Gilera Arcore 150
When I first heard the name Arcore what came to mind instantly was Dean Martin and his song ‘That’s Amore’. If you know the song it will help with the pronunciation from Italian which is ‘A-core-ay’. Not only does it rhyme but it is an applicable emotion after you get to know this cute little Italian motorcycle.
The Arcore was in fact named after the town where Guiseppe Gilera set up his motorcycle factory in 1925. Going back a bit ‘Moto Gilera’ actually began in 1909 in little more than a well-equipped workshop in Milan run by Guiseppe Gellera. No that’s not a misprint – Gellera was his christened name but he wasn’t fond of it so he badged his machines Gilera and legally changed his name to match in 1939.
More space was necessary when the company grew, so he moved the factory to Arcore on the outskirts of Milan. Giuseppe lived in a villa next door with his family. All the original buildings including the iconic water tower still exist today at the Via Cesare Battisti address. Guiseppe concentrated on larger capacity 4-stroke machines unlike many manufacturers in Italy. Maintaining his 4-stroke signature, after the war he downsized models to 125, 150 and later to 175cc to satisfy the market demand. The company expanded and even had a production branch in Buenos Aires which was entrusted to Guiseppe’s only son Ferruccio. The early 1950s were the zenith for Gilera and as a result the whole township prospered. The naming of one of the town’s main thoroughfares as Via Ferruccio Gilera is a lasting tribute to one of its most famous families and to Guiseppe’s son.
Tragedy
Sadly during his time in Argentina, the heir to the Arcore empire died suddenly in 1956. He was only 26 and is said to have contracted a tropical disease which some reports say was Hepatitis. Guiseppe was already 69 years of age and never came to terms with this loss. 1957 was made worse as hard times and cheap cars, like the Fiat 500, shrank the market. To carry on Gilera cancelled their very successful racing efforts. In the face of adversity, Guiseppe managed to introduce a couple of highly-praised small capacity motorcycles in 1964 as the Giubileo and Regolarita series. Increasing unrest in the home labour market during the late ‘60s resulted in endless strikes and a further loss of production. Giuseppe struggled but was unable to get more credit to offset his huge debt, so in 1969 he sold out to Piaggio. Sadly, Giuseppe Gilera died suddenly in his home in Arcore on November 20, 1971 only two years later. Piaggio respectfully retained the name and invested a lot of money in the renovation of the factory, machinery and human resources. The Piaggio management challenge was whether to continue the production of 4-stroke Gileras or to move to 2-stroke engines which were their forte and more popular at the time. A compromise was adopted, introducing a new line of 2-stroke mopeds but retaining the 4-stroke 125/150 cc models. TOP LEFT The original Gilera factory at Via Cesare Battisti, Arcore Italy. ABOVE Gilera production at the modern Piaggio factory. BELOW LEFT Arcores on the production line at Piaggio.
What was the Arcore?
The new 4-stroke drew from the previous Giubileo range but was the work of the Piaggio designers. They had no experience with 4-strokes and originally ignored the expert Gilera staff. Gilera’s designer Luigi Piazza presented a list of suggested improvements to shortcomings in the early Piaggio design but was ignored. His gravest concern was the big end bearing. They had proposed a roller bearing which he agreed was a smooth option but lubrication was critical to prevent failure. He recommended a bronze bush which was tried and proven for durability. ►