Itom Astor Competizione
This diminutive motorcycle reputedly has TT pedigree, featuring in the inaugural 50cc race. Though its rider is unknown, one suspects he (or even she…) was rather smaller than our tester…
It’s June 8, 1962, and on a glorious Friday morning, 33 riders have come to the start line of the ultra-lightweight 50cc TT race. It was the first time for the ‘tiddlers’ around the 37¾mile Mountain Course and the huge crowd anxiously waited for the flag to drop and for the action to get under way.
The field was full of world-class stars on an impressive line-up of factory machines; four eight-speed fourstroke Hondas, then, from the two-stokes, four Suzukis and five Kreidlers, sporting a staggering 12 gears. These were all specially prepared works offerings but filling up the rest of the entry was a list of privately prepared machines, comprising of a Dot, a solitary Benelli, three specials, a Tohatsu and no fewer than 14 Italian Itoms.
The rider of one of the little Italian two-strokes had created a lot of media interest, as Beryl Swain was the first female to be granted an entry in one of the world’s toughest and most dangerous races. That June day also saw this month’s featured machine come to the start line, although, sadly, through the passing of time, the name of the competitor who raced this particular Itom has now been obscured.
On his works Suzuki, the East German star Ernst Degner – who the previous year had defected to the West, bringing MZ’s two-stroke tuning knowledge with him – was in a class of his own and at the end of the two lap event (74.46 miles) averaged a staggering 75.2mph on the little two-stroke to bring Suzuki its first TT victory.
Of the 14 Itoms entered, Bill Ivy’s bike failed to start and Stan Lawley had to change a plug before he got going, but nine did make it to the chequered flag. Top runner was Charlie Mates in 16th position (56.65mph average) who led home the other eight, including Beryl Swain, who was 22nd out of the 25 finishers. Sadly, it proved to be Beryl’s first and last ride around the Island, as the FIM decided it was too dangerous for lady competitors and it wasn’t until 1978 that the ban was lifted.
To successfully race such a diminutive motorcycle,
the physical attributes of its rider would typically read ‘no taller than five foot three or four and a ready to race weight of around six or seven stone.’ Therefore, it was with some form of trepidation I got myself – a six footer weighing in at around 14 stone – ready to sample this Italian thoroughbred, one of the eclectic collection belonging to West Country enthusiasts Andy Rowett and his son Ben.
Andy has appeared in the magazine before with his Silk Scott and a very impressive 350cc Gold Star but, as he explained, the love of the Astor Competizione goes back to the days he first took to the roads over 50 years ago.
“I was born in Penarth, Glamorgan, and couldn’t wait for my 16th birthday to come around and take to the open roads on my D1 BSA Bantam. Along with a friend, who also had a Bantam, we used to ride around the streets and nearby lanes trying to look ‘cool’ but the
BSA singles were painfully slow – top speed downhill of around 40mph – and we were regularly left behind by another teenager, Dave Richards, riding an incredibly quick moped with the name of ‘Itom’ on the petrol tank.
“Unlike our basic Bantams, Dave’s bike had a high spec duplex frame, full suspension front and aft, a threespeed hand-operated gearbox, clip on handlebars, a race seat and a curvaceous two gallon petrol tank. It both looked and went like a refugee from the racetrack.”
After the end of the Second World War there was a huge demand for cheap to run, lightweight two wheelers and the Itom factory was founded in 1948 by lawyer Corrado Corradi and based at Via Francesco Millio in Turin. The first product was an auxiliary bicycle engine in three versions (one on front wheel, two for the back wheel, mounted either close to the pedals or over the rear wheel) and in 1950 the first ‘ciclomotre’ with tubular frame and automatic clutch appeared. This was soon followed by a two-speed version, and, in 1954, the first Astor Sport, with a three-speed handlebar gearshift and obligatory pedals, hit the showrooms.
The Astor was an instant hit with Italian teenagers and three years later this model was superseded by the Super Sport and the first Competizione, the latter which could achieve heading for 50mph. For those interested in competition, Itom also sold a tuning kit comprising of a high compression cylinder head, chrome bore cylinder, Dell’Orto SS20 carburettor, expansion chamber and piston. Also available as an option were a set of Ceriani competition forks with external springs and with both these and the tuning kit fitted an unfaired bike was capable of over 70mph.
In 1957, the factory moved to the premises of the former Maglificio Fratelli Bosio and the Itom parent company was renamed I.M.S.A. (Industria Meccanica Sant’Ambrogio) with a workforce of around 130. Through A H Tooley, Station Garage, Burnt Ash
Hill, south-east London, many Itoms came to the UK during the late 1950s and early 60s and several were subject to some serious road tests by the period motorcycle magazines.
On a standard Competizione model, Motorcycle Mechanics waxed lyrically about the bike and opened their report by saying: “Over 50 miles an hour, over 100 miles per gallon, first class brakes and impeccable road holding – all this from a motorcycle with an engine that has a bore not much bigger than an egg cup.” After more praise on the easy to start engine and superb gearbox, they concluded by saying, “The machine proved to be perfectly reliable and a very pleasant sporty lightweight to ride.” Later on, Motorcycle Sport took a Tooley tuned, race ready Competizione – a bike belonging to Graham
Barham – to Snetterton race circuit, but sadly after four high-speed laps this was cut short when a holed piston brought the test to a premature halt. However, in the laps which were covered around the Norfolk circuit, there was plenty for the tester to praise for, with the lightweight Barham on board, it was timed at over 80mph on the long Norwich Straight.
The Rowett machine might not be able to do this sort of speed, but as Ben discovered at its first track outing at Jurby, it can still hold its own against bikes many times its capacity, and, when parked up, it creates a lot of interest. However before we hear from Ben, his father told me how he came to obtain it in 2014 and the work he had to do to bring it to its present condition.
“Since my teenage years – and being bested by Dave Richards – I’ve always fancied an Astor Competizione, so when I saw this ex-TT bike advertised on eBay I placed a bid and won it.
“From my home in West Wiltshire it was a long drive to the Lake District to collect the Itom, but I could see it was an ex-race bike and the seller assured it had been ridden in the 1962 Ultra-lightweight TT and he’d acquired it from the original owner/rider. It wasn’t registered and like nearly all of its racing siblings was fitted with front forks from a 50cc Suzuki, as opposed to the standard items which had virtually no damping. There was no fairing fitted – the seller had removed it – and I had to cough up another £100 to buy it, but I wasn’t in a position to argue, so along with the bike, this was loaded into my van for the 300 mile drive back home.
“I had no intention of racing it, but I wanted it to both look and go as it did in its outing at the 1962 TT, so, back in our workshop, Ben and I decided to strip it down and treat it to a total nut and bolt restoration. We rebuilt the engine and while this was out of the frame, all of the ‘yellow bits’ – the fairing, petrol tank and mudguards – were sent to Joeby’s Airbrush Art in Wells (01749 677498) who as always did a superb job with the paintwork.”
It didn’t take too long for the father-and-son team to get the Itom back to its former glory, and what better place to give the bike its first public appearance than the 2016 Classic parade at Jurby, on the Isle Of Man. Parked up in a row of classics, which included Agostini’s old works MV and a sea of Manx Nortons, the Itom created a huge amount of interest, including that from former Formula One world champion Damon Hill. With Andy circulating on his old Scott, Ben was in the saddle of the Itom for his first experience of riding on the track. He takes up the story.
“After getting an age related number we’d done a few running in miles on the road to check the engine out so the bike was well sorted by the time we took it to Jurby. Prior to riding the Itom on the track, most of my experience had been on the road aboard modern four stroke v-twins, but I quickly adapted to the little twostroke single. “Unlike its road version, there is no kickstart but on rebuilding the motor my dad had made up and fitted an electronic ignition system so with a quick paddle the engine soon fired into life. Riding it around the Jurby circuit I was surprised how it performed and as long as I kept the engine ‘on the boil’ at around 7000 revs and my head down below the screen, it certainly didn’t disgrace itself against machines with ten times the engine capacity.”
Since that outing at the Isle of Man parade, Andy and Ben have also taken the Itom to a similar event at nearby Castle Combe, where on the long straight 9000 revs were seen on the rev counter in top (third) gear, impressive stuff for a bike which started life as a moped for a teenager.
Many years have now passed since I was in my teens, so what was it like for me to ride? In a word… ‘Difficult.’ The Itom is incredibly small, with a seat height of just over 2ft and a handlebar width of 18in behind a snug fairing. Pushing it away on a very quiet road, the twostroke single was quick to fire up, but getting my leatherclad legs to fold up and fit on the rear set footrests was not an easy operation.
However, once on the move, above 6000 revs it let out a very healthy wail from the expansion pipe and as we accelerated, it was difficult to believe I was riding a motorcycle of nearly 60 years old and just 50cc. Both handling and braking were top class and as I swept past photographer Gary, I could see the laugh on his face, as I must have looked a bit like an elephant riding a child’s bicycle. With my ride at an end, I returned the Itom to its proud owners, full of admiration for the riders who negotiated two hard laps of the TT course on these miniature machines. Every man, and lone woman, were real heroes!