Report From Italy
REPORT FROM ITALY
CARLO PERELLI
IMOLA WAS THE VENUE this year for the "Six Hours" in Italy — a race counting towards the FIM European "Coupe d'Endurance" (Endurance Trophy). For the past two years, this race had been staged at Monza. The Imola autodrome is considered the more demanding course of the two.
Works H-D Aermacchis which had dominated the previous events were absent, for the factory had spent all its time preparing for the Isle of Man TT (which, of course, was postponed).
The Spanish factories fielded their fast 250cc two-stroke singles — Bultaco taking this opportunity to debut the new "Metralla MKII" with 5 speeds, enclosed rear chain and even more power. The Italian Ducatis were 250 and 350cc overhead cam singles, with double ignition and five speeds; power was cut in favor of reliability and the manufacturer claims 35 bhp at 8,000 rpm for the 350cc and 32 bhp at 9,500 rpm for the 250.
For more than four hours, the race was led by the Italian pair, Loro and Dardanello, on a 650 SS Norton, rider skill playing a greater part in this than the machine's performance. This gallant effort came to an end with Dardanello up. The rear tire blew, resulting in a spectacular but safe crash.
The Menichelli-Trabalzini duo took over on their "customized" BMW. They thundered along in the lead for awhile. Then, 10 minutes before the finish, "Bang!" And Trabalzini was on his leathers.
Victory thus went to another Italian duo, Cere and Giovanardi, on a factory Ducati 250. Average speed was 74 mph. They were closely followed by the Polenghi-Orsenigo 250 works Ducati. Then came Bertarelli-Mignoni on a 175cc pushrod Morini, and the first Spanish pair, Rocamora and Carne, on the Bultaco. They had been forced to stop several times at the pits, but even unluckier were their countrymen Marsans and Regas on a factory Montesa, which gave up the ghost before it could finish.
Ducati 350 riders Farne and Garagnani were heavily penalized, as they could not start their factory-sponsored machine using the kick starter as prescribed. Once underway, fuel starvation kept the bike from attaining peak revs. Still, they placed fifth overall ahead of Collins and Chatterton on a 750 Norton Atlas (who had their troubles and had to replace a burnt clutch), which bested a 650 Tom Kirby BSA "Spitfire" MKII, ridden by Smith and Butler. Then came Buckmaster-Jackson, 650 Triumph "Thruxton." Fastest lap time, 87 mph, was awarded to the unlucky Dardanello.
One of the best non-factory built Grand Prix bikes is the Paton twin. The man behind it is Giuseppe Pattoni, former chief mechanic for Mondial when the Italian four-stroke lightweights were scoring great successes up to 1957. At the end of that year, Mondial pulled out of racing and Giuseppe set out his own. He first developed a 125cc and 175cc dohc single, but then ventured into a more complex and interesting design — a 250 dohc twin.
The engine was later overbored to 350cc and, this year the 500cc version has finally appeared.
All three types are obtainable on a minimum six months' notice, since Pattoni works with only two mechanics and must also look after a garage in Milan. Price is about $1,700 in Italy, but you get a really beautiful bike. The camshafts are gear-driven between the cylinders. Gears are also used for the primary drive. Other features: double ignition, exposed clutch on the left, six-speed gearbox incorporated in the engine casing.
The 53 x 56mm, x2 (249cc) develops 32 bhp at 12,200 rpm; the 62 x 57mm, x2 (350cc), 43 bhp at 11,500 rpm; and the five hundred, which is 72 x 57mm, x2 (really 470cc), with 60 bhp at 10,200 rpm.
Last year, famous Canadian ace Mike Duff bought a 350 Paton and had considerable success in English races. A 350 and a 470 ridden this year by English star Fred Stevens have done well, both at home and on the Continent.
The Italian industry is preparing some interesting models for the U.S. market and a great deal of secrecy surrounds them. A little bird told us about a 350 or 500cc Gilera super-sports twin; a 650cc Laverda twin with double overhead cam (!) and electric starter; and a lOOcc Agrati-Garelli with rotary valve and sixspeed gearbox. A last bit of hot news is that Filippo (The Fork Man) Ceriani and his brother-partner are building a 250cc scrambler to be powered by a two-stroke single cylinder engine.
Guazzoni of Milan, a firm quite experienced in building two-stroke rotary valve engines for go-kart racing, have recently sent a lOOcc (54 x 48mm) trial bike-scrambler to the states for evaluation. Claimed power output is 11 bhp (at the rear wheel) at 8,500 rpm. Compression ratio is 13:1. This model should provide some fun, as it weighs only 150 lbs. and has a good frame with Ceriani dampers. Primary drive is by chain, and a fourspeed gearbox is in unit. Ignition is by flywheel magneto. Tires are 3.00-17 front and rear. Top speed is slightly over 62 mph and the price in Italy is about $370. Quite appealing.
