Gilera, 1947, 500 Saturno Sport

Gilera "500 Saturno Sport", 1947, Italy

One of the most important models for Gilera, the Saturno is considered a masterpiece of Italian motorbike production. According to experts it had just one rival: the Moto Guzzi Falcone.
The successore of the Otto Bulloni was designed by Luigi Salmaggi in the late 30s and presented at the 1940 Milan Show. The outbreak of WWII delayed the production that started later, in 1946 (just 6 "Competizione” examples were made before the war).
The engine is the traditional pushrod single-cylinder Gilera engine, 500 cc displacement, with the "classic" 500cc Gilera bore and stroke measures, 84×90 mm.
The tubular frame is made of a single open cradle ; it shows a Girder front fork, while at the back it features a couple of springs on each side of the wheel with compass dampers.
This system had been used by Gilera since the mid 30s; the gearbox has 4 speeds and it's controlled by pedal.
Four versions were available: “Turismo”, “Sport”, “Competizione” and “Corsa“.

2012 Displayed at the flagstore ship Pirelli PZero in Milan.