This is one seriously modified Moto Guzzi Griso 8V. Designer Filippo Barbacane (of Guzzi Ciclope fame) has taken the front end of a Gilera CX125, used bespoke bodywork and then managed to include the performance of the Griso 8V, while still managing its heavier weight.

The fuel tank has been moved to the rear subframe to make way for an airbox and top-mounted intake. The 1420cc engine with 140 hp now also has increased cooling capacity, and the exhaust has been mounted lower down. The name “Diamante” means diamond.

The engine tuning has been completed by the Millepercento company and while Barbacane will be producing only 30 of these, there are calls in the comments over on Hellforleather for Moto Guzzi to start a mass production run.

Guzzi Diamante by Filippo Barbacane

Source | Hellforleather via Motoblog

Photos | Racing Cafe

Continue reading: Moto Guzzi Diamante combines Gilera CX125 and Griso 8V

The Gilera brand from Arcore in Italy is celebrating its 100th birthday, after its long history started back in 1909 when Giuseppe Gilera created the first Gilera bike.

Now the Gilera Club from Arcore and the “Registro Storico Gilera” are organising an event to celebrate one of Italy’s greatest motorcycles. The event will take place on the weekend of June 6th and 7th at Arcore, just north of Milan, with invitations to participate extended to all Gilera owners.

The event will include registration on the afternoon of the 6th, followed by the opening of the event and an exhibition. The bikes on display come from the Piaggio museum at Pontedera, and includes photographs, original sketches, historic clothing and documents on the history of motorcycling in Italy. A dinner is planned for the evening of Saturday June 6.

Continue reading: Gilera celebrates 100 year anniversary

If you ever have the chance to visit Italy, especially the Florence and Pisa area in Tuscany, why not take some time to visit the Museo Piaggio “Giovanni Alberto Agnelli” in Pontedera .

The museum has halls that display Vespa and Gilera collections alongside the most significant of Piaggio’s numerous products.

The Vespas on display are the most beautiful and the rarest of their kind, such as the prestigious Vespa Dali’ or the record-breaking Vespas. Beside the Vespa are the products that made the history of the company before it, the mopeds such as the Ciao and Si’ that marked an epoch and the multi-functional Ape, the truck that artisans and retailers over the generations have used and appreciated for its versatility.

Continue reading: The Piaggio Museum

This news certainly won’t go un-discussed: the Piaggio group could present a new supersports bike in 2009, “Gilera” branded and with a 600, four cylinder engine.

We hope so as the Supersport segment needs an Italian challenger. In readers’ news on the Motorcyclenews.com site the Gilera novelty could be presented as a surprise in the first months of 2009, with its high performance engine, compact and technologically advanced chassis.

The exhaust could be quite small and hidden under the seat in the style of the Aprilia SXV; a cafè racer version is also possible. Oberdan Bezzi leaves his sketches as a hypothetical look and if the bike really turns out like this, it will be quite a sight. Fingers crossed…

Continue reading: Gilera 600 Supersport in 2009?

Gilera has also produced a prototype for the Eicma show in the form of a concept scooter. It’s a new Gilera GP 850 Corsa which takes the engine and the GP 800 road chassis of the maxi-scooter, while other elements have been borrowed from the supersports road version.

The GP 850 Corsa has an upside-down fork and rear Ohlins suspension, a double side mounted crome exhaust and radial Brembo calipers which are the same as the Aprilia Tuono models.

The tail is more tapered than the previous GP 800, and has vertically placed lights in the place of the production series horizontal ones. The front is also new and currently has no headlight, but is characterised by a generous air intake modelled on that of the Aprilia RSV.

Continue reading: Eicma 2008: Gilera GP850 Corsa maxi-scooter concept

At the Intermot Show 2008 in Cologne the Italian Polini racing factory is presenting some novelties. The event takes place in the German city Cologne from October 8th until 12th.

The racing factory from the North Italian town of Bergamo will show a range of new products for the 50cc scooters and the Maxi scooter. Among the most important products is the Polini Piaggio Evolution engine for Piaggio Zip scooters and for track use only. Cylinder kit for Derby Senda and Gilera, homologated exhaust systems for all the T-Max models and for other 50cc scooters the new Polini Scooter team muffler. Among the new series the new speed clutch 2G for the Honda models SH 125-150-300 and for the Maxi scooters with Piaggio engine, 125-150-200-500.

Source | Polini press

Continue reading: New Polini products at Intermot 2008

MV Agusta has been making news these last few days, more for the reports regarding owership of the company, than for its models. Apparently Indian interest from Tata and Mahindra in the company has come up, even if the company itself seems more taken by a possible Harley Davidson move, which could relaunch the Italian company.

Only a few likely remember the debut of MV in competition, with a 125 twin cam, mono-cylinder four-stroke in 1950, at the Netherlands Grand Prix. It was a bike that with some adventure went on to win in 1952 with the Cecyl Sandford.

Amarcord reminds us of the MV Agusta debut in the queen class (500) with a four-cylinder, four stroke, predecessor to the most victorious bike of all time in the Grand Prix. Its beginnings started on July 2, 1950, on the fast and treacherous mountain track of Spa Francorchamps, the same day in which the new Gilera 500 “quattro” appeared with Umberto Masetti, Nello Pagani and Carlo Bandirola.

The Agusta bike, in the hands of the bolognese rider Artesiani, reached fifth place, impressing in its speed and extraordinary rumble from the four exhaust pipes. At Cascina Costa however, Domenico Agusta made things (as always), larger than life, and he trusted his dreams of victory to the imagination and eclectic genius of Pietro Remor - acute and expert engineer to whom the world of motorcycling owes some splendid creations.

Continue reading: MV Agusta: the legend