Italjet Moto
| Italjet Moto Srl
|
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|---|---|
 |
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| legal form | Società a responsabilità limitata |
| founding | 1959 in San Lazzaro di Savena ( Bologna ) under the name Italemmezeta |
| Seat | Castel San Pietro Terme (Bologna) |
| management | Massimo Tartarini |
| Branch | Scooter motorcycle quad |
| Website | www.italjet.com |
The company Italjet Moto Srl ( colloquially just Italjet ) is an Italian manufacturer of motorcycles . It has existed under this name since 1961 and then stood out for its technical and visual innovations. In 2002 the company went bankrupt (except in Italy) and was bought by Blue Energy in 2006 . Since then, in addition to scooters , motorcycles and quads have been sold again .
history
Company history
Before Italjet was founded, its founder Leopoldo Tartarini, son of the Italian racing driver Egisto Tartarini, had already had many successes in motorcycle races such as the Motogiro d'Italia and a circumnavigation of the world with a Ducati . The contacts he made, including various world champions, kept asking him to improve or redesign their motorcycles. A short time later, he gave up racing and began series production of motorcycle frames. Thereupon Tartarini founded the Italemmezeta company in 1957 , in which MZ motors were built into the frames he had developed. In 1959 the production of complete motorcycles began. Finally, in 1961, the Italjet company was founded with its headquarters in San Lassaro di Saveno near Bologna, in which engines from Minarelli and Sachs were initially used.
As early as the 1960s, the company caused a sensation with technical superlatives such as particularly fast or small motorcycles. In addition, engines from Ducati have now also been installed. In cooperation with Bultaco , several motorcycle models were created from 1982 onwards. However, later models did not sell well, so that Italjet withdrew from the motorcycle business in the early 1990s and concentrated on the scooter business.
Technical innovations in this area increased the purchase price of Italjet scooters. This is cited , among other things, as the explanation for the brand's bankruptcy in 2002. Another reason was the construction of a new factory for the production of the Grifon model in 1999. Italjet then only existed in Italy and was taken over in 2006 by the company Blue Energy , which is also active in Bologna. Since then, Massimo Tartarini, son of the Italjet founder, has headed the company. The current location of the company is Castel San Pietro Terme , also in Bologna. Hyosung is the new Korean partner. In addition, some models are manufactured by the Kinetic company in India .
Model history
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When the company was still called Italemmezeta , mainly engines with 125 cm³ to 175 cm³ displacement were installed. After the company was renamed in 1961, 50 cc mopeds were added, such as the Vampiro , the fastest model at the time at 130 km / h from 1965, or the particularly small Go-Go 50 , which was brought onto the market three years later . “Big machines” continued to be developed and sold, however. From 1968, Italjet developed many new types of vehicles. The Mini-Bambino was the first mini- bike for children. It weighed 26 kg and had an automatic clutch and a single gearbox . A two-stroke engine from Franco Morini was installed together with eight- inch tires. A year later, the Kit-Kat 50 was the first foldable moped.
Especially for young motocross pilots developed Italjet models CX 50 (with four-speed transmission), CX 50 R (motor with Alloy - alloy and 5.5 horsepower at 8500 / min), CX 80 R (especially for the Export determined; with Minarelli engine and 13 hp at 10,500 rpm), CX 100 (as an off-road sports machine for young people from 11 to 13 years of age), CX 125 (as a competition machine only produced in limited numbers for 13 to 16 year olds) and the Coyote 125 (19 hp) and the Buccaneer with a 125 cc two-cylinder engine from Yamaha .
Other models with more displacement followed (such as the Grifon with a Triumph-Bonneville engine and two 650 cm³ cylinders) and models in cooperation with Ducati (for example the Ducati 500 ). The three-wheeler cycle car equipped with motorcycle technology , with which Tartarini broke three world records on November 12, 1969 in Monza, was considered a revolution . With the Pack-a-Way 50 , another foldable moped was created, which thanks to its unusual design got a permanent place in the New York Museum of Modern Art .
In 1982 the Italjet 350 T was developed together with Bultaco , on which the driver Bernie Schreiber won a runner-up world title. In 1983 the first Italjet Trial motorcycle with a four-stroke engine was developed, the Scott 350 . Due to the sales success, further models were developed, but their sales figures were not satisfactory. Italjet therefore withdrew from motorcycle production in the 1990s.
Innovative scooter models such as the Italjet dragster series, water-cooled two-stroke engines with tubular space frames and Ackermann steering followed. The scooter was also in the Museum of Modern Art. Other types at this time were the Jupiter (a maxi scooter), the torpedo (large wheel scooter) and the dragster with a one-armed cantilever swing arm , a lattice frame and hydropneumatic suspension , which makes this a very got a futuristic look.
Current models
After the takeover , quads and motorcycles are now offered in addition to scooters. So the dragster scooter was re-wound and is now sold in a 125 cm³ and a 250 cm³ variant. The Fast Boy is also new , a minicross with either eight or ten inch tires. In addition, with the Pit Jet , a 125 cm³ machine is again on offer. With the Peppery and the Coyote , Italjet now also manufactures quads.
Web links
- Company homepage (Italian)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Contact page of the manufacturer's homepage ( Memento of the original from June 11, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ "See you again" at MOTORRAD online ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c “The Italjet Success Story” at webermichl.at ( Memento of the original from December 15, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b Model page of the manufacturer's homepage ( Memento of the original from June 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b "Italjet" at rollerparadies.de ( Memento of the original from April 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ "See you again" at MOTORRAD online ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
