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Bianchi was a brand of Italian motorcycle made from 1897 to 1967 by F.I.V. Edoardo Bianchi S.p.A. The company also produced automobiles from 1900 to 1939, and today is a major Italian bicycle manufacturer. Edoardo Bianchi started his bicycle manufacturing business in a small shop on Milan's Via Nirone in 1885. Bianchi was a prominent name in the motorcycle racing world from 1925 to 1930. [1]
Edoardo Bianchi was an Italian motorcycling pioneer who began by building bicycles in 1885. He built a motorised bicycle in 1897, and a car in 1900. In 1903 he fitted engines in the centre of strengthened bicycle frames, and by 1905 also fitted Truffault leading link forks. In 1910 Bianchi built a 498 cc single that was very successful and established the Bianchi motorcycle name. [1]
In 1916 a 650 cc V-twin was made, which was enlarged to 741 cc in 1920. In 1921 a smaller 598 cc V-twin, and a new 498 cc single with all chain drive was released. There was a 348 cc side valve single for 1923, and V-twins of 498 cc and 598 cc. In 1924 a 173 cc overhead valve single was added to the range. [1]
During WWII Bianchi supported Mussolini's desire that the Italian economy should be self-sufficient by developing a 250 cc model named Freccia d'Oro S –in 1937. In return his firm received contracts to supply the Italian military. The Freccio D'Oro was seen as a replacement of the 220 cc model. [2]
Therefore, the marque launched the 250 Freccia d'Oro ("Golden Arrow") in 1934 to replace the 220 of 1933, which was in turn derived from the 175 launched in 1930. Two version were offered, a touring model at 3800 lire (designated by a "T" suffix) and sport model for 3950 lire (designated by a "T" suffix) that offered 2.5 more horsepower and twin exhausts. The model was manufactured from 1934 until 1940 and sales benefited from government subsidies that reduced the sale price to the customer.
In 1925 a 348 cc overhead valve (OHV) single was introduced. There was also a 348 cc dual overhead cam (DOHC) works racer, designed by Albino Baldi, Bianchi chief engineer, and these were the most successful Italian racing bikes for the next five years. During this time the bike was ridden by such riders as Tazio Nuvolari, Amilcare Moretti, Mario Ghersi, Karl Kodric, Gino Zanchetta and Luigi Arcangeli. [1]
In the 1930s Baldi designed a 498cc ohc single racing bike, which was ridden by such riders as Giordano Aldrighetti, Aldo Pigarini, Terzo Bandini, Dorino Serafini, Guido Cerato and Alberto Ascari. [1] In 1938 a supercharged four cylinder 498 cc DOHC racer was built, but was never fully developed. [1]
| Year | Champion | Motorcycle |
|---|---|---|
| 1925 |  Tazio Nuvolari | |
After World War II Bianchi produced 123 cc and 248 cc ohc single racers, and in the late 1950s released new 248 cc and 348 cc dohc twins, designed by Colombo and Lino Tonti. A few 348 cc engines were over-bored to 498 cc to produce works versions for the 500 cc class races.[ clarify ] [1] In 1946 Edoardo died, and control of the firm passed to his son Giuseppe.
Bianchi production motorcycles included 49cc models, the 75 Gardena, 122 and 173cc two strokes, the 4-stroke 125cc Bianchi Bernina LV, and the Bianchi Tonale, a 173 cc chain driven ohc single. Some 49 cc two stroke engines were built under licence from Puch, and fitted into the innovative Falco, one or two seat moped. This sprightly ride featured a one-piece pressed girder frame and three speed gearbox operated via the left hand twist grip and clutch lever. [1] In 1961, Bob McIntyre rode a Bianchi 350 cc in the Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championships. Motorcycle production ceased in 1967, when all rights passed to Innocenti. [1] Small mopeds made by Bianchi were imported by American retailer Montgomery Ward and sold via catalog under the Riverside captive import brand.
Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer and the oldest European manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production.
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The Ducati Sebring is a 340 cc (21 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati from 1965 to 1968. At the time of its introduction it was the largest capacity Ducati machine. Production of the original model ended in 1967 when the 'wide case' Mark 3 was introduced, although just over 200 Sebrings were made in 1968 with the 'wide case' engine. Total production was around 3,500 machines.
The Ducati 350 Mark 3 is a 340 cc (21 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati from 1968 to 1974. It was one of the first 'wide case' Ducati singles produced. A higher performance version, the Ducati 350 Mark 3D, which used desmodromic valves was also available.
The Ducati 239 Mark 3 is a 239 cc (14.6 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati in limited quantities for the French market in 1974. The French Government has announced that they were to increase VAT on motorcycles of 240 cc and above in 1975. Ducati responded by producing the 239 to take advantage of the lower 20% VAT rate on sub-240 machines. To compensate for the reduced capacity, the engine was tuned to produce more power with a different camshaft, slipper piston, 30 mm carburettor and a different exhaust using a Lafranconi silencer.
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The Ducati Diana Mark 3, also known as the Ducati Diana SuperSport and commonly referred to as the Ducati Mark 3, is a 249 cc (15.2 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati from 1962 to 1966. It was a higher performance version of the Ducati Diana and sold to the American market only. In 1963, Cycle World described it as "the fastest, and nearly the smoothest, standard motorcycle in the 250cc class". It was replaced in 1967 by the Ducati 250 Mark 3.
The Ducati 125 Scrambler is an on/off-road 124 cc (7.6 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati in 1971 and 1972. Although Ducati had stopped production of the 'narrow case' singles in 1967, the Scrambler used a narrow case engine made by MotoTrans in Spain. The model was not a sales success with less than 200 sold worldwide and was soon taken out of production.
The Ducati 450 Scrambler, also known in the US as the Ducati Jupiter and in Europe as the Ducati 450 SCR is an on/off-road 436 cc (26.6 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer Ducati from 1969 to 1974. Total production was around 11,000 machines.
The Ducati 250 24 Horas is a 247 cc (15.1 cu in) single cylinder bevel drive SOHC motorcycle produced by the Spanish manufacturer MotoTrans, who were licensed by Ducati to produce motorcycles under the Ducati brand name. The model was based on the 'narrow case' Ducati 250 and produced in three series from 1966 to 1974. It was named after Ducati's successes in the 24 hours of Montjuïc endurance races. Around 2,000 machines were produced in total.
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