Report From Italy
REPORT FROM ITALY
CARLO PERELLI
MOTO GUZZI LE MANS 850
The 1972 “Premio Varrone,” Italy’s prize for the best big bike of the year, has not been awarded yet. Nine models had been taken into consideration and duly tested by the ten members of the jury over a total distance of 80,000 miles—Ducati GT, Kawasaki H2, Norton Interstate. Suzuki GT, Laverda SF, Triumph Trident, BMW R75/5, Honda CB750 and Moto Guzzi V7 Sport. The MV Sport was thought to be too “peculiar” to be included....
With a fractional edge over Honda, Moto Guzzi got the highest voting; but as both bikes had already won the prize in 1970 and 1971 respectively, and they had not been significantly changed since then, the beautiful trophy was not awarded.
In third place was BMW, then Laverda and Triumph, followed by Suzuki, Norton, Kawasaki and Ducati. The Ducati Sport was not ready for testing during the year, so the touring version was handicapped in the voting by its modest performance.
Moto Guzzi got top marks in everything except braking and gear shifting; but, intending to accept and improve their product over the Varrone jury criticisms, the Mandello del Lario executives had already taken their “reply” to the ceremony when the results were announced.
They brought their thrilling 850cc Le Mans model with integral disc brakes and improved gearbox mechanism. This new mount, which will enter limited production within a few months, has been named after the famous French race course, where for two consecutive years it showed brilliant qualities in the tough 24-hour “Bol d’Or,” although never winning due to sheer bad luck.
According to famous Moto Guzzi designer Lino Tonti, the rear disc and the right front one are linked to improve braking so they start working together when pressing the pedal on the left; the lever on the handlebar controls only the left front disc. Manufactured by the Milanese firm BREMBO, famous for its sports and racing car braking apparatuses, the discs for the new Moto Guzzi have a diameter of 300mm on the front wheel and 250mm on the rear.
The “beefy” 845cc powerhouse is fed by two mammoth 40mm Dellorto carburetors with “acceleration boosters” (a small pump injecting a supplement of fuel when opening the throttle). It churns out 82 bhp (DIN) from 7500 to 8000 rpm, with maximum torque at 6000 rpm.
The final drive ratio can be chosen between 8:35 and 8:37, and the front fairing is optional. The electric starter has been retained and other traditional features are: alternator in front of the crankshaft, battery and coil ignition, pushrod operated ohv, five-speed gear box, two-plate dry clutch, final drive by a shaft enclosed in the right tube of the swinging arm and double cradle frame with the lower tubes removable to extract the engine.
(Continued on page 128)
Continued from page 125
Light alloy Borrani rims carry Michelin High Speed tires, 3.50-18 front and 4.25-18 rear. Riding position is lower than on the V7 Sport and with a dry weight of 454 lb., top speed is said to be 140 mph, with a time of 12.25 sec. for the standing quarter-mile, using the standard ratio of 8:35.
NEW ITALIAN MEDIUMWEIGHT
The 1971 Milan Show displayed a new trend toward mediumweights. The first of the new models in this class to appear on the national market, under pressure from dynamic new boss De Tomaso, is the Benelli 2C 250. It is a two-stroke Twin, designed by the wellknown specialist Peter Durr (no longer with Benelli) and warmly received on the market thanks to its neat styling, its good performance and moderate price of $800.
The 56x47mm engine follows conventional lines, with four transfer ports, iron cylinders and horizontally split crankcase, but later it will be available with electronic ignition and lubrication pump. The built-up crankshaft runs on four ball bearings and carries the flywheel magneto at the left and at the right the helical gear for the primary drive. The connecting rods ride on caged needle bearings. Both gearbox shafts also run on ball bearings and the multiplate clutch is on the right. The tachometer drive is actuated by the gearbox and, incidentally, the instruments are of new design, above the Italian standards. Fed by two 22mm concentric carburetors, the engine develops 25 bhp at 6850 rpm with a c.r. of 10.3:1 which allows the use of regular gas.
The 2C is agile and steers lightly, in spite of its weight of 350 lb. in running condition. The controls are all well set and the riding position is natural; only perhaps the tank could be slimmer in the knee zone. But this depends on the rider’s size. Contrary to the Italian school, the gearchange lever is on the left. The engine really starts pulling above 5000 rpm and is capable of pushing the bike up to a top speed of 89 mph and allow it to cover the standing quarter-mile in 15.78 sec., with a rider of 140 lb. in racing suit.
A pleasant feature of the engine is the lack of vibration, but with the recommended 20:1 petroil lubrication it is rather “smokey” and also thirsty for fuel.
The gear change is very positive and not very quick, but the clutch is positive. Leaning over is safe and effortless until the very limit, represented, in this case, by the clamps (and their bolts) between the exhaust pipes and the mufflers. Good damping comes from Marzocchi suspension components.
(Continued on page 132)
Continued from page 129
The four-leading shoe front brake is powerful while the rear single cam unit is too powerful! Care must be taken in applying the pedal. Lighting equipment is poor since the headlight is fed directly from the flywheel magneto so there is decent light only above 6000 rpm.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER?
Finally, at the end of the 1972 season, the Italian Federation decided to really apply its strict rules for production machine racing, after the scandalous “liberty” allowed before. The result, as expected, was astonishing. Both the winner and the 2nd place couple in the third and last round of the “Magnani Trophy” (a championship) held on the tricky Vallelunga autodrome near Rome, were disqualified for technical irregularities. And at least another dozen teams suffered the same destiny.
But everybody learned of this mass disqualification one month after the race! After the event the machines had to be sent to Milan, some 400 miles away, for careful inspection of the details required by the rules. Nobody seemed to be able to offer sufficient guarantees on this work in the vicinity of Rome, and the examination took some three weeks! This confirms once again that production racing is theoretically ideal but, practically, the Daytona formula is the best.
The Vallelunga 500 km race was led most of the way by the 750 Moto Guzzi of the famous Brambilla brothers (who are planning to ride at Daytona next March with factory backing) but at three-quarters distance a broken piston put an end to their fine riding.
A scrap for the win then started between Mulazzani-Sciaresa (Moto Guzzi) and Rovelli-Zubani (Triumph Trident, tuned by the Italian importer), with the riders of the British Three having the advantage of only 24 sec. at the record speed of 72.54 mph. Third were the real privateers, ArchillettiNicola on a Laverda SF-C.
But then the Milanese technical inspection committee found no less than 17 irregularities on the Triumph and 12 on the Moto Guzzi of the first two. So, one month after the race, ArchillettiNicola were declared the winners!
This decision makes Laverda the winner of the “Magnani Trophy” even if the Breganze factory retired from racing after protesting against the “liberties” allowed by the Italian Federation after winning the first round at Modena. And it is a well deserved success since Laverda is the only Italian factory producing a real “gentlemen’s” racer, and is> taking a lot of care in assisting its customers.
FERRARI SPORTS DIRECTOR
Just announced as the new Ferrari sports director, 31-year-old Turin-born Guido Rosani comes from the motorcycle world where he is well-known for his races in the 175cc junior class, for passengering in sidecar competition (he was national co-champion in 1970) and for his contributions to the leading Italian magazine “Motociclismo.” In choosing Rosani for the very difficult task Ing. Enzo Ferrari possibly recalled the times in the early 30s when he used to run a motorcycle team, racing English Rudge radial four-valve bikes.
Present Ferrari general director, Ing. Sandro Colombo, has been “taken over” from the motorcycle. He used to be responsible for racing at Güera in the early 50s, then he worked for Bianchi and also designed a 175cc four-stroke for the Spanish Ossa factory.
ITALIAN ROTARY VALVE
The 100-125 Guazzoni dirt bikes, the only rotary valve machines built by the Italian industry, have been completely redesigned for the 1973 season. The power unit has been reinforced and the carburetor on the left hand side has been well protected with a rubber tube bringing the air from a plastic “lung” placed under the saddle. Moreover, the primary drive has been changed from a chain to helical gears. Another interesting feature is the cylinder with five transfer ports.
The gear box is a six-speeder, pedal controlled from the right. Main data (those in brackets referring to the 100): bore and stroke 53x54mm (48x54mm), compression ratio 11:1, 19bhpat 8500 rpm (16 bhp), 25mm concentric Dellorto carburetor, flywheel magneto ignition, 135mm brakes, Ceriani competition suspension, 2.50-21 (front) and 3.50-18 (rear) tires. Weight is 204 lb. Price in Italy is $820.
