Gilera: an italian speed icon

AN ITALIAN SPEED ICON

Gilera is an Italian brand with a long and proud history. Founded in 1909, it immediately made a mark with its competitive spirit, technical excellence and unbridled passion for speed, qualities that led to a host of sporting successes over the decades.

For example, between 1950 and 1957 alone, Gilera won six Moto GP World Championships, with high-calibre riders such as Umberto Masetti, Geoff Duke and Libero Liberati. Gilera was the first to surpass 100 mph during the Tourist Trophy, a feat that many considered impossible to achieve.

Today, even though Gilera bikes are no longer in production, the brand’s racing and technological heritage continues to inspire motorcycle lovers around the world. Synonymous with excellence and boasting a history peppered with world records, it is a formidable example of Italian motorcycling greatness.

THE ORIGINS OF A LEGEND

Gilera was established in 1909 by Giuseppe Gellera who at the time had a workshop in Milan, but shortly after, relocated to Arcore. In the years following the First World War, Gilera manufactured 500cc motorbikes with side valves, winning the most prestigious international competitions. Even more dazzling success followed in the 1950s with the brand dominating the World Champs with its four-cylinder 500s, winning six rider titles, three World Championships and the constructor title. By the time Gilera withdrew from competitions in 1957, it had notched up 40 GP victories.

KEY MOMENTS

A trip back through Gilera's history

: 2009 – Gilera leaves the World Championship stage, having given the 250 class the last Italian world champion.
2008 – Simoncelli wins the rider title in the World Championship 250 class, marking Gilera’s first success in this category. He wins the final race of the season on the Valencia track, wearing a special livery that celebrates the brand’s 100 centenary.
2007 – Gilera launches the GP 800, the fastest and most powerful scooter ever produced. In the same year, the Gilera Fuoco, a 500 version of the incomparable Piaggio MP3, is also presented. On the racing side of things, prominent riders Marco Simoncelli and Roberto Locatello are doing great things in the 250 class.
2006 – Gilera returns to racing in the World Championships 250 class.
2003 – The Nexus 500 maxi scooter hits the market.
2001 – Gilera returns to world racing in the 125 class. 44 years after Libero Liberati’s victory in the 500 class, Manuel Poggiali triumphs in the 125 category.
2000 – Gilera introduces the DNA, an innovative model that combines the dual worlds of motorcycle and scooter.
1993 – Production moves to Pontedera and Gilera focuses on developing sport scooters.
1992 – Gilera returns to the 250 class of the World Championships.
1980 – Gilera designs a new single-cylinder four-stroke 600 cc engine. During the Eighties, the Gilera 600 RC wins a number of Paris-Dakar stages, while the 750 RC dominates the Pharaohs’ Rally. Models such as the SP-02 and CX125 confirm Gilera’s reputation as a manufacturer of cutting-edge 125 sports motorbikes.
1969 – Gilera becomes part of the Piaggio Group. With the futuristic 125 Twin Cylinder Cross, the brand regains its racing and cross credentials.

: 1957 – Libero Liberati takes the world title and Gilera wins the constructor title in the 350 class. This is also the year that, after having won 40 GPs, Gilera decides to withdraw from racing, even though it will continue in the offroad sector and regular racing.
1953 – Geoff Duke wins the first of three consecutive world titles on a Gilera.
1952 – Masetti notches up his second world title on his 500 and Gilera takes home the constructor title.
1950 – Umberto Masetti is crowned world champion with Gilera in the 500 class.
1946 – Gilera introduces the Saturno 500 which dominates in the top category of the World Championships.
1939 – Dorino Serafini wins the European Championship with a Gilera 500 Quattro Cilindri.
1936 – The futuristic Rondine bursts onto the scene and in 1937 it wins a host of world championship titles. Piero Taruffi sets a world speed record of 274.81 km/h on the Milan-Bergamo motorway.
1933 – The Quattro Bulloni 500 and Otto Bulloni are introduced, sporting overhead valve engines.
1918 – Gilera produces 500cc bikes that are ridden to victory in Italy’s main competitions.
1909 – Giuseppe Gellera (1887 – 1971) establishes the company is a small workshop. The VT 317 makes its debut.

A CENTURY ON THE ROAD AND TRACK

In 1969, Gilera became part of the Piaggio Group and immediately took on a new lease of life courtesy of a new production batch and an expanded range that included offroad options. One model in particular, the 50 Trial 5V, became a much-loved icon among the youngest riders. As the years passed, Gilera continued to evolve, and at the start of the Nineties, Piaggio decided to move production to its Pontedera factory. In the early 2000s, a series of avantgarde sports scooters such as the Runner, DNA, Nexus and GP 800 were launched.
The Gilera era came to an end in 2020 with the last model being removed from the books, but its legend lives on, along with the mark it has left on the history of motorcycling.

ICONIC MODELS

A look at some of the Gilera bikes that created history

Rondine

In 1936, Gilera acquired the design from C.N.A. for a motorcycle that was then perfected by the racing division at Arcore. This was the famous Rondine 500, a four-cylinder engine derived from the automotive world, and it would go on to win the Italian and European championships. With the outbreak of war, however, its winning career was abruptly halted in 1940.

Saturno 500 Sport

Designed by Guiseppe Salmaggi in 1940, the Saturno 500 Sport was produced in a number of different versions and 6000 units up until 1958. Distinguishing features included the vertical cylinder, pushrod distribution and rocker arm, along with the 84 x 90 bore-stroke. Its unmistakable design has made it one of the most sought-after motorbikes among present day motorcycling aficionados.

Quattro Cilindri

After the end of the Second World War, Gilera went back to developing its Gran Prix-winning 500. The result was the Quattro Cilindri, designed for racing, with an engine-mounted removable gearbox. In 1950, Umberto Masetto was on a Gilera 500 when, to the delirious joy of the home crowd, he was crowned champion at Monza, beating Geoff Duke by just one point.

Saturno 500 Piuma

This Saturno model differed in terms of its lower weight and an advanced engine with lightweight alloy cylinder fins. In 1957, it triumphrf in the FMI (Italian Motorcycling Federation) Trophy and reached a speed of over 200 km/h during the Gran Premio delle Nazioni (Italian GP). Private clients suchas as Liberati, Milani and Campanelli commissioned special competition versions in the years up until the end of the Seventies.

RC 600

A new single-cylinder four-stroke engine developed in the Eighties was showcased to perfection in the Gilera RC 600. The RC series took part in the Paris-Dakar rally during the Nineties where the RC 600 commanded attention with its electronic ignition and hydraulic clutch, elements that were considered cutting-edge at the end of last century.

RSA 250 Simoncelli

The Gilera RSA 250 is the bike Marco Simoncelli rode in 2008 when he took the world title in the 250 class. Its cylinder kits, extended swingarm and powerful engine able to generate up to 13500 rpm ensured it caught the attention. In 2012, the Piaggio Group donated the bike that had carried “Super Sic” to world championship glory to the Simoncelli Foundation.

ASSISTANCE

CUSTOMER CARE

Write to us or give us a call, and we will be happy to reply to your questions. Our Customer Care team is here to help you with any queries regarding your Gilera bike.

: Our Client Service team is available Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm CET.

Call our freephone number (if calling from Italy):
800 818 298

Call us from abroad:
+39 045 969 1198 (calls will be charged at your operator's rate)
: Available 24 hours, 7 days a week
Call our freephone number (if calling from Italy):
800 700 616

Call us from abroad:
+39 015 255 9593 (calls will be charged at your operator's rate)
: Insert the chassis number of your Gilera to check if it has ever been part of a recall campaign. This applies only to scooters produced from 2009 onwards.

CHECK HERE
: You can request any documentation you need, including the certificate of origin, technical specification sheets and conformity documents for your Gilera.

COMPLETE THE FORM