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Paton 500
Giuseppe Pattoni was a speed racer, a sidecar racer, and also
a regularity racer before he joined Mondial, in the years when that company was
interested in racing. Pattoni proved his worth as a mechanic by tuning the
vehicle that Ceyl Sandford rode to win the 1957 250-class world championship.
The following year the Mondial company was out of racing, and
Pattoni set up his own shop.
In addition to repairing vehicles, Pattoni and Lino Tonti began to build racing
motorcycles under the name of Paton. In 1958 they produced a single-cylinder
two-shaft 125 that Mike Hailwood, who was just starting out, rode to sixth place
at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. A few years later they produced a
two-cylinder 250, which was later turned into a 350 and then a 500 model. The
Paton two-cylinder 500 was the opposite of the highly evolved motorcycles that
it
raced against. The engine had two perfectly vertical
cylinders, and the two-shaft, two-valve distribution was operated by a series of
central gears. There was nothing in the construction of this motorcycle that was
not keyed to efficiency and reliability, qualities that are indispensable in
racing.
The Paton 500 made an international name for itself chiefly because it was able
to produce brilliant results on a
Motorcycle: Paton 500 Two-cylinder Manufacturer: Giuseppe
Pattoni, Milan Type: Racing Year: 1974
Engine: Paton two-cylinder, four-stroke, with two-shaft overhead geared
distribution. Displacement 500 cc.
Cooling: Air
Transmission: Six-speed block Power: About 65 h.p. at 10,500 h.p. Maximum speed:
Over 155 m.p.h. Chassis: Double cradle, open, tubular.
Front and rear, telescopic suspension Brakes: Front, central drum, four shoes,
four-cam; rear, central drum, double cam
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