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Moto Guzzi 500 1951
When Moto Guzzi retired its famous four-valve single-cylinder
motorcycle, it had to build a valid substitute. This took place in 1933, when
Moto Guzzi was intensely involved in racing. Somebody thought that a good 500
could be developed from the single-cylinder Albatross 250 by adding a second
cylinder to the first one and thus doubling its displacement.
This bright idea, when transformed into reality, produced one
of the longest-lived racing motorcycles of the period, the Guzzi two-cylinder.
Stanley Woods rode it to victory at the 1935 Tourist Trophy. That great Italian
racer Omobono Tenni won his finest victories with the Guzzi two-cylinder.
Bandini and Sandri drove it in the long legs of the Nord-Sud race. And
Bertacchini and Lorenzetti rode the vehicle to its last wins before retirement.
Its maneuverability and reliability made the Moto Guzzi 500
competitive, without substantial changes, on all the European tracks for a span
of nearly twenty years—from 1933 to 1951. It was in 1951 that the motorcycle won
the Swiss Grand Prix and the final race of the Italian championship, at
Senigallia. The vehicle was then withdrawn from racing into a retirement it had
thoroughly earned.
Motorcycle: Moto Guzzi 500 Two-cylinder Manufacturer: Moto
Guzzi, Mandello del
Lario Type: Racing Year: 1951
Engine: Guzzi two-cylinder, four stroke V, 120°. Single-shaft overhead
distribution with bevel gear shaft. Displacement 493.9 cc. (68 mm. x 68 mm.)
Cooling: Air
Transmission: Four-speed block
Power: 48 h.p. at 8,000 r.p.m.
Maximum speed: 130 m.p.h.
Chassis: Tubular, open, double cradle, large-diameter crossbar. Front wheel,
swinging-link suspension; rear wheel, spring fork and friction shock absorber
Brakes: Front, four-shoe central drum; rear, side drum
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