1955 FB Mondial Turismo Veloce 175cc - David Ward
David tracked down his delightful FB Mondial in 2013 and prepared it for the 2014 Motogiro d’italia. “It was a longheld ambition to do the Motogiro and do it on a period 175,” he says. “The Mondial is a rare thing and I count myself lucky to have found one in the UK. It was a bit of a basket case, so a full rebuild followed with great help from my local engineering guru, Alan. The engine is a fantastic little ohc unit – amazing what was being produced in Italy in the ’50s.
“It was originally a dull black, but I had it painted in a blue and silver design as a tribute to the Mondial factory race bikes. Mondial, of course, had a fantastic track record both in GP racing and the great road races of the ’50s such as the Motogiro and Milano-taranto. They produced bikes in relatively small numbers and their star burned really brightly, but only for that short post-war period. That means they are few and far between. The pleasure you get from fettling these little thoroughbreds is great, and I’m lucky to have a local collection of mates with 1950s tiddlers from Italian factories including Moto Parilla, Aermacchi and Ducati.
“I’ve completed the Motogiro twice now on the Mondial – in 2014 and 2019 – and was delighted to get two top ten finishes in the Historic class. Both times we had a good group of mates going over and it really is a fantastic experience. The history of these events is amazing and the welcome you get is like nothing you see over here. Riding these little bikes flat out through stunning Italian countryside and experiencing the hospitality of the local villages is unforgettable. Until you’ve done it, I don’t think you can appreciate just how much fun it is riding a bike with about 11bhp hard, in the company of other like-minded individuals for six days on the trot!”
David was really impressed with the Three Moors Run and says: “Russell came up trumps with a fantastic route and great hospitality. Truly the top event for tiddlers in the UK and a brilliant event. The opportunity to run these tiddlers hard on some of our best roads is truly one of the great biking experiences. You’re working so hard to squeeze every last bit of performance out of them and the sensations are so different from blasting along on something with ten times the amount of power. Overtakes are planned way in advance and the secret to good progress is executing the perfect downchange or two on hills – mess it up and all is lost! Momentum must be preserved at all costs…
“Two roads stand out, both ridden in beautiful weather in close company with mates on a Parilla 175 and Aermacchi 175 – firstly the Land’s End to St Ives coastal route, secondly the B3224 across Exmoor. Glorioso! Plus, of course, the delight of sitting outside a bar next to your bike in the late afternoon sun, debriefing over a pint.
“I’ll be back next year – and I’m very excited about Russell’s Trans-iberia Challenge, so we’ll have to see if I can get the time off. Having been fortunate to experience all kinds of bike trips over the years, there is no doubt in my mind that small Italian bikes, great company, and a fantastic route offer a pretty unbeatable combination.”
'SITTING OUTSIDE A BAR NEXT TO YOUR BIKE IN THE SUN, DEBRIEFING OVER A PINT. GLORIOSO!'