Report From Italy
REPORT FROM ITALY
CARLO PERELLI
AH, SPRING
Never before have the Italian spring meetings proved so exciting—even more exciting than world championship racing. In fact, the Italian races, by reason of top start money, gathered the best of riders and machines. The same can't be said for the forthcoming grand prix events.
First, some comments on the results of the Italian meetings: Mike Hailwood, invited by Enzo Ferrari to drive a Formula II Dino in competition, most probably will follow John Surtees’ footsteps soon. Always the greatest. Hailwood now lacks complete works support and thus is sometimes mechanically handicapped.
Bill Ivy is determined to become No. 1 Yamaha rider. He is riding like a demon this year, and has nearly always beaten his teammate. Phil Read.
Giacomo Agostini has been somewhat slow' in the initial meetings of the season, which earned him reprimand from Count Agusta. He now has returned to his great form, which was proven at Cervia, the final Italian spring meeting for 1 968.
Renzo Pasolini, greatly aided by improvements in his Benelli frame and engine, has definitely entered the company of greats. His 350 class wins at Cesenatico and Imola, in the wet. were magnificent.
As for machinery, the spring series in Italy showed the 125 Honda Five and Yamaha 125 Four are performing at approximately the same level, while the Suzuki Twin seems to be lagging somewhat. The Mondial Single has again proven not only the best of the Italians, but of every other 125 mount, such as MZ, Bultaco and Derbi.
In the 250 class, the Yamaha has shown a slight margin of supremacy over the Honda Six, but the latter has proven more reliable. Among Italian machinery, the Benelli seems now to be able to meet the years-long challenge of the fabulous Morini Single, even though the latter machine has been updated
with a four-valve head.
Among 350 class machines, Hailwood’s Honda Six, of 297 cc piston displacement, and Read’s Yamaha Four, of only 251 cc, both maintain a slight speed edge over the MV Three and the Benelli Four, but the Italian machines have demonstrated greater all around performance and reliability.
In both 250 and 350 classes, works Ducati desmodromic Singles have proven faster, but not so reliable as the works H-D Aermacchis. Good performances have been shown by Aermacchi engined Drixton machines, which are only 33.1 in. high at the steering head, and weigh 22 lb. less than showroom models.
The 500 class machines are dominated by the MV Three. True, Hailwood’s HRS special is more powerful, but inferior in all around performance. Lack of direct factory support makes the difference. The Paton machines, after some teething troubles with new engines, have confirmed themselves as best among non-factory motorcycles, while the best Single has proved to be the Matchless in the Seeley frame. Despite development problems, the Linto Twin and the Cardani Three offer great promise.
CESENATICO
Though not graced by sunny weather, as at Rimini, the second round of the Italian series at Cesenatico was even more thrilling. Some 30,000 enthusiasts lined the 2.33-mile circuit, which features long straights, 45-degree bends, and a spectacular high speed jump.
Highlight of the 250 race was a PasoliniRalph Bryans duel, with Read in furious pursuit after a lengthy second lap pit stop. Finally, Bryans gained a few seconds, his Honda Six showing its superiority to Pasolini’s Benelli Four, while Read dropped to 10th place, then managed to work his way back to overtake Morini Single rider Angelo Bergamonti for 3rd place.
Even more hotly contested was the 350 event, with Agostini (MV), Hailwood (Honda), Pasolini (Benelli) and Read (Yamaha) flashing past in a tight group for the opening laps. First out was Read, while Pasolini and Hailwood were able to draw slightly away from Agostini. Then, with a supreme effort, Pasolini was able to widen the gap between himself and Hailwood. A light drizzle set in; Hailwood recorded the fastest lap, making a fractional gain on Pasolini. Then, Hailwood applied too much throttle coming out of a tight bend and found himself tumbling along the track, his machine spinning in front of him.
At that moment, Pasolini held a 17-sec. lead over Agostini. However, handicapped by carburction set for dry weather and water leaking past his goggles and onto his eyeglasses, the Benelli rider saw his margin dwindle to 0.5 sec. over the MV ace at the finish.
Bruno Spaggiari took his desmo Ducati to 3rd, ahead of Billie Nelson (Paton), and Gilberto Milani (H-D Acrmacchi).
The 500 event also was started in a light rain-which turned to a downpour in midrace. Unchallenged winner, with fastest lap. was Agostini (MV), who always is magnificent in the wet.
Hailwood (Honda) found his machine difficult to exploit on such a circuit, so finished a quiet 2nd. John Cooper (Seeley Matchless) and John Hartlc (Matchless Metisse) scrapped all the way for 3rd place, with Cooper finally emerging dominant.
IMOLA
'fhe classic “Gold Cup” of Imola has become the “Shell Golden ShelP’-which this year filled with rain. Despite the weather, however, more than 20,000 spectators turned out to watch the besprinkled action on the 3.2-mile course.
fhe 250 and 350 races were contested in a veritable downpour over the fast, up and down circuit. The black clouds ceased to produce for the 500. but the track remained very wet.
At the start of the 350. Hailwood jumped away to a lead on his Honda Six, but after only six laps he was forced to retire with gearbox trouble. Pasolini, riding without mistakes, took a well deserved win on the 16-valve Benelli Four, neatly beating Agostini, who had successfully scrapped with Read for 2nd place. Spaggiari. always comfortable in 4th position, again placed the desmo Ducati well ahead of Milani on the works H-D Acrmacchi.
The early stages of the 250 event were particularly exciting, with Read, Ivy, Bryans and Pasolini fighting for the lead. When it seemed that Read and Ivy were up for a one-two finish, their Yamaha Fours stopped cold, one with gearbox trouble, the other for water in its carburetors. So. with Pasolini fatigued from the previous race, and again encountering difficulties with his eyeglasses and moisture, and with his Benelli misfiring, it was Ralph Bryans who went on to win. In 3rd place was Angelo Bergamonti who rode his Morini Single successfully against Benelli No.
2 man, Silvio Grasetti, who retired with a destroyed engine. Though both recorded identical lap times during practice for the 500, Hailwood, who returned to the Honda front fork and brake for his special, after using a Rickman fork and Lockheed disc brake at Ccscnatico, was able to open a 2(Fsec. gap on Agostini and maintain the lead to the finish. A grand scrap for 3rd place developed between Angelo Bergamonti (Paton), John Hartlc (Matchless Metisse) and John Cooper (Seeley Matchless). In the final lap Cooper touched Bergamonti while both were lapping a slower rider. Slightly damaged by this action, the Italian champion lost ground, and thus Cooper was able to take the place.
CERVIA
Most exciting (to Italians) of the Cervia races was the 350, in which Agostini and Pasolini swept the board before a crowd of 30.000 and the crowd was joyous, as nonItalians had won all the other races, Ivy with a double in a 125 and 250, and Hailwood victor in the 50(Fcc event.
In the 125, Ivy led from the start and never was in danger of being overtaken, though in the closing stages, Bryans managed to close the gap significantly. Then, Bryans’ overstressed Honda l ive suffered an rpm drop. He could no longer challenge Ivy, who had set the fastest lap time, and also was overtaken by Stuart Graham on a Suzuki Twin.
fhe 250 was dominated by the Yamaha Fours of Read and Ivy, with Ivy just squeaking past his teammate for the win. Bryans on a Honda Six secured 3rd place in the closing stages of the race.
In the 350 race, Hailwood hurtled to his usual lead, followed by Agostini, Read and Pasolini. Then Agostini, returned to his brilliant form, recorded the fastest lap and overcame Hailwood. Pasolini also managed to pass the Honda rider. Read retired from the race. From the mid-point onward, there were no changes of position among the leaders and the Italian riders and machines continued for the one-two win.
After the race, Hailwood reported his brakes were below standard, and thus he wasn’t capable of holding off Pasolini’s challenge.
The crowd was hoping for a second Agostini victory in the 500, but this was not to be. Ago and Hailwood circulated close together, but in the eighth lap, the champion’s MV was halted by gearbox failure. So, Hailwood went on to win by a comfortable margin at a lower speed than was recorded for the 350. After overtaking Cooper and Jack Findlay (McIntyre Matchless), Bergamonti took his Paton Twin to 2nd place. Cooper came in 3rd. while Findlay was overtaken in the closing stages of the race by Guzzi Single rider Giuseppe Mandolini.
THE BIG ONES
Cheapest of all large displacement machines manufactured in Italy are the Laverda 650and 750-cc Twins. Featuring electric starter and five-speed gearbox, these machines (Continued on page 102) now are being delivered to retailers in Italy and abroad. Some are on their way to the U.S. Others will participate in the next annual Tour of Italy.
RETURN TO SCRAMBLERS
l or many years uninterested in scrambles machines, Italian manufacturers now are beginning to change their minds. Much credit for the change must go to the F. B. Minarelli’s new 175-cc scrambles engine, developed from the firm’s quarter-mile world record unit. Italjet. Muller, and others already have built bikes around this powerplant. With bore and stroke of 60.4 and 60.0 mm, the engine develops 19 bhp at 7000 rpm, with 10 bhp occurring at only 4000 rpm. Compression ratio is 11.5:1. The engine features an amply finned alloy cylinder head, electronic ignition, a 30-mm Dellorto carburetor, gear primary drive, and four-speed gearbox.
MOTOGRAZIELLA
Vittorio Veneto, builder of the Graziella folding bicycle, now is launching a fold-up mini-scooter called the Motograziclla. or Moto G. The unit is powered by a horizontal cylindered Sachs two-stroke engine, which drives a single speed centrifugal automatic clutch. The Moto G. unlike almost every other minibike, offers a normal riding position, with the relationship between saddle, handlebars and pedals very similar to that of the normal, full-sized scooter. The 70.5-lb. Moto G is supplied complete with storage case. Unfolded, the machine is 41.3 in. long, 23.6 in. wide and 37.4 in. in height. Folded, the length remains the same, but width and height are reduced to 13.8 in. and 24.1 in., respectively. The Moto G can be stored in a vertical position. Leading link suspension is rubber mounted; top speed is 25 mph; and fuel consumption is 11 2 mpg. The mini will climb a 10 percent grade without the rider being forced to resort to the auxiliary power source-the pedals. B
