Moto Shifty

An Italian-built machine with a car engine, the Moto Shifty leaves you scratching your head. The bike had a 900cc engine from a Fiat 127 and was the brainchild of a South African Chrysler executive, made in Padova between 1978 and 1982. The Moto Shifty used Laverda and Benelli parts, and had the Fiat dashboard mounted in the petrol tank. With the Italians making plenty of big bikes at the time, you wonder just why someone thought a half-tonne bike with an Italian car engine in it was a good idea. It was, at least, easy to work on and parts for the Fiat engine were cheap. The Moto Shifty drove the rear wheel from the car gearbox with one of the output shafts locked off, the other driving a chain. About 70 were made. Prices: One was sold recently in the UK for £4000.