I’m always fascinated by the stories of smaller and lesser-known motorcycle manufacturers, especially with so many springing up and then disappearing in the early 20th century. So it’s cool that you can see the 1938 Galbusera 500 V8 at Italian Bike Week 2025.
Moto Galbusera & Co started out somewhere between 1932 and 1934, with Plinio Galbusera building bikes between 175cc and 500cc. He was joined by Egyptian-born rider and mechanic Adolfo Marama Toyo (born Roberto Antonion Ivanicich), who is often credited with introducing speedway to Italy, and it led to both a 249cc V-four two-stroke and a supercharged two-stroke 498cc V8 appearing at the 1938 Milan Show. And it was claimed the latter had 28hp and a top speed of 150km/h.
More unusual details of the longitudinal V8 include an oversquare bore-to-stroke ratio, supercharing via compressor, a four-stroke-style lubrication system and two counter-rotating crankshafts.
Italian Bike Week 2025 takes place in Lignano Sabbiadoto from September 18th to 21st, 2025. And if you can’t make it, then a book is also being launched, “In the footsteps of Maramo Toyo. Mysteries Unveiled and the Dream of the Galbusera V8 – The Vanished Motorcycle” curated by Franco Damiani di Vergada from the Moto Club Trieste and published by Tiglio Edizioni.
There have been other V8 motorcycles produced both before and after the Galbusera, but it’s a fascinating piece of motorcycle history. And makes me think I really need to plan a visit to both Italian Bike Week, and the annual Moto Guzzi Open House at some point in the future considering they both take place around the same time in September. And credit for Sheldon’s EMU for some of the background info on Galbusera.