Alternate Laverda Project – 1971 American Eagle Renegade 150

In America, Dual-Sport, Italy, Less than 5k by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Listing Update: The BIN was lowered to $999 but that still wasn’t enough to entice anyone to pick up this rare Laverda project. As you’ll note in the comments, however, afterwards one of John McCormack’s sons bought this American Eagle!


I’ve featured a few American Eagle models in the past – the brand was John McCormack’s attempt at importing models from Italjet, Kawasaki, and most prominently, Laverda. While American Eagle did not do particularly well, it was a wonderful introduction for Laverda who continued to sell big bikes in the US with a bit of a success. This oddball started as a Laverda 125 Trail but McCormack had it rebodied in a futuristic way in an attempt to make it appeal more to the US market. It didn’t work. Technically, this example doesn’t work either – but it would be a very interesting and rare project!

While this started as a Trail 125, American Eagle swapped in a 16 horsepower, 150cc motor for the Renegade and the fiberglass bodywork was designed by a company called UNICON. Other basic specs were a top speed of just over 50 miles per hour and a dry weight of 202 pounds. If this model intrigues you but you want to see what the bike should really look like, check out this Phil Aynsley album of a beautiful Renegade. Or, check out this vintage advertisement:

Now let reality set in as you assess the condition of this example, which has clearly been sitting for a long time. It’s missing a few parts but the seller isn’t too familiar with the model.

If you’re feeling ambitious, find this Renegade for sale in Galena, Illinois with a BIN of $1,599 or best offer