Report From Italy
REPORT FROM ITALY
CARLO PERELLI
AS ALREADY PREVIEWED in this Space, Milanese engineer Daniele Fontana — well-known for his fabulous FD racing brakes — is building a three-cylinder 500cc racer for privateers which should soon debut in the hands of either Jack Findlay or Alberto Pagani.
Called "Cardani" (from the first names of the financial backer, Carlo Savare and Daniele Fontana) the machine was conceived at the end of the 1966 season. The fact that it is nearly ready speaks highly of the ability and enthusiasm of the few men involved in the fascinating project.
Why a three? Well, Sr. Fontana felt that choosing a single, even to make things simple for privateers, would be nonsense. Nor did he think a twin was a good proposition.
Going up another step, there was the three: having the crankpin set at 120 degrees it has better balance and being more "fractionate" can attain higher rpm than a twin, with better specific power output.
The Cardani has been designed for 13.000 rpm, and hopefully 75 bhp, which would be on a par with a four. But the three is less expensive to build and maintain, is less liable to give trouble with fewer parts, is easier to tune and is more compact than a four.
In the Cardani, the light alloy cylinders with austenitic liners are slightly inclined to the front to reduce engine height and improve head cooling. Bore and stroke are 62mm by 55mm by 3, equaling 497cc. There are four valves (inclined at 80 degrees) per cylinder.
The electron crankcase is split horizontally and the crankshaft runs on four ball and roller bearings. A 4.5-liter capacity sump, narrow and finned, is bolted under the crankcase. At the right of the crankshaft there is an electron case holding the five gears to actuate the two overhead camshafts. At the left are the primary drive gears and the external clutch.
The seven-speed gearbox, also in electron, is bolted behind the crankcase and therefore can be easily opened or dismantled. One of the timing gears on the right also drives the external vane-type oil pump. The left end of the inlet camshaft also drives the contact breakers for the battery and coil ignition, with one central plug in each cylinder. The left end of the exhaust camshaft drives the rev counter.
The machine is fed by three 32mm carburetors.
Weight of the complete engine should be about 95 pounds and the entire racer should weigh only 250 pounds!
For the tube frame, there have been no less than three proposals. Two types are being prepared in Italy by Fontana. Another will soon be built by the Rickman brothers, to whom Fontana sent an empty engine for measurement purposes. After testing, the best will be chosen.
The bike will be shod with a 300-18
front tire and a 3.25-18 rear. Candidates for front forks include Ceriani, modified Norton or Rickman. Rear dampers will be Girling.
WOULD YOU BELIEVE A HARLEY-METISSE?
The well-known Swiss Driver, Othmar Drixl, former Aermacchi racing department staffer and part-time works rider, has designed a special frame to house the Harley-Davidson Aermacchi, in cooperation with the ever more ubiquitous Rickman brothers.
The frame is built in Reynolds "531"
32mm by 1.2mm constant section tubing. It uses Timken roller bearings at the steering head, has the moveable rear arm spindle to facilitate chain adjustment and allows more space around the carburetor mouth and better positioning of the elasticity suspended float chamber. It weighs about 17 pounds.
It is fitted with the best selection of equipment now available: Ceriani forks, Fontana brakes, chrome-moly clip-ons. Smith rev counter. Girling steering dampper and rear dampers, 18-inch Dunlop
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tires, Mitchenall tank and seat (both in fiberglass) and a close-fitting fairing supplied by the firm normally supplying the works H-D Aermacchis.
The frame has been designed mainly to improve high-speed road holding. Some of the features to this end include:
Increased torsional stiffness due to the double "cradle," slightly lower (1 cm) engine position, front fork raked out (from 27 degrees to 29 degrees), slightly longer rear swinging arm and resultant longer wheelbase (56.5 inches). This frame will be series-built and Drixl also plans to sell complete machines, with the above equipment and highly tuned 250cc or 350cc engines, at about $1,400 (in Italy).
At last we have a Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Drixl-Rickman-Metisse. Which, for short, would logically be a HarleyMetisse, wouldn't it?
NEW FROM GUAZZONI
Anybody remember Guazzoni? There are still a few in the United States from earlier export attempts. Guazzoni is a small firm specializing in sporting lightweights. They are the only ones in Italy with rotary disc valve engines.
For the coming season, a much-revised version of their "Matta" (which translates roughly as "crazy-mad") 50cc machine has been unveiled. The 41mm by 37.5mm engine has been "warmed" and is said to put out 8 bhp at 10,500 rpm now. Further, it has a six-speed gearbox. It is fed by a 20mm carburetor. Primary drive is by chain and ignition is by flywheel magneto,
both on the right hand side. The double cradle tube frame has Ceriani suspension, 18-inch tires and weighs about 110 pounds.
There is also a 60cc model (45mm by 37.5mm) for junior races in Italy, with 9.5 bhp at 10,500 rpm. Later will come USA export versions in 90, 98 and 125cc sizes.
Guazzoni is also preparing similar-engined machines to compete in the 1967 Italian Trial Championship and the tough Valli Bergamasche.
PRODUCTION UP
Last year's production in Italy, 621,760 units, was 10 percent higher than the 1965 output of 561,870. Italy therefore holds a strong third place after Japan, and, surprisingly, France (which last year built 1,164,983 units but mostly mopeds) is well ahead of Germany, Spain and Great Britain, etc. g
