Report From Italy
REPORT FROM ITALY
CARLO PERELLI
THE TOUR OF ITALY
Brothers Giuliano and Luciano Conti of Rome, riding 175-cc Motobi machines, dominated the Tour of Italy, an event for series production motorcycles. Giuliano was 1st overall, and Luciano finished a very close 2nd. Held over eight days on a very tough course in mid-southern Italy, the Tour was not blessed by good weather. Of the 157 starters who left Chianciano, a resort city, about one-third retired along the way, as the result of crashes, fatigue and mechanical troubles. A total of 97 riders crossed the finish line at the famous Imola autodrome after a distance of 1800 miles.
Forbidden by authorities to be a speed event, as the Tour was from 1953 to 1957, similar to the Mille Miglia automobile race, the motorcycle contest, resumed last year, now is comprised of three types of tests to decide riders' placings.
The first test is to maintain a specified average speed, which is different for each class, exactly as in the ISDT. These speeds may not seem high, but it is no child's play to attain them on the difficult, dirt roads which comprise 70 percent of the course.
The second test is to travel through certain sections at a constant speed, and to cross the line at a time check with the greatest possible precision. A delay or an advance of only 0.10 sec. on the exact time results in marks lost. In these sections (there were at least two each day) riders were forced to be extremely careful, keeping one eye on the road and the other on a stopwatch.
The third test (one or two each day) is true racing, either on local circuits such as Valleunga near Rome, or Imola, or hillclimbing. Obviously the best placemen earned a greater number of bonus points.
With this system, similar to that employed for certain car rallies, the Italian Federation people intended their event to underline the merits of the most competent riders and most reliable machines. Their goal wasn't reached completely, because the first and second types of tests proved most difficult, and therefore more decisive, than the third. (Most probably the ratio will be changed next year.) At any rate, the event proved very interesting by reason of the comparison between true roadster machines, which presently have no other competition in Italy.
There are seven classes, four for bikes (75 to 124 cc, 125 to 174 cc, 175 to 249 cc, and 250 cc and over) and three for scooters (75 to
124 cc, 125 to 149 cc, and 150 to 200 cc). Although not leading until the seventh day, the five-speed Gileras were successful in the
125 class. Winner was Giorgio Castelli, and the achievement for the Arcore factory would have been much greater if Castelli's teammates Giovanardi and Lombardi hadn't crashed heavily in the final speed test at Imola, and also involved Castelli, who then suffered minor troubles. Giovanardi placed 4th and Lombardi 8th. Strongest opposition to Gileras came from Morini, with riders Bonini and Signorelli in 2nd and 3rd places,, and winning the team award.
The aforementioned Conti brothers swept the board in the 175 class with their fivespeed Motobi roadsters. Here again, the best opposition came from Morini, with Archilletti 3rd in class and 3rd overall on the 150-cc model.
In the 250, Variati, on a Ducati five-speed tourer, held off Spanish rider Coretti on a Bultaco Metralla, and this was no little feat for the Italian.
The American Eagles, built by Laverda in 650and 750-cc displacement sizes, made a fine showing by beating English and German large bore Twins. The Eagles found their most tenacious rival in the specially factory prepared road version of the 350-cc H-D Aermacchi, with five-speed gearbox and dry clutch, identical to those on factory racing bikes. The over 250 class winner was Dossena on a 750 Eagle, followed by Vergani and Sani, both on H-D Aermacchi 350s, Bretonni on a 650 BSA, and Gorini and Passerini, both on American Eagles.
Best overall scooterist was Sicbaldi (Lambretta 125), but the other two classes were dominated by Vespa riders Musumeci and Franco.
Though international, the Tour attracted only six Lambretta riders from England, two other Lambretta riders from Spain and 11 riders from Germany, with an assortment of BMW 600s, Yamaha 250s and 350s, Honda 250s and a Vespa 150. Overall best foreigner was Antonio Estivill from Barcelona on a 150 Lambretta.
MOTOCROSS MASSACRE
This year's Italian round of the 500 motocross world championship can only be described as a massacre. The event was contested on the Malpensa course which faces an airport and the MV works, near Gallarate.
Rain fell the entire night before the event. This turned into a deluge for the first heat, and half the second heat. The rainfall, with extreme cold, high wind, and, of course, mud, made competition extremely tough.
In particular, a steep slope caused frequent stalling by the majority of riders, who were then drawn to the summit by a team of officials armed with hooks and ropes. This infernal confusion made riding even more hazardous to the very few who managed the ascent under their own power.
No one remembers such adverse conditions for a scrambles race in Italy! Out of the 27 starters from 12 countries in the first heat, only nine reached the finish, completely exhausted. Out of 13 courageous riders who faced the second heat, only seven received the checkered flag. And the overall classification numbered only five riders!
At the beginning it seemed that world champion Paul Friedrichs, with his works 400-cc CZ, in spite of a spectacular crash in practice, would dominate everybody. Though not able to start well, 5 th at the end of Lap 1, the forceful East German had taken the lead by Lap 3. Friedrichs easily widened the gap, but on Lap 7 his throttle cable broke. He pitted, and his Czech mechanic quickly changed the cable. However, water found its way into the fuel and carburetor so, in spite of frantic efforts, the engine didn't restart. Cursing his luck, Friedrichs retired, not even bothering to compete in the second heat.
BSA works team rider John Banks then took over on his 500-cc four-stroke, which sounded softer, almost touristy, among the horde of screaming two-strokes. After two laps, Banks dropped back because of a stiffening throttle twistgrip; he managed to retain 3rd position until near the finish when, fuel consumption of his engine having been heavier than anticipated, he was forced to stop with a dry tank.
After Banks, it was Swedish Ake Jonsson who took the lead, but his reign also was short. After two laps, the engine of his 420-cc works Husqvarna spluttered and died.
Finally the furious Roger de Coster climbed to 1st place-after having been stalled on the notorious slope, losing much groundand conserved the lead until the end.
For the runner-up positions there was continuous changing, with the excellent Englishman Alan Clough (Husqvarna) finally placing 3rd between the Russian duo of Yuri Matveev (CZ), 2nd, and newcomer Viktor Brunis (CZ), 4th.
In the second heat, de Coster took the lead immediately, only to lose it on Lap 3 as the result of a slide in a bend. By Lap 7, he was again 1st, winning nicely.
Czechoslovakian Petr Dobry (CZ) plowed on, nearly always in 2nd berth, while tough veteran Jeff Smith, on the other works 500 BSA, came up to 3rd position after a somewhat slow start. Smith was forced to stop during Lap 11 for a locked throttle twistgrip, the same trouble that plagued him in the first heat. The start came too soon for his teammate, Banks, who was still fixing the tank after having made adjustments to the throttle twistgrip and cable of his machine; he called it a day. Clough placed 3rd again after a hard scrap with Czech Vaclav Svastal, so finished 2nd overall.
Technically speaking, this year's championship has recorded yet another step up in displacement increases among the two-stroke works mounts. CZ has gone from 380 to 400 cc, Husqvarna from 360 to 420 cc, while Jawa has taken the longest step, from 400 to 486 cc. With bore and stroke at 88 by 80 mm, the Jawa 486 is by far the biggest single-cylinder two-stroke manufactured. This increase is designed to produce more power and torque. CZ and Jawa have not disclosed their figures, but since the latest "over the counter" 360-cc
CZ is now officially quoted for 39 bhp at 6800 rpm, the works mounts should be well over the 40-bhp mark. Both have double ignition, conventionally supplied on the Jawa, transistorized on the CZ with the Spanish Femsatronic system, fitted last year on the works 250 model. The Jawa was the only over 250 machine to have a five-speed gearbox prior to 1967. It now carries a four-speed unit for better torque delivery, and because the wider gears more effectively cope with the increased power. For the 420-cc Husky, 38 bhp is reported. This is the lowest figure among works mounts. However, the Swedish bike has won the first and the third championship rounds in Austria and Sweden, to prove that sheer power doesn't count so much in scrambling. Finally, always faithful to the four-stroke, BSA-using magnesium alloy everywhere-has reduced the weight of its 500 to an incredible 245 lb. in running condition, which is only a few pounds more than the two-strokes.
NO VALLI BERGAMASCHE
Owing to a quarrel between the organizers of the Moto Club Bergamo and the Italian Federation, there will be no Valli Bergamasche this year. It is a real pity, because the famous, 20-year-old, ultra-tough event was to count toward the European Trial Championship and, moreover, could provide fine practice for the ISDT, which will be held mainly on the same routes at the end of September and beginning of October.
MV GP NOVELTY
From a very reliable source it has been learned that the new MV grand prix bike will be fitted with either a fiveor a six-cylinder transverse power unit. The number of cylinders depends on Count Agusta; the mount should be tested and ready to race for the Italian GP at Monza in mid-September.
THE LAMBRETTA "LUI"
Innocenti has just introduced a new Lambretta especially for young people, an amusing 50-cc machine called "Lui." The scooter is distinguished by a horizontal front shield, and a light alloy handlebar emerging from a nicely shaped headlamp, as well as a slim rear frame, supporting the six-liter tank. The scooter is powered by a fan-cooled, orthodox two-stroke engine rated at 1.5 bhp. The drive is through a three-speed twistgrip controlled gearbox, and duplex chain in a case, which also is a swinging arm. This new model features 3.50-10 wheels, weighs 144 lb., and has a top speed of 25 mph.
A NEW GILERA
Derived from the successful 125-cc fivespeed machine, Gilera has started delivery of a "154" model which soon will be available in foreign markets, including the U.S. The 60 by 54 mm bore and stroke pushrod engine, with a 10:1 compression ratio, is fed through a 24-mm Dellorto carburetor. The machine has flywheel magneto ignition and a five-speed in-unit gearbox. The engine delivers 16.3 bhp at 8500 rpm, good for a claimed top speed of 77.5 mph. The shapely tank holds 3.7 gal. The dual seat is very comfortable for two. Tires are 2.50-17 front and 2.75-17 rear; weight is 220 lb. ■
