Report From Italy
REPORT FROM ITALY
BY CARLO PERELLI
PERFECT WEATHER, an extremely tough course, 120 of Europe's top trials riders, good machinery and excellent organization made for a superb “Valli Bergamasche” three-day trial this year. The course was 480 miles long and something new awaited competitors at the end — a bonus points scrambles race to break ties.
This trial is not one for big-bore machines, despite appearances. Most common size at the start was 125cc, followed in lesser quantities by 50s, 98s, 250s, 75s and over-250s. The over-250s were very few, indeed: a 300cc MZ, a 252cc Greeves, two 350cc BSAs, a 361cc Lindstrom two-stroke from Sweden and only one 500cc, a 500cc T riumph-Metisse.
Class schedules for the Bergamasche have tended to favor the tiddlers in the past, such as happened last year when the tiny but powerful Hercules and Zundapp 50s swept the field. So the organizers increased the 50cc schedule to 25.2 mph this year, and retained the same schedule for other classes up to a maximum of 27.6 mph for the over-250s.
At first it seemed the 50s would repeat their sensational 1965 performance. In fact, they were leading at the end of the first day. But they were bested during the second day by the 250cc MZs ridden by 1SDT winners Peter Uhlig and Werner Salewsky, who stretched their lead the third day. The two East German riders both finished with 1 1 marks lost, so a scramble had to decide the absolute winner. But they outfoxed the system, letting everybody else in their class go by, and then crossing the finish line hand-in-hand so that they both had to be declared winners!
Third, with 12 marks lost, was West Germany’s Gienger (98cc Zundapp) ahead of three Italians, Dossena (Morini 125), Vergani (Gilera 125) and Guffanti (98cc Zundapp). all with 16 marks lost. Naturally, things got highly motivated in the tie-breaking scrambles, and the result was a crash involving Dossena and Vergani at the very first turn. They remounted, but Vergani's gearbox was damaged, so Dossena gathered most of the bonus points. Guffanti, troubled by a weakening engine and stiff forks, didn't fare too well.
First 5()cc rider was West Germany’s Gabler (Hercules-Sachs), in seventh position with 18 marks lost, just ahead of Consonni, an Italian who forced his 350cc BSA around the difficult course to finish ahead of all the other over-25()cc riders. Consonni was also the first real privateer in the finishing order.
Selling, the Dutch scrambles champion, was by far the best of the five Greeves factory riders in the race. He held a brilliant position until the last day, when he was hit with several tire punctures in the final section. So he finished 1 1th, tied with Specht (Zundapp 125), even after the scrambles, in which they both garnered the maximum bonus — 60 points.
The MZ team had been counting on Uhlig and Salewsky, whose first place tie was for naught because the third team member, Wagner, retired early in the event and was therefore heavily penalized. Consequently, the team placed last.
First and second in the factory contest were two Zundapp teams, followed by Greeves, Simson (E. Germany), KTM (Austria). Sixth was Hercules-Sachs, also hit by the loss of one member.
The national team contest was won by West Germany, followed by East Germany and Great Britain. An East German club from Leipzig, A.S.K. Vorwärts, won the club contest.
Only 61 riders finished this 19th annual Bergamasche.
The 125cc Gilera V5 and the Regolarita Casa are two machines that are built on the same basic scheme and which rate among the best of Italy’s sports and trials lightweights. The Regolarita Casa (Factory Enduro) has won the Italian Trials Championship for the past three years; only this year has it been put on sale to the general public. The V5 was a novelty at last year’s Milan show and deliveries have just started; A large batch of them is due to reach the states. No export plans for the Regolarita have been made; it costs about 40 percent more than the V5 and is practically handbuilt. This policy may change if requests are forthcoming from the U.S.
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The V5 is an excellent road machine, putting out 10.5 bhp (rear wheel) at 8,500 rpm. It has a five-speed gearbox and will top 72 mph. Road-holding is good, but the rear suspension seems stiff. Braking is not supreme; perhaps a vented front brake would help.
The V5’s fuel consumption is surprisingly low and at 60 mph one can get 100 miles per gallon. With the 10:1 compression ratio, of course, it’s necessary to use high-test gasoline.
The controls are perfectly laid out, a rare characteristic for Italian machines. Clutch and gearbox work fairly well, and the riding position is forward leaning but not exaggerated and therefore not tiring.
The Regolarita has the same data and features, but is a dirt bike with the excellent Ceriani suspension front and rear. Braking is good and road-holding excellent. It is geared lower, with a top speed of 60 mph. It can be taken anywhere with little effort and is a pleasure to ride.
The general technical features for both machines include: pushrod operated vertical ohv engine, 56 x 50mm for 123cc; primary drive by gears, multidisc clutch; ignition by dynamo, battery and coil on the V5, by flywheel magneto on the Regolarita; 22mm carburetor; 17-inch wheels for the V5, 19-inch front and 18-inch rear for the dirt machine. The road bike weighs 209 lbs., the dirt bike 231 lbs. ■
