New Laverda coming soon

Laverda is launching a scooter, it’s first addition to the range since the firm was taken over by Aprilia.

The 150cc twist-and-go will arrive later this year to keep attention bubbling while an all-new range of full-size bikes is readied.

The scooter is unlikely to even be made in the firm’s Varese factory. Instead it is expected to be made by Taiwanese firm Sangyang and re-badged as a Laverda.

The new range of bikes, including a sports bike, a naked machine and a big enduro, will arrive late next year at the earliest.

So far, no decision has been made on the engines for the bikes. Some Italian sources claim parent firm Aprilia could donate its 1000cc V-twin as a stop-gap, although the company has already said it intends to keep its operation quite separate from Laverda.

The three-cylinder engine Laverda was developing for its own superbike before the take-over could also be revived for the new bikes, while the Rotax single that powers Aprilia’s Pegaso is another option.