500 V8 GP

The most famous racing bike of all time is the Moto Guzzi 8 cylinder GP 500 (1955-57), with a displacement that has never been attempted since. The design engineer, Carcano, began work on the new Guzzi GP racer in 1954, developing an 8-cylinder 4-stroke V90 engine with 498.5 cc displacement. The modernity of the project, which featured highly innovative technical solutions, found itself up against materials that were not as advanced. The initial version of the engine delivered 68 hp at 12,000 rpm, which rose to 72 (at the same revs) in the 1957 version, for a top speed of 275 km/h. The initial version envisaged 6 gears; the remarkable elasticity of the engine, however, allowed use of a 4- or 5-gear shift (depending on the circuit).The solution adopted for the twin-cradle upper single beam frame was interesting. This allowed for oil and coolant to be contained in the upper beam, thus freeing up valuable space around the powerful engine. The fairing was a “bell” type, as was permitted by international regulations at the time.