c1972 Gilera 150cc Motorcycle
Sold: $3,500
Specifications
| Engine | Single cylinder,150cc |
|---|---|
| Gearbox | 5-Speed manual |
| Colour | Red |
Description
Giuseppe Gilera began his career apprenticed to some of the oldest and largest Italian motorcycle manufacturers as a young boy, including Moto RevelItalia, Bianchi and BucherZenda, and developed a reputation for being a fine mechanic and an excellent rider. In 1909, at the tender age of 22, Gilera established his own company in Milan, Moto Gilera, his first machine little more than a bicycle with a belt-driven 317cc ohv engine attached. Success came quickly and the model range expanded to include various capacities, while his goal of competing at the highest level of Grand Prix competition was realised in 1936 with the likes of Piero Taruffi and later Dorini Serafini serious contenders for the Championship. When war intervened, Gilera turned his factory over to military production, first with the road-based LTE and later a more specialised model, the innovative Marte with shaft-drive for both the rear wheel and sidecar unit. The post-war years saw Gilera continue to cement its reputation as one of the premier Italian motorcycle manufacturers, with a range of ohv singles and twins. Gilera also enjoyed unprecedented success on the track in the 1950s, winning no less than 44 World Championships with the likes of Umberto Masetti and Geoff Duke riding for the company, also setting numerous records. By the 1960s Gilera was struggling to compete with the Japanese and diversified into smaller bikes, even building a 50cc scooter, but it was to no avail and the company was absorbed by the Piaggio Group in 1969, with Giuseppe Gilera passing away soon afterwards. Gilera soldiered on into the 1970s with a range of two-stroke singles and at the 1971 Milan Show a series of new models, from 50cc to 175cc, were announced. The 125cc and 150cc models, badged the Arcore, were four-stroke singles based on earlier 1960s variants, with the larger of the two fitted with a 23mm VHB Dell'Orto carburettor and five-speed gearbox, mounted in a duplex cradle frame. The 150cc Arcore was capable of reaching a top speed of 75 mph.
