SO IT'S A.. FAMILY AFFAIR. BENELLI MOTOBI
INTRO
How did you spend last weekend?
I made an amazing trip!
Sansepolcro, Arezzo, Firenze, Siena and back to Rimini.
COPPA DEL CHIANTI CLASSICO
And what about Sunday? Have you seen the ARAGONGP?
What da hell! Rossi, what can we say again? It's like a cyborg, powered by passion and Voltaren! Ok, Marquez won and played whole time cat and mouse game.
And What about Moto2 with the due Morbidelli and Pasini?
Back in the age of Gp that smelled of burned oil. Glorius battle on the track, and friend as always after the chequered flag.
This is SPORT my Goodfellas!
FAMILY AFFAIR
Well, today I'll talking to you about another historical factory based in Pesaro, very close to Romagna, the Italian Motorvalley.
A very fascinating story that started in 1911, a lion is his insignia and green and silver his livery.
A century ago in Pesaro.
And rather usually, this story begins with a woman.
Yes, a mother, to be exact.
Teresa Boni Benelli, after her husband's death, decided to give a future to her six sons selling part of their fields to build a small factory with some machine tools.
Why? They could work the fields.
But there is a very deep reason, all her sons loved from early age mechanics.
They didn't start their activity building motorcycles.
They will arrive after some years of metalworking, with a lot of sacrifices, sometimes extreme.
Like the untimely death of the youngest of Benelli's brother,
Tonino.
Fast as an arrow, he was the first Benelli rider, won a lot of National titles in the 20's and 30's.
In those years won a National means to win a world championship.
Rode fast on tracks (streets and fields) and when he was getting out from his bike told everything to his personal racing unit, His brother Giovanni.
Epic battles against the holy beasts of the Motorsport Gotha of those years, Varzi Nuvolari Arcangeli Ruggeri and Moretti.
Tonino will end his personal challenge, not during a race, challenging for glory.
But testing a racing motorcycle on the road to Riccione.
27.09.1937
This is his 80th anniversary.
This is the end, my only friend, the end?
No, trust me, no.
But for the Benelli's brother, this was a sort of launch pad.
Tonino showed how fast were the motorcycles built in Pesaro.
The production was successful.
Until the first disagreements.
A different point of views could bring often a lot of problems.
Or not?
Because Giuseppe wanted to explore new ways, like to build cars or other kinds of motorcycles.
And in the 1949 MOTOBI, with a new factory, far only few meters from his brothers.
MOTOBI will challenge against Benelli for over 15 years.
And only in the 1962 MOTOBI reconciled with BENELLI.
In only one post it's hard to describe all the BENELLI history, and so I will invite you to visit the old Factory, were since only few years ago they worked there.
Now it's a museum, but it's very simplistic describe that place.
Once in you can smell history from the walls, trophies and pics testify the greatness of BENELLI for over 100 years.
In the second room, there are a lot of amazing bikes were parked to be admired. Startin from the bottom you can the see the first production of Benelli.
Here the famous Benelli gearing cascade 1937.
This kind of gear will be used by Giancarlo Morbidelli for his woodworking machines. But this is another story described here.
Here another example of the genius and know-how of Benelli in the early days of Motorcycle History.
A 250cc equipped with a supercharger. Unbelivable. But remained only an exercise in style.
A lot of military bikes, used during the WWII by Italian Army and Allied.
In the same room, you could admire this Milf, an ultra-rare BENELLI TORNADO TRE LE
MODEL.
34000€ in 2002.
898cc #threecilinder with 143hp at 11500rpm, 100nm at 8500rpm for only 185kg.
And you can rent here to visit Pesaro and the amazing landscape all over.
Excellent initiative!
Third room:
De Tomaso years!
The terrifying 900cc six cylinders and a sort heaven for "LEONCINO"'s lovers and lot of amazing and unknown (for me) bikes.
LEONCINO CROSS
Now you can decide if take the elevator or the stairs.
My guide suggested me for the second option.
A good choice.
The same stairs that the workers every day took for work.
Poster and pics. Wood and gasoline.
Upstairs you can admire a real MOTOBI tribute.
From the first bike till the GP.
This is what means to be inside the story.
Inside the History.
To come back I used the elevetor.
Closed the door you will see this.
A sort of History wall where you could admire the whole production of BENELLI & MOTOBI.
I've been relieving the good old days.
Well, at the end of this post I would therefore like to urge you to visit this great piece of Italian history. Not only for the importance in motorcycle area, but also for the story behind the brand.
A story made by men guided by one passion, one love:
MOTORCYCLES.
Those rare brands that leave an indelible print on our memory.
And stay tuned for
MISANO CLASSIC WEEKEND!!!
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