PARILLA 175 MSDS PRIVATEER RACER

1957 PARILLA 175

Frame no.: *450219*
Engine no.: *406660*

Engine: Single cylinder DOHC 4-stroke
Starter: Kick-starter
Bore & stroke: 59.8 x 62 mm
Compression ratio: 7.0:1
Engine Capacity: 175cc
Maximum power: 10 bhp [HP] / 6,500 rpm
Valve: DOHC
Valves per cylinder: 2
Carburettor: Dell O’rto
Cooling system: Air cooled
Lubrication: Wet sump forced circulation with mechanical gear pump
Transmission: Gear primary, chain final
Clutch: Cable operated with multiple wet disc in oil bath
Gearbox: 4 Speed foot-change
Throttle: Cable operated
Frame type: Open cradle tubular and pressed steel
Front Suspension: Telescopic fork and shock absorbers
Rear Suspension: Swingarm with hydraulic shock absorbers
Front Brake: Drum
Rear Brake: Drum
Seat: Duck tail race seat
Fuel tank capacity: ca. 14 liters
Weight: 100kg (220lb)
Top speed: 160 km/h (100 mph)

Giovanni Parrilla was a Spaniard who grew up in Italy. He was one of many new motorcycle manufacturers who sprung up after World War II. Part of his technical education came when he bought a Norton Manx and took it apart. The company's approach to styling was distinctive and they have joined other Italian small displacement bikes as favourites of the collector crowd.

Giovanni Parrilla built his first motorcycle in 1946, dropping his surname's second 'r' to call the machine 'Parilla'. Mr. Parrilla owned a shop on the outskirts of Milan specialising in the repair of diesel injector pumps. He also held an agency for Bosch sparking plugs.

The first Parilla motorcycle - a 250cc overhead-camshaft single-cylinder racer - was the work of Ing. Giuseppe Salmaggi, who already had the Gilera Saturno to his credit. Giovanni Parrilla was a big Norton fan so the 250 racer's engine employed a bevel-driven overhead-camshaft just like the British manufacturer's Manx. There the similarity ended however, for the Parilla was a thoroughly modern design boasting unitary construction of the engine/transmission and geared primary drive. The new power unit went into a welded loop-type chassis featuring a single down-tube, girder front fork and plunger rear suspension. (Later versions had a telescopic fork and swinging-arm suspension). Ridden on its debut by Nino Grieco on 1st October 1946, the Parilla could claim to be Italy's first new racing motorcycle since the War's end.

These were mainstays in Italian club racing as well as the town-to-town Moto Giro competitions. For safety reasons, these races on public roads were often limited to 175cc machinery and all interested Italian manufacturers produced bikes of this displacement.

It has the lean and hungry look of racing motorcycles of its era, lacking any compromises like a headlight, muffler of kick-starter. The clip-on handlebars and rear set pegs let the rider adopt the classic racing crouch in the days before riders hung off their bikes to secure higher cornering speeds. The black and red Dual seat tone paint is a residual seat of Parrilla's Norton Manx encounter. He often used the traditional black and red shades on different Parrilla models.

The here offered Parrilla 175cc MSDS with is overhead camshaft , is a one of a kind with. This bike is a stunning example of an Italian racing bike from the time when Italian machinery ruled many road racing classes. Its lines are distinctive, especially the signature Parrilla tank shape and the racing saddle and it is very fine restored condition. It offers an opportunity to enter the Italian Moto Giro Retrospettivo or any of the versions held in countries around the world.