Gilera 1947ca Nettuno Turismo 247 cc 1 cyl OHV 3601

Gilera 1947ca Nettuno Turismo 247 cc OHV  engine # 212801

Gilera first sprang to prominence in the late 1930s when its supercharged four-cylinder racers shattered BMWs in Grands Prix and snatched the world speed record from the German marque. Throughout the early 1950s it was the racers that again grabbed the headlines, the Arcore marque taking five manufacturer’s titles and six individual championships with riders such as Duke, Liberati, and Masetti. Although racing generated valuable publicity, it was sales of road bikes that paid the bills. Best known and most successful large-capacity Gilera roadster of the period was the 500cc Saturno. Less familiar outside Italy was its baby brother the Nettuno (Neptune), a 247 cc, overhead-valve, four-stroke single. The Nettuno used the same horizontally-sprung, friction-damped, swinging-arm rear suspension as the Saturno. The Turismo produced 11 hp while the more powerful Sport, with alloy cylinder head, had 13 horsepower on tap. Top speeds were 64mph and 78mph respectively. Production of both models ended in 1954.

Our Nettuno is fitted with Dell ‘Orto carb, Marelli magneto and has a sturdy unit construction engine with oil contained in the engine sump. She features a cable-operated headlamp dimmer and has been excellently restored.