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Cult bike Gilera Saturno 500

Gilera Saturno 500

When the street single-cylinder celebrated their rebirth in the 1980s, the most beautiful interpretation came from Italy, the Gilera Saturno 500.

Milan Living room 1987. The fans kneel down in rows in front of the Gilera stand. Lost in their minds, they worship a slim, extremely elegantly made single-cylinder motorcycle, but are unfortunately severely disappointed. No, the high priests of the traditional Italian brand rant like a prayer wheel, Gilera S.aturno 500 with its motor borrowed from the well-known enduro bikes, which was made at the behest of the import house Itoh, and only this company will sell it. In Japan. Damn, answer the fans, why are you showing that thing and making our mouths watery? We’d pay almost any price. Then the high priests twitch, a few months later they agree on 11,500. Not read, but D-Mark. That is around 5000 more than for a Honda XBR 500 or Yamaha SRX 600, the good dancers of this new, sporty single club. Nevertheless, the fans cheer.

Cult bike Gilera Saturno 500

Gilera Saturno 500

An XBR stays attached to the Gilera Saturno 500

So the Italo single was trimmed to classic proportions, its wimp balance shaft was thrown away, the register carburetor was replaced by a single Dell’Orto with a 40 throat. Water cooling, two overhead camshafts and their toothed belt drive were allowed to stay. The engine is supported by a wonderfully airy tubular space frame that weighs only six kilos. The swing arm and rear wheel suspension are held in place by two forged aluminum plates. A tightly cut half-shell hides the water cooler, the painted three-spoke rims from Marvic with bold tires underline the ambitious appearance, as do the front Brembo four-piston brake caliper with its floating, 300 millimeter thick disc.

Sporty bent seating position, given by one-man humps and low handlebar halves, high aluminum pegs, silencer installed even higher – this single was not born to fetch bread. No, it dashes lightly through the cornering paradise, beguiling with a dull sound and crisp frame. The four-valve engine reacts indignantly below 3000 rpm, particularly appreciating speeds above 5000 rpm, then there are still a good 2000 tours up to the nominal speed. Means: If you want to be fast, you have to move a lot in a good gear, as with all modern singles. And still you shouldn’t be surprised if a nasty XBR sticks to it: the Honda gets 44 hp from the same displacement. The Gilera Saturno 500 only 38 hp. Their valves are a bit small and their elevation curves are too flat. So what, say the fans, but it’s more beautiful. Right.

Data and information

Rivas

The most beautiful interpretation of a street single cylinder in the 1980s cam from Italy – with the Gilera Saturno 500.

Technical specifications

Water-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke engine, 491 cm³, 28 kW (38 PS) at 7200 / min, 37 Nm at 5750 / min, five-speed gearbox, tubular steel bridge frame, weight fully fueled 167 kg, front tires 110/70 x 17, rear 140/70 x 17, tank capacity 20 liters, top speed 173 km / h, 0-100 km / h in 6.2 seconds.

scene

The times when noble Saturnos were chopped up in grueling sound-of-singles races are long gone. Today, enthusiasts cherish the rare Italo racers built between 1988 and 1991 and call up the appropriate prices if they do sell one: 4000 to 5000 euros are almost a bargain for original machines with a mileage of less than 50,000 km. Everything should then be on a part like this, because due to the small total number of pieces, it is gradually crumbling on the spare parts front. Decent specimens were put in Italian condition by the previous owner: With a different damper and changes to the air filter and carburetor, the Gilera Saturno 500 delivers 44 hp.

info

The English-language work “Gilera. The Complete Story ”by Mick Walker is unfortunately only available in antiquarian versions. Www.gileraclub.de has many entries on the topic. One of the rare specialists is Volker Heim (www.heimracing.eu).

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