With a name like that, its sporting intentions were clear from the very start. The Gilera Runner is one of the few scooters to have been designed with a flat-out racing pedigree right from day one. The history of its engine confirms the theory: it was originally developed by Piaggio in the early ’90s – a completely new liquid-cooled powerplant designed to push capacity beyond 50cc – and was initially fitted to the Hexagon, a touring scooter with a top box in the style of the Honda Spazio. Piaggio soon realised they had a mechanical gem on their hands, so they updated that engine and the Runner was born: first as a 50cc, then a 125, and finally the 180.
At Malossi, we saw this scooter as a match made in heaven – the perfect opportunity to test ourselves and smash our own limits. And we couldn’t wait to get stuck in.
Malossi unleashes the Gilera Runner at Mugello
When the Runner hit the market, we were already hot on its heels with a dedicated product line (cylinder, exhaust, carburettor, variator). It seemed custom-made for us: a machine with genuine, uncompromised sportiness that suited the entire Malossi catalogue better than any model we had worked with up to that point.
We committed to launching a European trophy starring the Gilera Runner itself, in partnership with Piaggio. It featured rounds held in Italy and Greece, with the grand finale taking place at Mugello – still one of the most technical and demanding circuits on the MotoGP calendar. Our components returned home without a single mechanical failure, proving that we could make this machine faster and more aggressive, yet completely reliable.
Inside the 180cc cylinder kit
Production of the Gilera Runner slowed down from 2001, and official factory sales ceased entirely in 2003, but owners have absolutely no intention of calling it a day. Neither do we, so much so that over the last year, we have reworked the very heart of this cylinder: the exhaust port layout has been rewritten, transfer port timing has been optimised, and the boost port has been opened up right where it matches the crankcase to improve volumetric efficiency. The close-deck structure is paired with a completely redesigned modular cylinder head – featuring a tapered combustion chamber and a central spark plug – with fully revised volumes and scavenging flows. The exhaust port has been widened, resulting in roughly 3 hp more than the previous version of our Runner cylinder kit.
The 65 mm bore punches hard right off the line, delivering an instant throttle response, while the 52 mm stroke perfectly balances torque with silky-smooth revving. The 6-transfer port layout maximises cylinder filling – and therefore real rear-wheel horsepower – while the liquid-cooled aluminium structure dissipates heat under stress before it can cost you a single millisecond. Then there is the Nikasil plating, which ensures ultra-smooth piston travel and reduces friction to the absolute minimum.
The final result is perfectly compatible with the original exhaust system, but reaches its peak performance when paired with the MHR Scooter Racing exhaust.
The Runner was born to be fast
We develop our components – even those destined for daily city commutes – right on the racetrack, alongside riders and under intense pressure, to guarantee a snappy throttle response, maximum performance, and long-term reliability. Then we back everything up with numbers, which never lie and serve as the universal language for verifying real-world results.
What do these numbers tell us? They confirm that the Gilera Runner was born to be fast ever since 1997, and with our new 180cc cylinder kit, we’ve been helping it live that dream for almost 30 years.
