Motobi was founded in 1950

by one of the Benelli family, Giuseppe, after he fell out with the rest of his siblings. Motobi made attractive machines with a distinctive egg-shaped crankcase on both its two and four strokes, with heavily finned cylinders set horizontally. While only 49cc Motobis were brought into the UK officially, in recent years small numbers of the attractive four-stroke singles have been making their way north from Italy. The last Motobi was a rebadged version of the Benelli Tornado.

250 Supersport

249cc OHV single || 260l || 90mph || 1968-1973 Well designed and with aggressive lines, the 250 Sport was one of the last Motobis made. It was equipped with the last version of the company’s proven air-cooled fourstroke horizontal OHV single cylinder engine as a 250, capable of running at 8500rpm and producing a mild 16.5bhp. The 250 Supersport was also sold as a 350, and as a Benelli, and is one of Italy’s hidden gems.

Prices

low £2000 || high £4000