Aermacchi isn't a name you see very often these days unless you spend your time at vintage race events but Aermacchi motorcycles are some of the sweetest looking little machines around. Aermacchi made and still makes aircraft over in Italy. Back around 1950, they got into the motorcycle business and started building small displacement motorcycles, somewhere in the 50cc to 350cc range. About ten years later, Harley Davidson got involved in the company and they produced what most folks in the U.S. are familiar with, the Aermacchi Harley Davidsons. These little guys are just clean and elegant little single cylinder motorcycles, the kind of bike you could really have some fun with.
Well, Aermacchi motorcycles are gone these days, I'm not sure exactly what happened, but fans of those bikes exist all over the world and there is a company over in The Netherlands, Aermacchi-Racing, who can supply what seems to be every part you need to rebuild your old Aermacchi. And, as often happens these days, when you reproduce all of the parts, someone asks the question, why not build complete motorcycles, too? It looks like they are doing exactly that or soon will.
We have talked about the idea of kit bikes many times here, especially non chopper kit bikes, and these are about as non chopper as you can get. I don't know what comes to mind when you think of clean and simple design but these are pretty close to what appears in my mind. They have complete frames, rollers or as I said, complete motorcycles. This place is neat. Check it out.
Aermacchi-Racing was pointed out to me by one of our readers. Thanks, Todd!
related: Motorcycle Kits, Motorcycle Kits part 2
hoyt says
Another motorcycle/airplane connection (Aermacchi, Moto Guzzi, Glenn Curtiss).
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Dictionary/Curtiss/DI19.htm
This Aermacchi is sweet. Who needs a scooter when you can ride in style and still fit your groceries or backpack below the tank.
todd says
yes, these are indeed beautiful, clean motorcycles. I like the comparison to the Ruckus’ utility that Hoyt makes, though you could ride this a bit faster and farther while keeping the contents of your packages warm (maybe a small pet?). Other alternatives this motor would allow would be a Gurney Alligator style feet-forward bike this way it would keep your own package warm.
I’ve thought of building a bike inspired by Aermacchi Racing but using a Trail 90 or S90 motor… Maybe capping off the rear cylinder of a ducati would be more elegant.
-todd
Scudracer says
This is fantastic! Why not fit a Honda SuperCub 125cc PGM-FI engine in a lightweight frame like this? Something cheap, cheerful and above all, FUN!
Brian says
You can add BMW to that list of airplane/motorcycle connections. Their logo represents a propeller spinning over a blue sky.
Be an interesting bike with the Rotax single or even a Borile motor (if it could be had).
Nick Gomez says
Anyone out there interested in building something like this with an ‘underbone’ SuperCub/S90 type engine?
John F. Basore says
About four years ago we starting making replicas of the Harley-Davidson Sprint dirt tracker, scrambler & (3) different road racers…. We would like everyone to see our new road race chassic and I do mean new, like built yesterday, so if you wish to swing you leg over a real classic and do battle with Dave Roper, current AHRMA 350GP champion then you might like to take a look at what we have to offer, at Motomacchi
Steve Thomas says
Here’s a video our company produced about a 1970 Sprint.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g46w3FwZ10A
Don Black says
Aermacchi-Racing in Holland cannot be recommended.
I ordered a part for my Aermacchi and when it arrived it did not fit, was the wrong dimension, and of dubious quality. Repeated e-mails to them, asking for resolution of the problem have been ignored. Nice site, unacceptable service.