La Gambalunga apparaît juste après la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Il s'agit d'une machine de course usine qui dérive du Condor et du Dondolino avec une nouvelle partie cycle.
En 1951, l'ultime version développe 37ch et dépasse les 190 Km/H !
Pour les années suivantes, Guzzi lancera une double offensive avec la 500 Bialbero et la 500 4 cylindres.
French text: Thomas Bersy
Single cylinder OHV 498.5cc engine
Power: 37hp at 6,000 rpm
Weight: 120 Kg
Max. Speed: over 190 km/h
The Gambalunga was released just after the Second World War, in 1946, and development continued until 1951. This is a factory racing machine that is derived from the Condor and Dondolino a substantially modified engine, which was now a longstroke version of 84mm bore and 90mm stroke.
Only factory riders were issued with this machine - a motorcycle which the hundred or so Dondolino owners could only dream of. In addition to the new engine with electron crankcases, the frame and suspension were upgraded - it has leading link front forks and an aluminium fuel tank.
The long-stroke engine, which had been introduced to reduce stess of the lower half of the engine, was not a huge success and in 1948 it reverted to the Dondolino bore/stroke but with an additional crankshaft bearing.
In 1951, the final version developed 37hp and was capable of over 190 km/h. In total a baker's dozen were built. It is believed that at a later date some replicas were produced by a group of enthusiasts.
For the following years, Guzzi launched a dual offensive on the racing world with the 500 Bialbero and the 500 four.
Sources: Phil Aynsley, Ian Falloon, Thomas Bersy et al.
Photographed at the 2011 Avignon Motor Festival by Thomas Bersy Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
