Friday bike

In order to promote the sporting image of the Vespa, Piaggio turned its attention to record breaking in the hope of reviving a glorious pre-war tradition. On April 7 1950 on France's Montlhery circuit, three riders took turns as the Vespa spent 10 consecutive hours acquiring 17 world records: over 1 hour (average speed 134 km/h); over 100 miles (average 129.7 km/h), 500 miles (average 123.9 km/h), 1,000 km (average 124.3 km/h), and over 10 hours during which the Vespa covered 1,049 km.

On a streamlined vehicle very similar to this (the Vespa 125 Circuit “alloy frame” of 1949) rider Dino Mazzoncini also performed brilliantly in track races, most memorably in the head-to-head between Vespa and Lambretta that took place on the Genoa Circuit (Corso Italia) and ended in a victory for Vespa in the motor scooter class.

 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

2-stroke engine

Bore: 53 mm - Stroke: 56 mm - Displacement: 125 cc

Top speed: 136.92 km/h (average)

Suspension: front with coil springs and calipers shock absorber, rear with rubber pad and leaf spring shock absorber

Brakes: drums

Tyres: 3.00-10" (for races)

More pics here.

Text stolen from here.

Friday bike

Back in the late 90s, cycle manufacturer Cannondale developed a small range of off-road bikes. Powered by an innovative 440cc watercooled four stroke single, the bikes had a number of innovative features such as fuel injection, 'reversed' cylinder head (inlet at front, exhaust at rear), hydraulic clutches, electric start, and a spar type frame that contained the engine oil. These features, coupled with top quality wheels and suspension suspension, should have made the Cannondales a very attractive package, but technical problems and very poor sales led the company to bankruptcy. Now a very rare bike and few, if any, were exported out of the US.