A Brief History of the Italian Marque
Manufactured 1978-1988 by Claudio Bombaci
Built 50cc and 80cc motocross machines fitted with Minarelli engines. Early in the piece Valerio Gherardi gained limited success with the 50cc machine, and then in 1981/82 he took wins in several regional races and in the Italian championship. Other Bombaci riders did quite well in those years, with the result that some 4 out of 5 machines on the grid at regional races were built by Bombaci.
The spell was broken in '83 when the new model, which had a number of unique features, failed to sell - not because there was anything wrong with them, but simply because they were "different". That didn't prevent them from performing, however, and from '83 to '85 further laurels were gained, particularly at the hands of the Ravaglia brothers. At this point the Bombaci was regarded as the best handing chassis in its class.
Business took a further beating when the rules were changed - the 50cc class was replaced with 80cc, the "ottantini", and sales of 50cc machines plummetted across the nation. Claudio Bombaci tackled the problem with a new machine for the 80cc class but the challenge was too great for such a small company. The last production machines were built in 1988. In total some 50 Bombaci motocrossers were created.
In the following years Claudio devoted his time to suspension, and then, at the age of 63, began seeking out and restoring some of the originals.
Source: mangiapolvereoldirtbike.blogspot.com
