1953 Lambretta 250 GP Racer

[Guest ratchethack]

I remember seeing photo's of this little jewel in the '60's, but Web searches don't reveal much now, other than the photo, which you can find everywhere, without much info, if any at all.

 

The lack of info indicates it might've been a scuttled design for a racing campaign that never got off the ground -- but man, oh man -- wot a beauty this little screamer is!! I can just about imagine wot it sounded like at full chat thru those twin megaphones. . .

 

Does anyone know the designer? Any details? It's clearly a longitudinal crank V-twin shaft drive, and it appears that it might be a pushrod layout much the same as the V7 Guzzi Sport -- which would be yet to come 14 years into the future at the time. But knowing the Italians of the era, and looking at the photo, it may well've been a dual bevel-drive OHC -- or even desmo -- configuration??

 

Enquiring minds (well, you know. . .)

[coz1100]

"By innovating the new large-wheeled scooter, Guzzi competed less directly with manufacturers of small-wheeled scooters such as Piaggio (Vespa) and Lambretta. To illustrate the delicate balance within the Italian post-war motorcycle and scooter markets, when Guzzi developed their own prototype for a small-wheeled scooter, Lambretta retaliated with a prototype for a small V-twin motorcycle -- threatening to directly compete on Moto Guzzi's turf. The two companies compromised: Guzzi never produced their small-wheeled scooter and Lambretta never manufactured the motorcycle. Notably, the drive train that Lambretta made in their 1953 motorcycle prototype remarkably resembles the V-twin + drive shaft arrangement that Guzzi developed more than ten years later, ultimately to become iconic of the company. The Casa Lambretta Museum[1] in Rodano Italy has both Lambretta's two prototype motorcycles and the single prototype Guzzi small-wheeled scooter on display"

 

 

There you go ratchethack. I'd love to find you more but the rums calling to me.

 

Ciao

Z

[Guest ratchethack]

Hey thanks, Coz.

 

Where'd you find this??

 

Need more info!

 

EDIT: I found your source -- Wikipedia.

 

Not that this isn't appreciated, Coz! I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of wot you've found, but Wikipedia is an open source site that depends upon anyone and everyone's input, regardless of source or validity, and openly asks for consensus -- as an acceptable alternative to credible original sources. So wot you end up with is a mix of credible sources and consensus. Alas, the flaw in the Wikipedia ointment that many seem not to understand is that consensus of inaccurate information is always a possibility, and often the result. It's inherently dangerous because it's so easily confused with an infallible repository of truth by so many, when in fact, being "open source", it's no basis for accuracy. Nothing WRONG with Wikipedia -- as long as one understands wot they're dealing with, and it's not confused with original source material and quoted as such, the common mistake made by MOST Wikipedia users, IMHO! This particular Wiki note on the '53 250 GP Lambretta Racer at the Guzzi lookup isn't in question by Yours Truly, it's certainly helpful, even though it isn't properly backed-up. But no Wiki reference should ever be relied upon without credible backup to external original sources. Even Wikipedia itself calls for a citation in their entry here, see the link at "[citation needed]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moto_guzzi. If I could read Italian at the Lambretta museum link, I might find better original source info??

 

It's a good start though. Anything more on this would be appreciated!

[kanoa]

cool bit of history!

 

anyone else here have one of each?

 

 

(motorgrrrrrrl is the garage where i used to keep my bikes)

[coz1100]

Okay, the rums not talking to me anymore. So with a little luck and nothing better to do this is what I've found

 

 

"The work of eng. Giuseppe Salmaggi, the Lambretta V-twin had its crankshaft in line with the frame, wilst the cylinders were set at 90 degrees. Square 54x54 bore and stroke dimensions gave a capacity of 247.3cc. cast integral with each alloy cylinder head was a cam box enclosing the single overhead camshaft and valve gear - which included two valves per cylinder, triple coil valve springs and shim set tappets. camshaft drive was by a shaft and straight cut bevel gears, supported by ball race bearings. Each camshaft was supported by a roller bearing, with a ball bearing at the drive and another ball bearing at the outer end, roller bearings were provided for the rockers."

 

 

Mick Walker's Italian Racing Motorcycles

 

Man I need to get a job.

 

Ciao

Z

[Guest ratchethack]

OUTSTANDING, Coz! Nice work!

 

THAT'S wot I was lookin' for.

 

Nice strategic move by Lambretta. A demonstration of this lil' beaut must've scared the bejeebeers out o' Guzzi WRT competing with Lambreatta with scooters. . . with the benefit o' 20-20 hindsight, good thing Guzzi was "forced" to put their full development efforts on the V7, eh?

 

Now how'd you like to set end float on those rolling element bevel drive cam shafts? And oh by the way -- stack the tappet shims on that little devil??

 

Wonder wot those straight cut bevel gearsets sounded like at redline??

[Guest ratchethack]

It Lives!

 

 

The Lambretta Motorcycle

 

In 1951 the Innocenti factory experimented with this shaft-drive, v-twin 250cc, SOHC motorcycle. Over the following couple of years both the engine and bodywork evolved so much that it is seemed that 2 or more of these bikes were actually built. Instead, by 1953, this engine had been modified from a single to double overhead cam with significantly different bodywork.

 

Interestingly, the engine design is very similar to the famous Moto Guzzi V-twin which was introduced to public much later in 1967. Ironically, when Alejandro DeTomaso purchased Innocenti, Moto Guzzi, Maserati and Benelli in the early 70’s, he moved the production of the Moto Guzzi v-twin engine to the old Lambretta (Innocenti) plant.

 

The little Lambretta motorcycle was raced by the great Romolo Ferri and Pagani in only two races in Switzerland and France but didn’t do very well. It now sits in the Casa Lambretta Scooter museum in Rodano Italy.

 

SOURCE LINK: http://casalambrettausa.com/wordpress/?p=61

[mike wilson]

That's a _very_ interesting rev counter.

 

I reckon the bevel gears must have been really rather noisy at full chat......

[gstallons]

It's hard to comprehend the beauty of something like this when designs were inspired by visions instead of boardroom meetings,actuary predictions and CNC germless manufacturing.

I could muse at these sculptures of mechanical beauty for hours.

[Dan M]

Gotta love the attention to detail and authenticity by the Casa Lambretta Scooter museum in Rodano Italy. The bike is shown "as raced" right down to the oil drips under it.