Ducati Cucciolo T1/T2/T3

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Ducati Cucciolo T1 / T2 / T3

Make Model	Ducati Cucciolo T1 / T2 / T3
Year	1946 - 52
Engine	Four stroke, pullrod single cylinder, 12 mm intake, clip-on
Capacity	T1 / T2: 48 cc / 2.9 cu in T3: 60 cc / 3.7 cu in
Bore x Stroke	T1 / T2: 39 x 40 mm T3: 43.8 x 40 mm
Compression Ratio	T1: 6.25:1 T2 Turismo: 5.5:1 T2 Sport: 6.5:1
Cooling System	Air cooled
Lubrication System	Splash, gravity drip feed
Induction	Weber or Dell'Orto 8 mm
Ignition	T1: 12 mm Spark plug, 4-pole flywheel magneto with 2 Ducati coils T2: 14 mm Spark plug, 4-pole flywheel magneto with 2 Ducati coils
Starting	Kick
Max Power	T1: 0.93 kW / 1.25 hp @ 5250 rpm T2 Turismo: 0.6 kW / 0.8 hp @ 5500 rpm T2 Sport: 1.25 hp @ 5500 rpm
Clutch	Wet, multiplate
Transmission	T1 / T2: 2-Speed T3: 3-Speed
Gear Ratios	T1: 1st 12.5 / 2nd 10.25:1 T2: 1st 18.2 / 2nd 10.5:1
Final Drive	Chain
Frame	Bicycle wit clip-on engine
Front Suspension	None
Rear Suspension	None
Front Brakes	Bicycle type
Rear Brakes	Bicycle type
Front Wheel	Bicycle wheel
Rear Wheel	Bicycle wheel
Dry Weight (engine only)	T1: 7.8 kg / 17.2 lbs T2: 8.0 kg / 17.6lbs
Fuel Capacity	2 L / 4.2 Us pt / 3.5 Imp pt
Top Speed	40 km/h / 25 mph 35 km/h / 22 mph

The Ducati Cucciolo was a 4-stroke clip-on engine for motorized bicycles conceived during and shortly after World War II by a Turin lawyer, Aldo Farinelli, and developed with a self-taught engineer, Aldo Leoni.

During the war, Aldo Farinelli began working with the small Turinese firm SIATA (Società Italiana per Applicazioni Tecniche Auto-Aviatorie) with the idea of developing a small engine that could be mounted on a bicycle. Farinelli's and Leone's first prototype was running on the streets of Turin in Autumn of 1944. The yapping sound of the engine's short stubby exhaust inspired the name Cucciolo ("little puppy") for the motor. Weighing a little over 17 pounds (7.7 kg) and giving 180 miles per US gallon (77 km/l) when installed in a bicycle.

On July 26, barely one month after the official liberation of the country, SIATA announced their intention to sell Cucciolo engines to the public. It was the first new automotive design to appear in postwar Europe. Some businessmen bought the little engines in quantity and installed them in frames, thus offering for sale the first complete units.

Soon demand outstripped the limited production capabilities, so SIATA found a manufacturing partner in Borgo Panigale, near Bologna. Ducati was a well-known name in electronics and appliances, and in the post-war torn Italy, it was seeking new opportunities to employ its workers and facilities, so a licensing agreement with Siata was reached. Production rose from 15 units in 1946 to over 25,000 in the following years, when Ducati reached an exclusive agreement for the production.