laverda’s reputation in the 1970s was built on beautifully engineered, high performance motorcycles. However, the main drawback to the company’s 750cc and 1000cc models is their weight, an unavoidable consequence of Laverda’s built-to- last engine architecture. The weight of the 500, on the other hand, was perfectly acceptable for the class. In fact , when compared to Japanese bikes of the era, the Alpino is a very light bike. Weighing in at 170kg the Alpino was only 1kg heavier than a Yamaha RD 400 and 37kgs lighter than the 1977 Yamaha XS500. And therein lies the magic of the 500s; they combine a revvy, willing engine with a superbly competent chassis and decent brakes. On twisty roads a well ridden 500 will show a clean pair of heels to almost any equivalent motorcycle of the era as well as some larger ones. And even some, dare I say it, from the same stable!

It’s not widely known that on the ultra fast 37 mile Isle of Man TT circuit the 500cc Laverdas consistently set much faster lap times than the mighty Jota. This is a remarkable feat when one takes into account how fast the TT circuit is and how suited it is to large capacity machines.

Nowadays the ‘cooking’ Alpino and Alpino S represent something of a motorcycle bargain, a situation which I feel will soon change as the classic bike world starts to wake up to how special these little Laverdas are.

Factory shot of early pre-balance shaft engine

Model Overview

The standard 1977 Alpino came without a balancer shaft and a slightly wider fuel tank. The general appearance was that of a mini Jota or perhaps more accurately, a mini SF3. At 260mm the discs were smaller on the 500s than its larger stablemates and the rear wheel , whilst still 18” diameter, was slightly narrower at 2:15 as opposed to 2:30. In 1978 a 350 was launched to undercut the punitive Italian purchase tax rates on large capacity motorcycles. This model was essentially the same as a 500 Alpino and shared the same running gear. The engine however had smaller valves, 24mm carbs and lower compression pistons running in smaller bores [60mm instead of 71m] the stroke remained the same at 61mm. Externally the models were virtually identical, save for the side panel badges.

Early 500s also had needle roller bearings fitted as outer cam bearings, but these changed to plain alloy bushes around the same time as the ‘S’ was introduced.

In mid 1978 the Alpino ‘S’ was launched. The main design feature of the ‘S’ was the contra rotating balance shaft which ran at engine speed. The styling was also tidied up with a revised , slightly slimmer tank featuring knee recesses. The balancer shaft was fitted to help smooth out the vibrations which are inherent with a 180 degree parallel twin. Contemporary sources say that the Alpino S had the higher compression pistons which were fitted to the Montjuic. As a guide to restorers I would suggest that this is taken with a pinch of salt. I have come across an original unrestored ‘S’which had the wider earlier tank style as well as being fitted with low compression pistons. Like many small Italian manufacturers Laverda would often alter specifications within a production run, presumably as a result of inconsistent deliveries from their supply chain.

As the model came to the end of its product life a couple of run-out models were introduced, namely the Roadster and the Sport. These were essentially Alpinas with minor cosmetic changes although the Sport came equipped with slightly higher compression pistons. Spain was a particularly healthy market for the 500 twins and there are still lots of machines out there for prospective purchasers.

Total production figures were 2,750 of the 500cc and 2,250 of the 350cc model. The history of the 500 Laverda could have been very different if the domestic VAT rate hadn’t been so punitive and the Italian economy had been more stable.