GIRO DAY

GIRO DAY
Q Racing crouch is
advisory at 8000rpm-plus
1956 PARILLA LUSSO VELOCE
VISUALLY STUNNING RACER FOR THE ROAD, WITH AN ENGINE THAT’S A WORK OF ART
Engine: Air-cooled, 174cc ohv single Chassis: Steel, tubular open-cradle type The numbers: 14bhp (est), 70mph, 100kg (220lb), £6500
It looks as Italian as pasta, yet the marque’s founder was Spanishborn.
At first glance you’d swear it has an ohc engine, but a closer
look reveals it’s a high-cam ohv unit. The Parilla story may be full
of quirks and contradictions, but there’s no denying that Tom
Bolger’s 175cc Lusso Veloce is a stunning motorcycle.
Tom says: “I’m a relatively recent convert to Italian bikes.
I bought an MV Agusta 750 Oro (the first, limited production
version of the F4) in 1999. I entered the 2005 Moto Giro on it, but
it was a disaster. All these little bikes kept flying past me on the
outside on the tight hairpins of the mountain descents. I thought:
‘I’ll have to get one of those,’ and started looking when I got home.”
Tom knew Mike McGarry – who runs a Parilla website – and
contacted him. “I knew about Parilla’s racing history,” says Tom.
“And I really liked the look of them. Mike knew a guy in North
Wales who was selling one, so I bought it. It was a non-runner and
leaked oil like a sieve, but it was complete and quite tidy. I stripped
the engine completely and got to work as soon as I got it home.”
The Parilla engine is a work of art. “For the mid-’50s this is an
amazing little machine,” says Tom. “They were racers on the road.
The high-cam design, with its unusual single-lobe camshaft,
means the engine revs to 8000rpm-plus, and the gearbox is a
cassette-type that you can remove with the engine in the frame.
I’ve fitted a hotter X1 cam and a big-valve MSDS racing head I
found in the States. I’m running a 22mm carburettor (standard is
20mm), but some owners go up to a 25mm. Power is definitely up
compared to a standard motor, but I don’t know by how much.”
Tom has incorporated other subtle yet practical modifications.
“The ignition is a Power Dynamo electronic set-up and the stock
two-plate clutch is a known weakness. Gary Emmerson
(motoparilla.co.uk) makes a kit to allow you to fit a seven-plate
Ducati clutch, but you do need to use the later, wider clutch cover.”
With the cosmetics of the bike already in good order, Tom was
ready for a more enjoyable Giro in 2006, riding the Lusso Veloce
in the prestigious historic class. And he’s stuck with Parilla power
since then. “I parked up next to another Parilla at the end of a
hard day’s stage at last year’s event and the owner couldn’t believe
I’d just finished the stage,” Tom says. “He thought I’d cleaned my
bike before parking it up. His bike was covered in oil, but mine
doesn’t leak a drop. It’s all about careful preparation.”
Barrelling along a Kentish lane on Tom’s bike, I soon realise he’s
right about the bike feeling just like a racer on the road – the little
bike feels taut and responsive as I snick through the gears and
swing through bends, trying my best to avoid scrubbing off an
ounce of speed by touching the excellent full-width brakes.
The ’bars are narrow and low, positively encouraging a racing
crouch to maximise the effect of the tiny frontal area of the
Parilla. And that clutch conversion is worth every penny –
whatever it cost. With Tom exhorting me to use a few more revs,
I really appreciate its silky-smooth action and the ease with which
I can juggle revs and ratios to maximise velocity.
My ride on Tom’s Parilla has really opened my eyes to the
potential of this little bike. I can easily see why Tom loves nothing
better than hammering it round the Moto Giro for six days at a
time. Smooth, sophisticated and oh-so stylish, this isn’t just a great
lightweight machine, it’s a great bike – full stop.
OWNING ONE: Though Parillas are rare (and consequently not
cheap), there are still bargains to be found in the USA and Italy,
according to Tom. “You shouldn’t need many spares anyway,” he
claims. “You can find just about everything if you look hard
enough and some parts are being re-manufactured.” A good
ready-to-ride Lusso Veloce will cost around £5000-£6000.
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