CLASSICRACERINDETAIL
50 ClassicRac
Water-cooled
8dry-sumpfour-strokewith gear
rive, and two valvesper cylinder
44 x41mm
499cc
79bhpat12,500rpm
47.6Nmat9300rpm
11.5:1
8x21mm magnesium-bodied
eachwithremote float chamber
CEVcoilignition with12v battery
(2 x6vinperiod)
ate dry (threemetal/four friction)
e-speedwithgear primary drive
rgediameter tubular steelspine
edoubling as oil tankand water
er tank,withduplex tubular steel
nt downtubesand engine cradle
nt: Leading-link fork with Girling
erswith 103mmofwheeltravel.
swingarm pivoting in crankcase
hocks and 94mmof wheeltravel
23.5°
56mm
1396mm
Front:2x220mmopposed
single leading-shoedrums.
00mm singleleading-shoe drum
ront: 90/90-19 Avon Roadrideron
orrani wire-lacedaluminium rim.
x19AvonSpeedmaster MK.2 on
orrani wire-lacedaluminiumrim
137kgdry withfull streamlining
(134kgwith partial streamlining)
n: 51/49%dry withfull
streamlining(45/55%withoil,
water,fuel and 75kgrider)
34litres
720mm
286kph/178mph
(Spa-Francorchamps 1957)
on: 1956
my Miller Museum,New Milton,
Hampshire,Great Britain.
http://www.sammymiller.co.ukFinally, theeight separate27mm-diameter
exhaustpipes, each of a600mm tuned
length,were produced by an earlyversion
of today’shydroformer,although insteadof
usinganultra-high pressure flow of water to
shapethe pipes into the oftenintricateforms
that amodern systemdemands,the pipes
of the V8 Guzzi’sevenmorecomplexsystem
were filledwith sand,thenheated until they
couldbebenttothe required shapeby hand.
Untroubled by anysilencers, or indeedopen
megaphones, theywendedtheir convoluted
way around
inunexpecte
three there,
Thebike’s
diameter cen
chrome-moly
duplexsteel
engine,awe
and theswin
controlledby
of wheelmo
leading-link f
employed on
single 10 yea
103mmof w
hydraulicGir
eachleg,wit
single leadin
whose cams
internallycoa
spindle,aso
Bicilindrica V-
drum wasfit
frontwire w
Borrani alloy
arubbercus
3.00in 20-inc
Thedry w
bike wasjus
full hand-bea
streamlining
famousMot
withlateral d
to the radiato
thedolphinf
streamlining
in the bike’s
thoughdeve
therevisedF
dustbinfairin
forcein1958
response to
that theyfou
judge turn-in
It’sfair to
themassive
necessaryto
inevitablyat
long GrandP
help in that rcer
SPECIFICATION
Engine:
dohc 90ºV 8
camshaftdr
Dimensions:
Capacity:
Output:
Maximumtorque:
Compression:
Carburation:
Dell’Orto
Ignition: CClutch: Multipla
Gearbox: Fiv
Chassis: La
fram
heade
fron
Suspension: Fro
hydraulic damp
Rear:Tubularsteel
withtwinGirling sh
Headangle:
Tr ail:
Wheelbase:
Brakes:Rear: 2 0
Tyres: Fr
WM2/1.85inBo
Rear: 3.50x
WM2/1.85inBo
Weight:
(
WeightdistributionFuel capacity:
Seatheight:
To pspeed:Ye arofconstructio
Owner: Samms,theywendedtheirconvoluted
the engine to emerge rearwards
edplaces –two here, another
onemoreonits own, and so on.
spine framecomprised a85mm
ntral tubular backbone madefrom
ysteel, with atwin-downtube
cradle framesupporting the
ell-triangulated rear subframe,
ngarmpivotingin thecrankcase,
ytwin Girling shocks giving94mm
ovement. Guzzi’s trademark
fork wasused, as first
nthe Gambalunga 500
arsearlier, and in offering
wheeltravel, carried long
ling dampers in front of
thapair of opposed220mm
g-shoe drum front brakes,
swere centrallymounted
axially with thefront wheel
onthe 500single and
V-twin. A200mm rear SLS
tted,and while the 19in
heel had a2.25in wide
rim, the rear containing
hdrive wasoriginally a
cher.
weightofthe complete
t137kg,with
aten aluminium
developed in the
oGuzziwindtunnel,
ductsfeedingair
or, or 134kgwith
fairing‘partial
’employedin1957
final races, which
eloped in readinessfor
FIM regulationsbanning
ngs due to enter into
8 ,was fitted earlier in
the riders’complaints
und it difficultto
nto abend.
assumethat
34lfueltank,judged
oallowwhat was
thirstybiketofinishthe
Prixraces of the day, didn’t
respect, either...044 MotoGuzzi500 V8_SEP.indd 50 26/07/201715:23:39