Moto Guzzi 350 Racers

Moto Guzzi 350 1953

Moto Guzzi arrived only gradually at the 350. For some time the company had been producing 250- and 500-cc. motorcycles, and it had often tried to modify the Va-liter and the V2-liter to obtain something in between. Tests in the 350 class were all made in the first years after World War II, at the time of the Gambalunghino's finest successes. Indeed, it was that model that gave the Guzzi people the idea of building a larger version. The larger motorcycle was almost a carbon copy of the Gambalunghino, and the Guzzi racing department hoped that it could beat the Norton and Velocette, which had dominated the 350 class for some time.

The 350 single-shaft made its racing debut at Hockenheim in 1953. The German circuit was not the ideal one for the agile Italian 350; it was better suited to the more powerful British motorcycles. But the Guzzi vehicle was more aerodynamic than the competition thanks to its new fairing, an experimental bird-beak design. The Guzzi 350 won on its first outing. Sportswriters called it a surprise win, but those who were in the know did not.
At the end of 1953 the 350 won its first world championship. That was the same year that the glorious Gambalunghino had lost the 250 title to the NSU Rennmax.

Motorcycle: Moto Guzzi 350 Single-shaft Manufacturer: Moto Guzzi, Mandello del
Lario Type: Racing Year: 1953
Engine: Guzzi single-cylinder, horizontal, four-stroke, with overhead single-shaft distribution and bevel gear shaft. Displacement 344.5 cc. (75 mm. x 78 mm.)
Cooling: Air
Transmission: Five-speed block
Power: 35 h.p. at 7,800 r.p.m.
Maximum speed: About 130 m.p.h.
Chassis: Double cradle, open, tubular, with stamped-plate parts. Front, swinging-link suspension; roar, fork with telescopic shock absorber
Brakes: Front and rear, central drum

Moto Guzzi 350 1954-55

1954-55 GUZZI 350. Wood is material that one would not normally expect to find on a "works" T.T. machine, yet it was employed on the 1955 big Guzzis as packing material between a cylindrical fuel tank and straight frame tubes—and the design won the Junior race.
Full frontal streamlining was permitted in 1954 and Guzzi were one of the few factories to design a new frame to incorporate it, rather than hang a "dustbin" on to an existing design.

The result was what soon became known as a "space-frame"—which resembled a section of Bailey bridge, incorporating a multiplicity of very small tubes welded together. Almost identical frames were made for the 250 c.c., 350 c.c. and 500 c.c. machines; all the engines were virtually the same in design.
To incorporate the frontal fairing, the frame tubes extended well past the steering head at the top—and well past the engine at the bottom. In fact, the steering column was almost "lost" in the middle, and braced by several smaller tubes; the Guzzi forks worked from a single crown lug, so the space round the head column tube did not have to be left free, except for handlebar clearance.

The engine appeared very similar in layout to the 250 c.c. model described in number 21 except that the intake passage was almost in line with the inlet valve stem—the carburetter bell-mouth being just under the steering head. Two plugs were fitted, with coil ignition. Starting was effected on one plug; the other was switched in when the rider was aboard—and made quite an appreciable power increase.
In 1954 the Guzzi models won no T.T.s; in 1955 they won the Junior, and came second in the Lightweight and Senior races.

SPECIFICATION
Engine: single-cylinder 350 c.c. d.o.h.c; drive to
camshafts by shaft and bevels. Ignition: coil.
Transmission: primary gear drive to five-speed gearbox in unit with engine; final drive by chain.
Frame: multi-tubalar "space-f

Moto Guzzi 350 Two-shaft 1956

Moto Guzzi won the 350-class world championship for the first time and lost the 250-class title, which it had held for two years. Following this defeat the company decided to concentrate its efforts on the fine 350 single-shaft model. It prepared a new engine with double camshaft distribution operated by a bevel gear shaft. The engine was installed in a new openwork tubular chassis. The Moto Guzzi people paid particular attention to the vehicle's weight distribution and aerodynamics.

Thus a really new all-round motorcycle was developed. The new Moto Guzzi 350 two-shaft was driven by the reigning world champion, Fergus Anderson, and both the races and the motorcycle led the field in the 350 class.
One of the most striking features of the Moto Guzzi 350, both aesthetically and functionally, was the fairing. The two parts of the fairing, front and rear, completely covered the wheels, allowing just enough room for the racer's leg movements. The fuel tank was also divided into two parts. The upper part was in the usual position, resting on the chassis tubes. The lower part was mounted over the engine cylinder, thereby lowering the vehicle's center of gravity as well as its overall line. A mechanical feed pump was required to bring the fuel up.
In 1955 the 350 model was lightened and given a front bell fairing, and the rear fairing was removed. Bill Lomas rode it to the world championship and was able to repeat his achievement the following year.

By this time, 350-class racing was the monopoly of the Moto Guzzi racers. But in 1957 a new vehicle entered the field, the Gilera 350 four-cylinder. This motorcycle was directly derived from the 500, which had already won five world titles.
The Moto Guzzi company did not underrate the challenge to its supremacy presented by the new Gilera. Although it stuck to the single-cylinder two-shaft formula, the company increased the performance of its 350 model. First it reduced the total weight of the motorcycle to just over 210 pounds, an incredible achievement in light of the fact that the ultralight and ultraexpensive new aluminum alloys were hardly used at the time. The cylinder size was changed from a short stroke (80 mm. X 69.5 mm.) to a long (75 mm. X 79 mm.), and a gigantic carburetor was installed (45 mm.).
The Australian racer Keith Campbell rode the new Moto Guzzi 350 to three championship Grand Prix victories and to his first world championship.

Motorcycle: Moto Guzzi 350 Two-shaft Manufacturer: Moto Guzzi, Mandello del
Lario Type: Racing Year: 1956
Engine: Guzzi single-cylinder, horizontal, four-stroke, with two-shaft overhead bevel gear distribution. Displacement 349.3 cc. (80 mm. x 69.5 mm.)
Cooling: Air
Transmission: Five-speed block
Power: 38 h.p. at 8,000 r.p.m.
Maximum speed: About 140 m.p.h.
Chassis: Openwork, tubular. Front, swinging-link suspension; rear, fork with telescopic shock absorber
Brakes: Front, central drum, four shoes; rear, central drum