Gilera 300
GILERA 300
CYCLE WORLD ROAD TEST
REPUTATION means everything, or very nearly so, when Mr. Average Buyer goes looking for a motorcycle. And, on the basis of reputation, the Italian Gilera is hard to resist, as the company has one of the most famous names in motorcycle racing. Gileras 4-cylinder racing bikes were for years unquestionably the fastest things in the 350 and 500 class, and even today a lot of the glory remains. There is little doubt that virtually every American motorcyclist has heard of Gilera, but few of us have ever seen one of their motorcycles — racing or otherwise. Considering their relative inactivity in competition these days, it is unlikely that we shall be seeing much of their racing bikes, but as of very recently, the chances of seeing a touring model Gilera out on the road have become very good indeed.
When we learned that the entire line of Gilera motorcyles was to be imported, we became very interested. Here was a chance to try a motorcycle with direct blood lines to a racing legend. As it developed, we were not to be presented with a racing bike or anything even remotely resembling it, but the touring model Gilera proved to be most interesting nonetheless.
Gilera's model 300 is the "big" machine in the lineup, and it is made in both civilian and police models. Like all Italian motorcycles, it looks very racy, with a large-capacity fuel tank (complete with knee-notches) and low, flat handlebars. The version brought to this country is very slightly different from the home product, with upswept "western" bars that are probably more comfortable than the originals but do not quite fit the overall styling.
The engine powering the 300 is a 305cc vertical twin of basically conventional design, but with a few rather interesting detail features. One of these is the valve and combustion chamber layout. Nearly all of the world's 4stroke motorcycle engines have hemispherical combustion chambers, with the valves inclined about 45-degrees away from the bore axis, which provides plenty of room for big valves and makes it easier to cool the cylinderhead in the area between the valves. The Gilera engine, on the other hand, has a valve and combustion chamber layout like that of most passenger cars, with flat combustion chambers and the valves vertical and all in a row. If you think this might squeeze down the valve size, you would be absolutely right. The intake valve is .945-inch in diameter; the exhaust .885-inch. That is not very big, by any standard.
The Gilera's intake ports are also quite small in diameter, and so is the carburetor, which feeds both cylinders from a throat only .79-inch in diameter. As goes without saying (but we will say it anyway) all of these small passages limit power output considerably. The engine is, as a matter of fact, rated at a very mild 15 bhp, with a 6500 rpm peaking speed. The torque comes in at 4000 rpm. For the American market, the advertised horsepower will probably be nudged upward a bit. The Italian CUNA rating is extremely conservative, relative to the SAE method, and in all fairness it should be mentioned that the Gilera has probably 18 or 19 SAE horsepower. Actually, it would be better if the CUNA standard was applied all over the world, as it is much more realistic than that specified by the SAE. Under the CUNA system, power readings are taken with the engine exactly as it is installed in the motorcycle, with generator, air cleaner, muffler, etc. all in place.
The Gilera 300 engine has a built-up crankshaft, and one-piece connecting rods. The shaft runs in ball bearings, but the rods have plain bearings pressure lubricated by a gear-type pump located down in the bottom of the "wet" sump. Both rods run on a single long crankpin that is pressed through the flywheels, which are extremely heavy for an engine of this displacement. The heavy flywheels do, of course, contribute to smooth running, and that is where this engine excels. A lot of smoothness is also supplied by the small valves, ports and carburetor, which keep the engine running evenly when crank speeds are very low. In fact, the entire engine isdesignedfor smoothness, and it meets that design goal in a way few others can match.
As is usual these days, the crankcase is extended back to serve as a housing for the transmission. The sump runs the length of the engine/transmission casing and the same oil supply provides lubrication throughout. The transmission layout, like that of the valve gear, is very "automobile." The drive comes in at the left side, through a conventional multi-disc clutch, and goes out the other side on the same shaft. Fourth gear is direct, and the countershaft sprocket is easily exposed for quick gear changes. Countershaft sprockets in 13 and 14 tooth sizes are made for this unit; our test bike had the smaller 13 tooth sprocket, which, with the 46 tooth back sprocket (there is also a 43 tooth replacement) and the 1.95:1 primary reduction, gave the 6.41:1 overall reduction. All transmission gears are in constant mesh, and gear selection is made through dogs. Both the mainshaft and layshaft are carried in ball bearings.
The Gilera's frame and suspension give the only clue that the makers have ever dabbled in racing. The frame follows the same basic pattern used on Gilera's racing "four," and so does the suspension, and the bike handles like the people who made it might know a thing or two about what they were doing. Being a touring machine, it rides quite softly, but the damping is good and the Gilera 300 will corner with the best of them — up to a point. Beyond "the point" the Gilera begins to drag various of its underparts, and that prevents the rider from pressing things any farther. Stability is good at any speed, but the stability has not been obtained at the expense of responsiveness. The steering is moderately quick, and plenty of "lock" has been provided to give good low speed maneuverability. No steering damper is provided, and so far as we were able to determine, none is needed.
The seating position was comfortable, but the seat itself was rather close to being too narrow — which seems to be a characteristic of Italian bikes. The handlebar grips appeared to be intended for greater comfort, as they were soft-padded. There is some indication that the padded grips do some good; certainly, not much vibration reaches the rider's hands. The control levers were a bit different, too. The levers are made of aluminum (as are almost everything on the motorcycle, including the major engine castings) but are plastic covered over most of their length. The ends of these thin straight levers are rounded, but they still look like stilettos compared to the ball-end levers found on most bikes.
People who were weaned on the British control and kick-starter layout. The shift lever is on the right side of the bike; the brake is on the left. And, unlike so many continental machines, the kick-start lever is on the right, where our predominantly right-footed riders will find it most convenient. Actually though, the Gilera 300 starts so easily that the kick starter could be mounted out on the end of the handlebars without working too great a hardship on anyone. 300cc twins are never very hard to run through in any case, and the Gilera, with its mild, 6.5:1 compression ratio, can be twirled over at a good rate with a minimum of muscle applied at the kick lever. And, the bike never failed to start on the second kick, when cold, or the first kick after it was warm.
The Gilera's brakes were not up to what we have come to expect of Italian machines. That is to say, they were not superb; just average. Of course, we must admit that the brakes were fully equal to the machine's performance. And, the brakes were smooth, never shuddering and requiring little pressure at the controls to squeeze from them all they had to give.
Those who are looking for a real fire-breathing, highperformance racing bike will find little enough of that in the Gilera 300. This bike is made for medium speed touring, and cannot be forced to sprint no matter how hard the rider twists on the right-hand end of the handlebars. However, it is uncommonly smooth and tractable, and we have never had a machine more pleasant for just puttering around in traffic. Also, at the stock power output, the engine is ridiculously understressed, and we would guess that the Gilera would run, and run, and run. No matter how hard one tries, the bike just refuses to run fast enough to hurt itself. Mechanically, it offers a lot of quality and reliability.
The finish is something else entirely. While the styling is attractive, all of the castings are left in the as-cast condition, and are a trifle rough, and what little brightwork there is on the bike is not particularly bright. And, finally, the paint on the 300 was an uninspired shade of tomatosoup red, with more than a trace of the accursed orangepeel effect.
Still, all criticisms notwithstanding, every one of our staff members liked the Gilera. In part, this was due to the good handling and smooth running, but we used it a great deal as transportation for running errands, and it is always a great comfort, when doing that sort of thing, to have a bike that starts without a struggle and feels as though a breakdown is the last thing one has to expect. On this basis alone we think it justifies the consideration of anyone out shopping for a touring bike; it is our opinion that a lot of other people will think so too. •
GILERA 300
SPECIFICATIONS
$689.95
