The Motorcycles in uniform exhibition arrives in Novegro

Motorcycle in uniform - From the 15 17 February, Novegro Exhibition Park, hosts Motorcycle in uniform, an exhibition which will put the spotlight on the motorbikes used during the First World War by the English, Italian and German troops and which today, a century later, have become true cult objects for enthusiasts.

Motorcycles in uniform: a true page of history

The first world war revolutionized the art of war and for the first time motor vehicles played a decisive role in the movement of troops and the outcome of battles. Among these, motorcycles proved to be truly valuable for their lightness and maneuverability. In addition to liaison, relay and orderly services, they were entrusted with actual offensive tasks, transforming them into mobile machine guns (especially those in the sidecar version), anti-aircraft sections and small armored cars. In England, bodies of Despatch Riders were formed, almost all volunteer motorcyclists enlisted with their own motorcycles who were used in various tasks. The Italian response was represented by the Fair which at the time was the most important national two-wheeled vehicle factory. Already in 1910, Frera could boast of being "Supplier of the Royal Army", thanks to a model with a 320 cc single-cylinder side-valve engine. Among the other Italian factories, the Turin-based Della Ferrera with a 1000 cc twin-cylinder engine deserves to be remembered; the Gilera and the Bianchi. In 1912, the English Scott produced a motorcycle with a two-stroke twin-cylinder engine on which a machine gun was mounted, the Americans responded with Indian and Harley-Davidson equipped with 1000 cc engines. Between the first and second World War, the Moto Guzzi GT 17 was born, a 500 cc single-cylinder weighing around two quintals, capable of 90 km/h and 4810 units built. For many it is the military motorcycle par excellence. Bianchi, Benelli, Gilera, Mas, Sertum also supplied motorcycles for military use. All these specimens (and many others) will be protagonists in the large themed exhibition organized from 15 to 17 February 2019 at the Novegro Exhibition Park.