At the age of 12 Bruno Rossati began working eleven hour days.
"Now, approaching 91, I find myself reminiscing about my youth, still riding my motorcycle every day.
Letter re Ladetto
A Brief History of the Marque
Manufactured in Varese 1980-1987.
The company was established in Italy by Fritz Kramer of Germany and built high quality 125cc machines in limited quanties which were designed to meet the appetite of Italian youth for high performance lightweights. The HRD utilised, as did the majority of its rivals, a single cylinder, liquid cooled two-stroke Aprilia engine which was housed in a tubular frame designed by a former Bimota engineer, which perhaps accounts for the marque's similarity in appearance to the Bimota. Quality components including Grimeca wheels, Brembo front brakes (some with twin discs) and Veglia instrumentation added to the machine's overall attraction. Tau read-valve 125cc engines were fitted to Silver Horse machines in 1985.
The HRD products could not compete with the mass produced offerings in terms of price and did not offer enough of a performance advantage to warrant the extra expense for the majority of prospective riders, leading to the marque's early demise.
The marque was sold to a French company which produced high quality machines for some years. The French factory was then sold to the Spanish firm Sherco, and remains the company headquarters.
Models include:
HRD WH125 Red Horse
HRD WH125 Silver Horse
HRD White Horse
HRD YH 1989, Yamaha WR 250cc engine
HRD 250 GS 1990 Enduro HRD-1990-250GS-Enduro.jpg
Engine
Liquid-cooled, 2-stroke single. Bore x Stroke: 68 x 68 mm., 246 c.c. Power: 48.9 hp at 8000 rpm. Torque: 5.1 mkg at 7000 rpm. Carburettor: Mikuni 38 mm. 5-speed gearbox. Cable-actuated clutch. Kickstart lever.
Chassis
Frame: steel dual cradle. Fork: White Power USD 40 mm. - travel 300 mm. Rear suspension: Mono-K Öhlins - travel 345 mm. Brakes: Front 245 mm disc. Rear 220 mm disc. Weight: 99 kg (dry).
HRD 125 GS 1992 Enduro
Engine
Liquid-cooled, 2-stroke single. Six-speed gearbox. Cable-actuated clutch. Kickstart lever.
Chassis
Frame: steel dual cradle. Fork: USD. Rear suspension: Mono-K Öhlins. Brakes: Front disc. Rear disc.
HRD 250 GS 1993 Enduro
Engine
Liquid-cooled, 2-stroke single. with YPVS valve Bore x Stroke: 68 x 68.8 mm., 249 c.c. Power: 55.6 hp at 8500 rpm. Carburettor: Mikuni 38 mm. 5-speed gearbox. Cable-actuated clutch. Kickstart lever.
Chassis
Frame: steel dual cradle. Fork: White Power USD 40 mm. - travel 300 mm. Rear suspension: Mono-K Öhlins - travel 345 mm. Brakes: Front 245 mm disc. Rear 220 mm disc. Weight: 103 kg (dry). Fuel capacity: 10.2 litres
HRD 125 GS 1994 Enduro
Engine
Liquid-cooled, 2-stroke single. Six-speed gearbox. Cable-actuated clutch. Kickstart lever.
Chassis
Frame: steel dual cradle. Fork: USD. Rear suspension: Mono-K Öhlins. Brakes: Front disc. Rear disc.
HRD 250 GS 1996 Enduro
Engine
Liquid-cooled, 2-stroke single. . Bore x Stroke: 68 x 68.8 mm., 249 c.c. Power: 53 hp at 8500 rpm. Torque: 4.85 mkg at 7500 rpm. Carburettor: Keihin PWK 38 mm. 5-speed gearbox. Cable-actuated clutch. Kickstart lever.
Chassis
Frame: steel dual cradle. Fork: Païoli Magnum 46 mm. - travel 280 mm. Rear suspension: Mono-K Öhlins - travel 345 mm. Brakes: Front 245 mm disc. Rear 220 mm disc. Weight: 105 kg (dry).
HRD 125 GSE 1996 Enduro
Engine
Liquid-cooled, 2-stroke single. Six-speed gearbox. Cable-actuated clutch. Kickstart lever.
Chassis
Frame: steel dual cradle. Fork: Marzocchi Magnum 45 mm. Rear suspension: Mono-K Öhlins. Brakes: Front 260 mm disc. Rear 220 mm disc. Weight: 93 kg (dry).
N.B. It has been suggested that HRD Italy acquired the rights to the name from Philip Vincent's company after it closed. This is an alternative fact.
Sources: H&H Classic Auctions; Le Guide Vert.
