Report From Italy
REPORT FROM ITALY
CARLO PERELLI
AS ALREADY NOTED in this column, in terest of the Italian industry toward trials events seems to have faded completely. (For the second successive year there will be no official Italian machines at the International Six Days Trial.) On the other hand, many new trials models, for sale to the general public, have been recently announced. Also on the Italian market is an increasing demand for "rough riding" machines, not only for competition purposes but also for the pleasure of offthe-road riding, which is spreading among bike enthusiasts. Moreover, these mounts are also appropriate for hunters, anglers, or anyone who must face bad roads for work purposes. Since the MV five-speeder and the Morini four-speeder, introduced in the October 1965 issue of CW, new models have now been announced by Motom, Moto Guzzi and Gilera, three big names in the Italian industry. These machines are all four-strokes with pushrodoperated OHV featuring four-speed gearbox in unit, flywheel magneto ignition and wet sump lubrication. The Motom, named "Cross" (Scramble), has a 52x47 = 99.8cc engine; compression ratio is 8: 1, developing 6.5 hp at 7000 rpm using an 18mm carburetor. It has very powerful brakes, 2.75x18 (front) and 3.00x17 (rear) tires, weight is 185 lbs. and top speed over 50 mph. It is distinguished by a pressed steel "backbone" type frame with the engine unit floating on rubber, so that engine vibration is not transmitted to the rider.
The new Moto Guzzi is called "Scram bler," and is powered by a 52x58z123cc engine, with the valves inclined at 35° transversely to the machine. This layout enables the carburetor to "breathe" fresh air on the left hand side, with the spark plug centrally located towards the front of the head, and the exhaust pipe well exposed to the fresh air on the right hand side (see picture). The engine develops 8.5 at 7500 rpm with 9.8:1 c.r. and uses a 20mm carburetor; 17" tires are used, weight is 200 lbs. Of course, these two machines are not intended for serious competition, since they are only slightly modified from the roadster versions. The Gilera "Regolarita" (Trial) models, which come in 98cc and 124cc versions, are better prepared for serious competition and are derived from the successful ISDT and Italian Championship winning mounts. Engine dimensions are 50x50=98cc and 56x50=124cc, with power outputs of 8 bhp at 8000 rpm and 10 bhp at 7500 rpm respectively, obtaining top speeds of 50 and 60 mph. All the power figures quoted here are at the rear wheel and not, as frequently given, at the crankshaft. •
