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Aermacchi Motorcycle A Precious History

Last Update: 2 December 2022

The Aermacchi Motorcycle A Precious History- MOTORESS
The Aermacchi Motorcycle A Precious History

Aeronautica Macchi was founded in 1913 as “Societa Anonima Nieuport-Macchi” for the manufacture of seaplanes, later on changing their name into Aermacchi. During the WWI the company grew but continued to concentrate its attention on aircraft. During the Second World War, Aermacchi built the finest of all fighters used by the Italian air forces. Anticipating the motorcycle boom and intending to take advantage of it, Aermacchi’s chief looked for an established designer who could produce an attractive lightweight motorcycle, eventually called Aermacchi motorcycle. Their choice was Lino Tonti, who had been at Benelli and had worked on aircraft engines during the war. Tonti designed a 50 cc motorcycle that broke the land speed record for the displacement.

The Aermacchi Motorcycle A Precious History- MOTORESS
The Aermacchi Motorcycle A Precious History

The first Aermacchi motorcycle, designed in 1950, and was an open-frame lightweight with a 125 cc two-stroke engine in post-war Italian market, partly due to their use on race tracks. The machine was very popular and a sports version of it, which had the frame “closed” by a real tank, was used in trials, including the International Six Days of 1951 and 1952. All the bikes produced by Aermacchi incorporated the Italian words “Ala Verde”, “Ala Blu” and “Ala d’ Oro” (“green wing”, “blue wing” and “golden wing”) and were successful.

Aermacchi Motorcycle A Precious History- MOTORESS
Aermacchi Motorcycle A Precious History

First Aermacchi Motorcycle Designed in 1950

Their twin 250cc produced in 1953 to 1954 was not as successful. In 1955 they produced a machine powered by double engines of 48cc and 75cc capacity. One of these “flying cigars” as it was called, because it was very low and nearly 10 ft. long.

After that much change hands with designers, Aermacchi continued its adventure with the Chimera 175cc and 250cc introduced and in 1957. A model with 16hp was available for races. Soon, the horse power on the 175cc model increased to 20 making its debut in 1960. This was a huge success causing the company to release a 250cc version, the Golden Wing, which produced 22bhp at 8000 RPM.

Aermacchi Motorcycle on MOTORESS
Aermacchi Motorcycle

Aermacchi Began Producing Motorcycles After WW2

In 1960, US business Harley-Davidson motorcycles purchased 50% of Aermacchi’s motorcycle division. The remaining motorcycle holdings were sold in 1974 to AMF-Harley-Davidson, with motorcycles continuing to be made at Varese. The business was sold to Cagiva in 1978.

In the 1960s Harley-Davidson produced the Harley-Davidson Aermacchi at the plant Schiranna (near Varese). They created several models of small bikes (displacement between 125cc and 350cc) for the American and the European markets.

Aermacchi and Harley-Davidson on MOTORESS
Aermacchi and Harley-Davidson

This was an attempt to take back market sectors that were at the time being taken over by Japanese manufacturers such as Honda and Yamaha.
In 1962, the power of the well-known 250cc model increased to 28bhp and three years later it increased to 30bhp @ 10,000 RPM. This was considered quite excellent for a push-rod production racer!

The Aermacchi Motorcycle A Precious History- MOTORESS
The Aermacchi Motorcycle A Precious History

Year after year, new models were released. Then in 1963, a 293cc road racer was brought to market where one year later it was remodelled to a full 350cc with 33bhp at 8000 rpm.
Aermacchi went on to have success in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world with rider Renzo Pasolini finishing 2nd in the 1972 250cc Road Racing World Championship.

After 1974, when the American manufacturer acquired complete control of the Italian company and Aermacchi bikes were rebadged as Harley-Davidson’s. They went on to win the 250cc Road Racing World Championship three years in a row: 1974, 1975 and 1976. They also won the 350cc World Championship in 1976.

Upon acquisition of Harley-Davidson by AMF in 1978, the Italian operations of the firm sold to the Castiglioni brothers. The brothers father, Giovanni, founded Cagiva, a metalworking company whose name fused the first two letters of Castiglioni, Giovanni and Varese (sons). The company produced a wide variety of small metal parts and fittings. After acquiring Harley-Davidson plant in Schiranna Mr. Castiglioni and his older brother, Gianfranco, began producing and racing motorcycles. They evolved to founding the “Cagiva Motorcycle Company”  which continued to produce bikes branded as  “HD Cagiva” and Ducati, right up until 1980- truly not long ago. But sadly, no more.

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1 comment

Bill Dennis 16 April 2021 at 20:15

Always wanted a HD Aermacchi Rapide 125 when I was about 15yrs old but it was too expensive so bought a new ’69 Cimati 100 from Dan Cotterman Triumph in La Habra. The Cimati had a great Moto Beta 2 stroke engine but the frame was made of low strength steel which was continually cracking in stress areas from the abuse I was giving it in off road riding. I ended up selling it to buy a new ’70 Yamaha 125 MX that I blew up numerous times and taught myself to repair it. Such was the fate of small dirt bikes being riden by a novice dirt rider with too much adrenaline and lack of skill. Now later in life I enjoy the pulsing torque and desmo clatter of an Italian thoroughbred to get the juices flowing while caressing my favorite twisting mountain road with s set of sticky tires.

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