Museo Nazionale del Motociclo di Rimini. Photograph by Mike Ricketts
La bicicletta a motore GAIA con gruppo G.D.
A Brief History of the Marque
Manufactured: 1922-32
Established in 1905 as Secolari Stabilimenti Meccanici Bertot-Rocca in Forno Canavese, Turin in 1905 as a bicycle manufacturer, Giuseppe Gaia began building motorcycles in 1922, having moved to Turin city. The first model was equipped with the German Alba (1) engine, an inclined single cylinder side-valve 192cc with magneto ignition. It has girder forks, a separate two-speed gearbox, primary and secondary transmission by chain, and on the right there is the chain for the pedals.
The firm also used two-stroke and four-stroke engines from DKW, Casoli, Rubinelli, Train, Paque, GD, MM, and Siat. After 1927, Ladetto & Blatto supplied most of their engines, and Gaia in turn supplied them with numerous different frames.
The company closed in 1932.
Notes
1. Tragatsch says the first machines had Rubinelli bicycle engines, and that the next two were motorcycles fitted with Alba engines of 123 and 173cc.
2. A Giuseppe Gaia established the firm Fonderia Gaia in Turin around 1911. There does not appear to be a relationship between the firms.
Sources: MC Storico Conti, Tragatsch p141, fondmeccanica.it et al.
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