Team-BHP > Vintage Cars & Classics in India > Post-War


Reply
  Search this Thread
10,931 views
Old 2nd February 2012, 11:21   #1
GTO
Team-BHP Support
 
GTO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Bombay
Posts: 70,335
Thanked: 298,733 Times
A fully-restored '65 Gilera 106 Motorcycle

Mr. Chandan Basu Mallik wanted to share his motorcycle with us. Here are the details as received:

Details

Brand: Gilera
Country of manufacture: Italy
Model: 106/Guibleo
Year of manufacture: 1965-66
Technical specifications: 100cc, Single cylinder, four-stroke, air cooled, 4-speed gearbox
Max output: 7 bhp
Top speed: 65mph
Fuel consumption: 100 mpg
Name of current owner and restorer: Chandan Basu Mallik
Ownership since: 1997
The bike comes with matching chassis and engine number *101*27644*

Condition at start of project

1997
The bike frame with and engine mounted was in shambles when bought. Many critical parts were missing – petrol tank, seat, headlamp, gauges, carburetor/air filter etc. Aluminium engine housing was beginning to show signs of corrosion.

The battle plan began in 1998
Every part of the bike was dismantled and the chassis primed and treated with anti rust. All aluminium parts were treated with specialized chemicals to prevent further corrosion. On examination, it was found that the timing pinion was broken and this needed to be found and replaced.

Till 2007
Nothing really moved due to lack of parts or references and at times it was very frustrating.

2008-09
Via internet, I was able to locate a supplier in the UK for the pinion and on his advice joined a group in the US and also started scouting Ebay. From US I sourced the fuel tank, new rubbers speedometer, headlamp, tail lamp, levers carburetor, air filter, silencer header and even spare engine. The seat base and part of the silencer came from Italy and some of the cosmetics and badges came from UK.

2011
This year has been a really a rewarding year for the restoration. My mechanic was a genius in putting together the pieces and we were able to fire the engine for the first time in over a decade!

Also discovered on the way that this particular model was also badge engineered and sold in different countries -- in fact, for this tiny bike, there's an amazing following in the US where it was sold as Sears and All State. In Italy, it was the entry level model for MV Augusta, Motomorini and some other brands.

Meanwhile, some body work and fabrication was required in otherwise a clean bike with no structural or surface damage. New rims, tyre, chrome and zinc and two-tone metallic grey and yellow paintwork followed.

Restorer’s note

We have kept the bike close to the original for authenticity and all details of items purchased for the restoration are available as evidence. The author/owner works in Oman and has devoted a majority of his annual holiday time in this 100 per cent nut and bolt restoration!

The above is true to the best of my knowledge

Gilera corporate background

The Gilera company was founded in 1909 by Giuseppe Gilera in Milan. Gilera's history has its roots in the early part of the twentieth century. The first motorcycle to bear this name, the VT 317, was produced in 1909 by Giuseppe Gilera. In the years following World War I, Gilera produced the 500 cc side valve motorcycles that went on to win major international races. From the mid-Thirties the production of motorcycles with a valve in the crankcase, such as the "Quattro Bulloni 500" and the "Otto Bulloni".

Towards the end of the 1950’s Gilera introduced a revised range of lightweight singles such as the Guibileo featuring parallel valves and deep finned sumps. Offered in a range of engine sizes from 98cc to 175cc and specifications they helped provided a steady source of income during the 1960. Gilera’s fame also came from racing where it also collected six manufacturer's championship wins, three Tourist Trophies, seven Italian titles and an impressive record win by Bruno Francisci at the Milano-Taranto race.

In all Gilera won 44 international Grand Prix titles before its exit from racing in 1957. It was also a strong contender in off-road racing, dominating several International Six Day races. Standard production models included medium-displacement bikes such as the Giubileo, Rossa, Turismo and the Sport. Gilera bikes were rebadged and sold in the USA as Sears or All-State.

A fully-restored '65 Gilera 106 Motorcycle-65-gilera.jpg

A fully-restored '65 Gilera 106 Motorcycle-65-gilera-1.jpg

A fully-restored '65 Gilera 106 Motorcycle-65-gilera-2.jpg

A fully-restored '65 Gilera 106 Motorcycle-65-gilera-3.jpg

A fully-restored '65 Gilera 106 Motorcycle-65-gilera-4.jpg

A fully-restored '65 Gilera 106 Motorcycle-65-gilera-5.jpg

A fully-restored '65 Gilera 106 Motorcycle-65-gilera-6.jpg

A fully-restored '65 Gilera 106 Motorcycle-65-gilera-7.jpg
GTO is offline   (7) Thanks
Old 3rd February 2012, 17:03   #2
Senior - BHPian
 
harit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 4,033
Thanked: 3,281 Times
Re: A fully-restored '65 Gilera 106 Motorcycle

Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO View Post
Mr. Chandan Basu Mallik wanted to share his motorcycle with us.
Nice bike, any details of its history? Who was the previous owner (a consulate?), where did he find it, does he know of others in India? We are a curious lot indeed!
The bike appears to reside in Bengal, maybe Kolkata?

Cheers harit

Last edited by harit : 3rd February 2012 at 17:04.
harit is offline  
Old 4th February 2012, 05:04   #3
Senior - BHPian
 
MileCruncher's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: MH01
Posts: 4,230
Thanked: 580 Times
Re: A fully-restored '65 Gilera 106 Motorcycle

Good restoration job!

From one of the pictures looks like the owner is a bike aficionado. Any other restoration jobs that he has undertaken?

Cheers
MileCruncher is offline  
Old 12th February 2012, 22:07   #4
Newbie
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: muscat, kolkata
Posts: 2
Thanked: 0 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by MileCruncher View Post
Good restoration job!

From one of the pictures looks like the owner is a bike aficionado. Any other restoration jobs that he has undertaken?

Cheers
Couple of projects in the pipeline include a Norton 7 Garden Gate, BSA C12 and BSA A7 and Triumph 3HW/Tiger 80!

Quote:
Originally Posted by harit View Post
Nice bike, any details of its history? Who was the previous owner (a consulate?), where did he find it, does he know of others in India? We are a curious lot indeed!
The bike appears to reside in Bengal, maybe Kolkata?

Cheers harit
Bike's origin [previous owner as per registration] is Siliguri. Would assume someone in the tea estates might have brought it. Beyond this I don't have any references. Chances are slim in India. If anyone else has one, do let me know!!!!

Cheers

Last edited by karlosdeville : 12th February 2012 at 22:45. Reason: Consecutive posts
chandan56 is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks