Parilla Tourist
PARILLA TOURIST
CYCLE WORLD ROAD TEST
THIS REPORT should probably be titled "The Parilla Tourist Revisited," for we have already published a road test of the Parilla Tourist, and it cannot be said that the one that is the subject of this report differs materially from the original. However, it has been two years since the first report, and we have acquired many new readers in those 24 months. Also, and even more important, the Parilla deserves a bit of the spotlight from time to time, even when no changes have been made. It is one of the better motorcycles being sold in this country, and we would be doing everyone a disservice by ignoring its existence.
The best and most interesting feature of the Parilia was, and still is, its engine. One might think that a singlecylinder engine is too simple to be interesting, but that is not true of the Parilia. It abounds in intriguing design details. For instance, there is the valve actuating mechanism, which has all the hardware associated with a conventional “pushrod" system (mushroom cam followers, pushrods and rockers), but gives results on par with an overhead camshaft. The Pari 1 la's valve mechanism layout is quite simple: a pair of reduction gears, at the crank, give the necessary 2:1 cam drive ratio; on the half-speed driven gear there is a sprocket, and from this a chain takes the cam drive up to another sprocket, which has its axis approximately level with the top of the cylinder barrel. The upper sprocket drives a short, horizontal shaft on which there is a single cam lobe, and this single lobe operates both the intake and exhaust valve. A pair of mushroom followers run against the cam, and are positioned 90-degrees apart. It is thus possible for the same cam lobe to do double duty, as it pushes open the exhaust valve and then, 90-degrees later (180-degrees at the crank) opens the intake valve. Above the mushroom type followers, there are very short pushrods leading to very light rockers, which actuate the valves. All very light, all very clever, and all very, very effective.
The rest of the engine is a bit less imaginatively engineered, but is marked by careful attention to detail. The crankshaft flywheels have integral mainshafts, and there is a roller bearing at the presscd-in crankpin. Ball type main bearings are employed. The piston has a rather high crown and long skirt, and carries 4 rings: two compression and two oil control rings. One of the oil rings is positioned below the wrist pin. This arrangement may add slightly to piston drag, but it certainly does prevent “oiling.”
The Pari I la’s crank and transmission are all in a single casing, and this has several advantages. The most obvious of these is that the unit is made smaller and lighter, but there are other advantages as well. By combining the crank and transmission, it is possible to employ a gear primary drive, which eliminates all worries about primary chain tensioning, and the possibility of breaking the primary chain. Also, the case is undivided, and the oil supply lubricates both engine and transmission. This has merit from the standpoint of service, and it also provides a very large clearance volume under the piston — which reduces the pumping effect. Thus, there is no need for a timed breather; a baffled breather provides an excellent vent for the crankcase. This, too. prevents oil loss from the engine, as there can be no pressure buildup in either crankcase or transmission to force oil through joint faces.
The only disadvantage incurred in combining engine and transmission in a single casing is that in most instances it is not possible to dismantle the transmission without also taking the engine apart. Parilia engineers have very neatly avoided this disadvantage by providing a large cover plate at one end of the transmission shafts. Then, one need only remove the timing-side outer cover and the clutch, after which the transmission end plate may be unbolted and the gearbox internals extracted.
There is one more important feature of the Parilia power/transmission unit: strength. You may eventually wear out the Parilia; it is unlikely that you will be able to break it. There is irrefutable evidence of this in the racing record of the Parilia. Orrin Hall has “tuned” a pair of Parillas (ridden by Norris Raneourt and Ron Grant) that are the scourge of any A.F.M. and A.M.A. road races in which they are entered. Not only are these Parillas astonishingly fast, but they have a*record of reliability that is unequalled. One final note we would like to include regarding the engine is its appearance. Here, the Italians' sense of style is especially marked. It is obvious that the engine has not only been designed, but styled, and all of the outer covers have been polished to a high gloss.
Fine Italian styling, and finish, were evident on the rest of the Parilia, too. The tank is one of those graceful Italian gasoline containers that features knee-notches and somehow suggests, even on this touring machine, that here is racing breeding. Much less typically Italian was the Parilla's saddle. Instead of being verv narrow and hard, it was reasonably wide, quite soft, and comfortable. This is. of course, exactly as it should be for a touring motorcycle. The handlebars, too. are most appropriate for a tourer, being relatively high and wide.
Actually, while this particular model of the Parilia motorcycle carries the designation “Tourist,” it is something more than a straightforward touring bike. The high handlebars, the exceptionally good ground clearance and the high exhaust system are more nearly what would be expected of a “trail” machine. And, indeed, the Parilia Tourist performs very well on back-country trails. The Pirelli tires are not “knobby" enough for deep sand or mud, but they get an entirely adequate grip on most unpaved surfaces. And. the excellent low-speed torque of the Parilia Tourist, in combination with its stability, make it a vers pleasant machine for puttering along mountain trails. Ihere are better “dirt" bikes, of course, but the Parilia Tourist can be ridden from one's home to a favorite back-country playground just like any good street machine. The Tourist is, therefore, a true dual-purpose motorcycle — even though the makers do not advertise it as such.
We had mixed feelings about the Parilla's high exhaust system. Where it is true that this arrangement helps a great deal when riding out in the rough, it is somewhat in the way. and the perforated heat shield should be redesigned slightly. The ends of the shield should be rolled back to present a smooth edge, but instead are simply chopped off. which leaves a ragged end to snag clothing. Of course, the individual purchaser can correct this small defect fairly easily.
In the past, we have had a few problems with starting Patillas given us for testing, and we are happy to say that no such difficulties were encountered with this latest Patilla Tourist. When cold, the engine requires a thorough “wetting" with the float tickler and plenty of throttle, which will bring it to life immediately. Once warmed, the engine needs only a nudge; no flooding and practically no throttle required. It seems as though -it begins to idle as soon as your foot puts pressure on the kick pedal.
The transmission was not quite so obliging. Getting into first gear, from neutral, could be accomplished only by giving the shift lever an extremely determined upward yank. Most Italian bikes have rocker-type shift levers, which permit a good, solid downward punch to go up or down through the gears, and the Parilia (at least the example we tested) could use this feature — which it does not have. However, it may be that the transmission would free somewhat with more miles on the machine. One point regarding the transmission we would like to stress is that the ratios arc really beautifully staged. There are no uneven gaps between gears.
While there are some very warm versions of this 250 Parilia engine, the Tourist is delivered in a mild state of tune. In our last report on this machine, we gave the rated horsepower of the engine as 23, at 8000 rpm. That didn't seem right, at the time, but that was the information we were given. Now, we have the figures direct from the factory. The Parilia Tourist has 14 bhp at 6800 rpm — which checks very well against the performance we recorded. It has rather mild valve timing (28-40 for the intake; 58-10 at the exhaust) and a compression ratio of only 7.85: 1 — which means that the Tourist will not have any need of premium fuels. These things, and the 24mm carburetor, make the Tourist engine very much understressed. and that means great reliability. And, incidentally, it means that you will not have much top speed for any highway touring done with the Tourist. When sitting upright, in a normal touring type position, the Tourist will simply not pull more than 70 mph, and if there is more than a hint of a breeze, or a slight rise in the road, do not expect more than 60-65 mph. You can, if the stares of others on the road are not too bothersome, assume a tight, racing crouch, which will cut wind resistance enough to allow the Tourist to climb up to about 80 mph.
The Parilia Tourist is a trifle short on pure speed, as we have just said, but it is very long on reliability, and it is exceedingly well finished. It will give its owner great pride in its appearance, and a lot of riding enjoyment. For all around puttcring-type riding, where speed is of minor importance, the Tourist is one of the best machines it has been our pleasure to ride. •
PARILLA 250 TOURIST
SPECIFICATIONS
$599.00
PERFORMANCE
