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Doers Builders and Positive People

Ala Verda 850 – Norton Commando Laverda Hybrid

By Paul Crowe

Ala Verda - Norton Laverda hybrid by Daniel Delfour

The British have long mixed and matched motorcycle engines and frames, the Triton, Tribsa and similar mongrels have been running the roads for decades, leave it to a Frenchman to bring Italy into the mix. Daniel Delfour liked Nortons quite a lot and thought about building a track day special with Norton power, something like a Seeley or Rickman. Coming across a Laverda 650 trellis frame he liked it immediately and wondered if a late model Norton Commando 850 twin would fit. It wasn’t easy, but the bike you see here is the cross bred result, the Ala Verda 850.

The Laverda frame accepts the engine with no room to spare. The Commando engine has been massaged to yield 72 horsepower, the upside down Paioli forks and rear shock do the suspension work with Brembo discs all around. Total weight comes in at a very svelte 341 pounds.

The bike’s a beauty and certainly no “add a part” special, this is a handcrafted piece that looks right. Daniel heard about the Legend of the Motorcycle show from several friends who suggested he bring it to the U.S. and enter. He did just that and the bike was a hit and it has been featured in several publications, I found it myself in the Nov/Dec 2008 issue of Motorcycle Classics.

After seeing this Laverda frame, those old featherbed Nortons suddenly look a bit dated. Nice work Daniel, very nice!

Link: Daniel Delfour’s Vintage Motorbikes via Motorcycle Classics magazine

Ala Verda - Norton Laverda hybrid by Daniel Delfour

Ala Verda - Norton Laverda hybrid by Daniel Delfour

Posted on November 11, 2008 Filed Under: Motorcycle Builders, Vintage Motorcycles


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Comments

  1. hoyt says

    November 11, 2008 at 10:54 am

    “Laverton”

    very cool special.

  2. Chris says

    November 11, 2008 at 11:23 am

    Beautiful. That’s what motorcycles are supposed to look like.

    cl

  3. mobilus says

    November 11, 2008 at 11:33 am

    Drop Dead Gorgeous.

  4. Phoebe says

    November 11, 2008 at 11:46 am

    Oh my god, that is gorgeous!

    A combination I would have never thought of, but wow does it work well.

  5. Steve says

    November 11, 2008 at 11:59 am

    You had me when you said, “Norton.” However, a little Italian spicy frame from Laverda makes this ultra cool. It reminds me of the Yetman chassis for the Honda 305 Superhawks and such. Send us more like this.

  6. aaron says

    November 11, 2008 at 12:13 pm

    thanks! I saw this on the newsstand on the cover of motorcycle classics, and have been trying to get a few good photos of it online… awesome build!

  7. steve says

    November 11, 2008 at 1:36 pm

    Very Nice. More bikes like this please!!

  8. teddy says

    November 11, 2008 at 3:10 pm

    A hybrid… What’s the specs on the electric motor and battery 😉

  9. todd says

    November 11, 2008 at 3:38 pm

    Now why don’t any of the manufacturers build a bike like this? The Ducati Sport Classics are close but not nearly as well done or good looking.

    -todd

  10. todd says

    November 11, 2008 at 3:41 pm

    Don’t you think the CB1100R could tap into this market?
    http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/09/20/honda-evo6-cb1100r-and-cb1100f-concepts/

    -todd

  11. FREEMAN says

    November 11, 2008 at 4:59 pm

    Wow.

  12. FREEMAN says

    November 11, 2008 at 5:00 pm

    I shall procede to drool.

  13. tim says

    November 11, 2008 at 5:42 pm

    An absolute stunner!

  14. OMMAG says

    November 11, 2008 at 6:07 pm

    Great vision and great execution…. good find Paul.

    As an owner of several Nortons I’m a big fan of the engine response in the big twins. I’ll bet this bike is an absolute rush to ride.

  15. OTTO MANN says

    November 11, 2008 at 8:33 pm

    “COOL”

  16. B*A*M*F says

    November 11, 2008 at 11:20 pm

    That looks great. I’d love to see someone do a Laverda triple powered Norton now to complement this bike.

  17. Andrew says

    November 12, 2008 at 1:25 am

    That has got to be the best looking specials I’ve seen on here. There isn’t a bad angle.

    Now if it just had a modern powerplant – say TRX850/TDM900…

  18. Walt says

    November 12, 2008 at 9:49 am

    Outstanding machine. Has he incorporated the Norton’s isolastic engine mounts, or does he just let it vibrate?

  19. curt says

    November 12, 2008 at 10:05 am

    Hands down one of the coolest bikes to hit this site. This bike is the definition of what a motorcycle is, clean classic lines and purpose built, no extra garb. This is the direction the biker build off guys should attempt, it would be great to see the manufacturers build bikes like this.

  20. Mayakovski says

    November 12, 2008 at 1:22 pm

    Beautiful.

  21. Phoebe says

    November 12, 2008 at 2:08 pm

    I’m totally with Curt here. I would love to see usable motorcycles like this in biker build-offs. Anything but choppers…please dear god, not more choppers!!

  22. Alex says

    November 12, 2008 at 2:52 pm

    I have ridden on of those 650 laverdas and it was a brilliant handling little light bike and it weighed 400 pounds. Shaving weight off and making it incredibly good looking can only be a good thing. On the other hand British and Italian mixed bikes must mean two set of tools.

  23. Daniel DELFOUR says

    November 13, 2008 at 3:25 am

    Hi everybody,
    I am the builder of the Norton Ala’verda. I want to thank you all for
    your kind words about my work.
    Daniel

  24. Robin Day says

    November 14, 2008 at 6:54 pm

    We have seen this before but every time I see it again I stop and take note – there is not one detail that is wrong!! Well done – a true modern classic

  25. pete h says

    January 21, 2009 at 3:57 pm

    it looks the dogs bollocks

  26. Jesse says

    February 8, 2009 at 8:38 pm

    Absolutely magnificent.

  27. efh says

    March 11, 2009 at 10:37 am

    Holy Heck ! what a beautiful bike. Is a shaft drive possible ?

  28. IDGE says

    September 1, 2009 at 11:37 am

    Found this on a site a while back and have been lusting over the pics ever since. For me, the absolute, most beautiful bike on the planet.

  29. bob says

    April 19, 2010 at 8:01 am

    This site has some cool stuff…..the norton is unreal

  30. jim dorey says

    June 16, 2010 at 12:08 am

    cvt?

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