Moto Guzzi Grand Prix 500 cc V8
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| Manufacturer | Moto Guzzi |
|---|---|
| Also called | The Otto, Ottocilindri |
| Class | Grand Prix racing motorcycle |
| Engine | 499 cc (30.5 cu in) (44 x 41 mm) 4-stroke V8 liquid cooled, DOHC, 8 Dell'Orto 20 mm carburettors |
| Top speed | 275 km/h (171 mph) |
| Power | 78 hp (58 kW) at 12000 rpm |
| Transmission | choice of 4, 5 or 6 gears |
| Brakes | drum |
| Tires | Front: 2.75" x 19" Rear: 3.00" x 20 |
| Weight | 148 kg (326 lb) (dry) |
The Moto Guzzi V8, or the Otto motorcycle was designed by Giulio Cesare Carcano specifically for the Moto Guzzi Grand Prix racing team for the 1955 to 1957 seasons. Though following the two-stroke Galbusera V8 of 1938, the Moto Guzzi Otto motorcycle and its engine represent a unique and historically significant engineering milestone.
The Discovery Channel ranked the Moto Guzzi Otto as one of the ten greatest motorbikes of all time.
By 1955, Moto Guzzi had already demonstrated its engineering prowess, creating motorcycles with a wide breadth of configurations: horizontal singles, parallel twins, V-twins in in-line and transverse layouts, 3-cylinders, and 4-cylinders in horizontal and in-line form. The Moto Guzzi V8 reinforced Moto Guzzi's commitment to pushing engineering boundaries. The engine was conceived by Giulio Carcano, Enrico Cantoni, Umberto Todero, Ken Kavanagh and Fergus Anderson just after the 1954 Monza Grand Prix and designed by Dr. Carcano.
To introduce the bike, and build publicity, Moto Guzzi's racing team manager, Fergus Anderson, released a letter to the international motorcycle press announcing Moto Guzzi's plans for the 1955 Grand Prix season—attaching a drawing of the new Otto and challenging them to guess the configuration of Moto Guzzi's then very secret racing bike. Very few guessed correctly, and the Otto made a stunning public debut a few months later.
The engine and the bike were without precedent: a water-cooled, 500 cc (31 cu in) V-8 motorcycle — with dual overhead cams and a separate carburetor for each of the eight cylinders. Weighing only 45 kg (99 lb) (overall bike weight 148 kg (326 lb)), its miniaturized components tightly packaged, the engine produced an unprecedented 78 hp (58 kW) at 12000 rpm. The motorcycle proved capable of achieving 172 mph (280 km/h)—20 years before the speed was reached again in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
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Wikipedia