At the age of 12 Bruno Rossati began working eleven hour days.
"Now, approaching 91, I find myself reminiscing about my youth, still riding my motorcycle every day.
Letter re Ladetto
Laverda LZ 50 1981-1983
The LZ 50 Pippo was marketed to the 15 year old age group. There was also a sport version with bikini fairing. The LB Uno and OR 50 Atlas followed in 1984 and 1985.
Laverda 1989 50cc Gaucho
The engine was a 50cc 5-speed watercooled Cagiva (replacing the 6 speed Minarelli fitted to the 50 OR) and gave the machine a top speed of around 80 km/h. The square-section frame remained basically unchanged, it was suspended by Marzocchi front and rear with a disc brake up front. The very plucky and well presented machine also had electric starting, something which would perhaps not feature prominently in the average schoolboy's dream of the perfect dirt machine.
In 1986 Laverda introduced the OR 50 Atlas, a 50cc dual purpose machine aimed at young riders, with styling based on their OR 600. In 1989 it was revamped as the Gaucho. These were quite serious machines with a very sturdy square-section frame, water-cooled engine, mono-shock rear suspension, front disc brake and, in the Gaucho's case, electric starter. It is not known how many Gauchos were produced but it thought to be only between 50 and 100. The Atlas used a Minarelli two-stroke but this was changed to a 5-speed Cagiva unit for the Gaucho. Suspension was by Marzocchi and the bodywork by Acerbis. Top speed was about 80kph.
Text (with minor edits) and images by Phil Aynsley
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