Moto Parilla

1946 THE SECRET PROJECT

Road races started again everywhere in Italy, and the fans' passion was increasing more and more.
Giovanni's preferred motorcycle was at that time the English Norton, but he was brooding a secret and ambitious project, a bold project to say at last, that seemed to him achievable:

to build by himself, inside the workshop, a very customized motorbike. A light and fast one. With good brakes. A modern and beautiful one. The best one compared with any other motorcycle, even better than his beloved Norton.

IF HAS TO BE DONE, MUST BE DONE NOW

Giovanni was 34 years old. His passion was the same as 15 years before. His stubbornness and maturation were at the right level. During that time he had inside his workshop, as collaborator, Alfredo Bianchi, an engineer whose passion was the motorcycles' technology, (years later he would have designed the superlative Aermacchi Ala d'Oro), and they were dreaming together about this project.

THE PROJECT MUST START AT ANY COST

A real motorbike which, starting from an idea, must become alive and also a diva, ready to show its beautiful and intimate forms to the public. And also must be fast, and if possible without metallic noises. It must have a nice exhaust sound, with a beautiful refrain when playing with the throttle.

Moto Parilla
Moto Parilla

The project was already in their minds. Should be a 90° single cylinder, 250cc. four stroke, with Burman type gearbox, four speed. Crankcase, cylinder and head will be aluminum casted. Big head valves with double needle-springs, controlled by small shaft with bevel gears, working on adjustable cam through rockers working on the cam by interposing small bearings, to get the whole system easy running.
The frame twisting as the current technology, must be assembled with small section tubes, closed in the bottom to get more rigidity. The forks must be very innovative girder forks, very wide diameter aluminum casted brakes. The fuel tank is not showing any mark for the moment.
On March 20th, 1946, Amorina gave birth to a child, as decided named Angelo. The boy beaten slightly the birth of the 250 cc. "Monoalbero" motorbike, which was almost ready, as a miracle, in 12 monhts time from the start of the project.

Moto ParillaSport/Competition, '46'47
Moto ParillaSport/Competition, '46'47
Moto ParillaCorsa, '46'47
Moto ParillaCorsa, '46'47

IT WILL BE MOTO PARILLA

At that step it was necessary to give a name to the project. Giovanni decided to remove one "R" from his name, so it became "MOTO PARILLA". His intention was to make it easier to pronounce the mark, especially in Italy, where the double "R" sounds too much. To complete the mark, up on it, a running graceful greyhound, confirming his dogs' passion.
A terrible grief struck the family. Only ten days after Angelo's birth, on April 1st, 1946 GIULIANA, seven years old, died due to meningitis in a few hours. A wound that wouldn't heal more.
Seemed now that the ambitious projects would not make sense anymore, but inside the workshop the workers, by now enthusiasts, were fitting out the first motorbike. To better clarify, we can say that there were enough spare parts to assemble three motorbikes.
At the end of May the first prototype was ready to be tested on the road. The motorbike needed to be refined, but immediately showed a good torque together with a good top speed. The exaust's sound was pleasant, sounding like a 500cc.
Giovanni threw himself at work, trying to forget a bit of sorrow.
He also decided to assemble the other three motorbikes, different from the first one in appearance. Giovanni, satisfied with the results, enrolled the motorbike to the road race in LODI (Milan area) in September 1946.
Giovanni friendly entrusted the motorbike to a rider (BARDELLI) who wasn't a very good one. He was a bar friend (who never took part in a race before) but nobody was imagining he was not a rider at all, because he was always declaring his high rider's performances. Anyway he took fourth place in his qualifying heat.

DEVELOPMENT

Due to the encouragement of friends and family for the good results of the first races, and to the general appreciation, Giovanni decided to reconsider the whole situation.
To say simply, the motorbike was required by the market.
It was necessary to build more motorbikes, and Giovanni got a high satisfaction. Giovanni, determined as ever, decided to try to present one of the motorbikes at the MILAN's TRADE FAIR in 1946. It was only the third prototype, but so well assembled, with his beautiful look, that everybody, especially the specialized press, gave the product the full approval.
Due to this, Giovanni decided to find a new much wider workshop. He found a new building not so far away. Near to Piazzale Corvetto, in Viale Lucania, 7, owned before by a company (OLMASA) manufacturer of grinding wheels.

Moto Parilla
Moto Parilla

1947 THE PREPARATION

Most of the motorbike's look was remade, with more modern concepts, assuming its own particular features.
Regarding the engine, the head was modified on the casting, with wider and squared fins, with rectangular covers for the double needle springs. The magneto took place on the crankcase in front of the cylinder, instead of the dynamo, located now on the rear of the crankcase.
Looking at the frame, the most important change was regarding the front girder forks, replaced by telescopic forks with extended spindle, and new brakes. The look of the motorbike changed with a new wider oil tank, aluminum casted with nice fins. A new roundish petrol tank replaced the one with teardrop shape, outdated. These changes gave the motorbike a modern line. In the middle of 1948 nearly n.100 motorbikes were sold, widely for racing. The result was that the racing activity found feedback in the 1948 "Golden Book of Sport's Results" with 11 victories, ten second place and five third place. The greatest satisfaction came with the Italian Speed Champs' victory by the rider Piero Cavaciuti from Piacenza.

Moto Parilla
Moto Parilla