The 1984 Fantic Sprinter Multispeed was a fairly ordinary Italian 50cc CVT “no-ped”, but as the Italians managed to do throughout the twentieth century, they managed to come up with a truly striking and unique package, even if the technology under the wrap is all strictly conventional.
Image: Bike-urious.com
Last Call indicates the end of the Hooniverse broadcast day. It’s meant to be an open forum for anyone and anything. Thread jacking is not only accepted, it’s encouraged.
Last Call: '80s Italian Style Edition
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8 responses to “Last Call: '80s Italian Style Edition”
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I’m not really “into” motorcycles, and so I don’t comment on them often. I had my first at age 5, and rode until I was 15 or so (on dirt). When I turned 16, my dad sold ALL of his bikes, and he was always an avid rider. Said he was protecting me. Oh well, I just dove headfirst into cars.
Regardless, I always had an appreciation for modest-displacement, agile bikes. I don’t understand the modern trend of heavy, large-displacement motorcycles. Ok, their torque makes them easier highway cruisers, but I never thought motorcycles at high speeds were much fun anyway. I liked the twisties, and that’s where smaller bikes shined. I have occasionally researched the Ducati Urban Enduro (even though 800-cc is WAY bigger than anything I ever rode back in the day), and do admit a lustful admiration for the BMW R NineT Scrambler, which is not exactly a “small-displacement” bike.
50cc, though, is seriously small. Anyone ridden a Zero yet?-
Smaller bikes are even more viable these days. The Honda Rebel 250 of the eighties developed 16 HP, whereas the Honda Rebel 300 of today develops 27 HP. So 20% larger engine makes better than 50% more power.
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Wow… that’s surprising. I always thought 2-strokes made more power per displacement than did 4-strokes (I’m assuming the old bike was 2S and the newer 4S).
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Both 4-stroke engines. The early ones were parallel twins, but the new ones are single-cylinder.
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The bike looks to me like something Lego should have made a model of.
Amusing car sighting of today: a Toyota Celica done up to look like its sibling Castrol-sponsored cars that raced in WRC. -
This slo-ped is style over substance in the best Italian manner. It reminds me of an Olivetti Lettera portable typewriter I had a long time ago – stylish but actually a pretty crappy machine.
http://www.munk.org/projects/typewriters/1964_olivetti_lettera_32_04.jpg-
“stylish but actually a pretty crappy machine.”
Like another Italian product, the Alfetta GTV, which is why I drive a Lancia Gamma Coupe.
Sorry Alfisti. A FWD Lancia handles better than a RWD Alfa.
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