Moto Guzzi V8
The Moto Guzzi V8 also Moto Guzzi Otto Cilindri was a racing bike from the Italian manufacturer Moto Guzzi, which was used in the highest class of the FIM World Motorcycle Championship. The Moto Guzzi V8 ( 1955-1957 ) is the only motorcycle with eight-cylinder engine that has ever participated in motorcycle racing.
Development
Giulio Cesare Carcano, racing manager and development engineer at Moto Guzzi, searching for solutions, the four-cylinder competitors Gilera and MV Agusta in the class up to 500 cc counteract. A multi-cylinder engine could reach higher speeds, more power with the same displacement. The selection was limited by Carcano to a six - or eight-cylinder engine, a six-cylinder for transverse installation would have been too wide. The choice fell on a V8 engine with 90 degree cylinder angle; the project, which began in 1954, had few role models in the motorcycle world. The Curtiss V8 ( 1906) was a motorcycle with a V8 aircraft engine, designed for speed records and the V8 supercharged two-stroke of Galbusera (1938 ) did not progress beyond the stage of development.
In the fall of 1954, the first sketch of Carcano was finished, early in 1955 ran the first tests on the test bench. Within a short time he managed the 12 -strong racing department of Moto Guzzi to complete an unusual race bike.
Technology
The eight-cylinder engine was mounted transversely in the frame, in order not to become too great, the end surface of the motorcycle in a width of 50 cm. Cylinder bank angle of the V-type engine was 90 degrees. The motor housing consisted of electric iron and had a mount for the axle bearing swingarm. First, the crankshaft was mounted on roller bearings, plain bearings later were used because they produced less vibration. The four camshafts are controlled by a central gear wheel, which also drive the water pump. The valves, inlet and outlet 23 mm 21 mm, were to each other at an angle of 58 degrees. By tappets actuated valves were held by two springs in her seat. Eight interleaved 20 -mm Dell'Orto carburettors took care of the mixture formation. Each of the eight cylinders had a breaker mounted in pairs on the left end of each intake camshaft. 10 -mm spark ignited in the sequence 1-8-3-6-4-5-2-7. In the first test runs of the engine already reached 62 hp at a speed of 12,000 min -1. First, a 6 -speed transmission was used, which, however, due to the power delivery of the engine proved to be unnecessary; as early as 7000 min-1 enough power was available. Five courses were sufficient on later models was even driven with four courses. The engine was installed in a load-bearing central tube frame. If the rear wheel out in a conventional swing arm, one used in Moto Guzzi on the front wheel proven pushed Short wheel to guide the " unimaginable by today's skinny tires ". In the final stage of development (1957 ), the V8 achieved an output of 78 hp at 14,000 min-1 and was therefore one of the most powerful models in the 500 cc class.
Racing applications
1955 V8 was driven to the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa- Francorchamps and the Nations Grand Prix in Monza for the first time in training; the first race was the following year. Bill Lomas scored the fifth place in the senior race in the Isle of Man TT and the fastest lap of the race at the Grand Prix of Germany at the Stuttgart Solitude race track in the Motorcycle World Championship in 1956. On February 26, 1957 he set a speed record of more than 10 km from a standing start with 243.572 km / h with a V8 (narrow panel). In the season 1957 Dickie Dale reached the fourth place in the Isle of Man TT and at Hockenheim. Even before the breakthrough in the half-liter class was reached and after " inevitable teething problems of the eight-cylinder missile ," said Moto Guzzi end of 1957 officially withdrew from racing.
The V8 engine