The vehicles that have marked important years in the history of Malossi

1978

An important year for the international motorcycle market: in this period the most important Japanese manufacturers landed in Europe with new technologically advanced models for the time, such as the Yamaha TY 50, an enduro motorcycle equipped with a 50cc two-stroke engine with technical solutions new, usually dedicated to the sisters with larger displacement. The Malossi company was called Casa del Carburatore: the main activity was in fact to design and produce intake manifolds and other components to be associated with oversized carburetors to increase performance starting from the fuel supply. In the case of the Yamaha TY 50, however, this solution did not lead to the increase in performance usually achieved by other vehicles, therefore, thanks to the request by a customer who wanted to associate a larger engine with the fuel system, Ugo and Sandro Malossi set about at work to create what will become the company’s first complete kit, consisting of cylinder, head, piston, exhaust and fuel system.

1980

After the great success achieved by the products to enhance the small Japanese motorcycle in France and Northern Europe, Malossi carefully studies the French market to understand which models could become new recipients of the special parts of Calderara di Reno. The choice falls on Peugeot and Motobécane, very popular mainly across the Alps because at the time each national state had its own vehicles produced within its own borders: in Italy it was Piaggio’s Ciao that dominated the market. After about a year of research, the kits were created, consisting of the entire thermal unit, manifold and carburetor, exhaust (in the photo the “Anaconda” muffler). For the first time, a new element is introduced, fundamental for the future of the company’s production and for the performance of these mopeds: the reed valve. To this element is also added a new carburetor born thanks to the consolidated collaboration with Dell’Orto which, at the explicit request of Malossi technicians, produces a version with an increased max diameter, which reaches up to 15 mm, still in the range today.

1983

After the debut on the French market and the great success of the kits dedicated to mopeds produced by Peugeot and Motobécane, Malossi faces the Italian market by producing some kits for one of the most popular vehicles in our country: the legendary Vespa Piaggio. After the international success of the most complete kits, much appreciated in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, at Malossi we understand that the moment is ideal to face the Italian market with a wider range of products, dedicated to one of the most loved vehicles of the time. . The Calderara technicians thus develop kits dedicated to Piaggio vehicles, initially consisting of a thermal unit, fuel supply and exhaust, taking advantage of the experience gained in the production of special parts for Yamaha TY, a motorcycle with more advanced technological solutions than the two-wheelers of Pontedera. The first step in the preparation of these vehicles was to eliminate the rotary valve from the power supply to make room for a more performing reed valve, a solution that immediately positioned Malossi as a carrier of innovation, first to introduce this solution on the Vespa.

1986

Starting from the mid-1980s, a series of 125cc sports motorcycle models began to appear on the world market, equipped with two-stroke engines that guarantee high power and respectable performance, usually produced for two versions: a road version. , the other from enduro. Malossi sees the commercial success of these vehicles as an opportunity to launch itself on the aftermarket market for small-displacement motorcycles and its technicians accept a great challenge: to produce kits capable of giving more power to already very fast vehicles, without compromising their durability and ‘reliability. Starting from the experience gained with the kits for the Yamaha TY 50 almost a decade earlier and thanks to the continuous technological research that has never left Calderara di Reno, the first liquid-cooled thermal group is developed ready to equip these small racing cars, starting from the iconic Cagiva Elefant 125 (in the photo), to arrive at the models proposed by Honda, Aprilia, Yamaha and Gilera, both enduro and road.

1988

1988 for Malossi is an important year where the challenges are not limited to the market, but arrive directly on the track. In recent years the official team has fought in the competitions dedicated to 50cc mopeds organized in France. Strengthened by the great work done to maximize the performance of the mopeds made in France, the Calderara technicians come to the conclusion that the setting of the original derivation frame is not sufficient to guarantee the maximum performance generated by the kit developed for this. type of vehicles. From this need, MVR was born, the first vehicle 100% made in Malossi. The new V-frame immediately proves to live up to expectations: associated with Malossi components designed to compete in the Ipermatic Trophy, which also includes a 49cc liquid-cooled thermal unit, to comply with the regulations of the time, and the entire crankcase engine, became the reference point of this competition, open to all manufacturers of special parts of the time. A dream becomes reality: the 50cc MVR moped “il Malossi” is born, entirely designed and built in the company. The company expands the number of motor manufacturers to collaborate with. The company opens up further to the world.

ANNI ‘90

The creation of the first kits for MBK and Peugeot automatic mopeds brings Malossi to the racing world. These scooters are in fact the protagonists of very popular single-brand trophies, especially in France. Thus was born the racing division under the guidance of Sandro: Malossi Trophies are contested not only in Italy but also in Greece, England, Spain, France and Germany. Production is further enriched with kits for Vespa 50 PX and T3: the Italian one becomes the first reference market for the company.

1992

The experience of Malossi technicians in developing the first kits for Japanese scooters that arrived on the market at the beginning of the 90s, and for various models of Italian manufacturers such as Piaggio and Aprilia, opens the way to the production of increasingly performing parts, designed to be used in specific competitions. It is precisely in these years that the MHR (Malossi Hyper Racing) brand was born, an acronym that since its inception has accompanied the most performing special parts designed in Calderara di Reno. The first scooter chosen for this racing equipment is the Piaggio Quartz, among the most performing vehicles of the time, with a frame suitable for housing upgraded and, above all, liquid-cooled thermal units. The first Quartz for track were equipped with a thermal unit raised to 70cc, transmissions and ratios developed and produced using the highest quality materials, increased fuel supplies and state-of-the-art exhausts. This last component, the MHR Scooter Racing expansion, becomes part of the history of scooter modifications: before it, no manufacturer had built an exhaust with the silencer overlapping the belly of the exhaust! This solution was designed to comply with the regulations of the Italian Scooter Championship, which did not allow any part of the vehicle to protrude beyond the limit of the rear wheel, and from that moment it was adopted as a standard by all participating manufacturers.

1996

Starting from the development of the special MHR branded parts dedicated to the first liquid-cooled scooter from Piaggio, the unforgettable Quartz, Malossi continues its search for increasingly extreme performance, identifying the Zip Sp as the most suitable vehicle to be prepared after several tests. for track competitions. Since 1996 the catalog of special parts dedicated to this small racing car has never stopped growing, starting with the first kits that included an aluminum cylinder, much more performing than the previous cast iron cylinders. A higher power has forced the Malossi technical department to develop special parts able to manage it in the best possible way and unload it on the ground: for the first time, full-shoulder crankshafts and a control unit are produced at the Calderara di Reno site. all the electronics of the scooter. Track tests reveal new needs for the factory team, which shows the need for suspensions capable of giving the scooter greater rigidity and the possibility of specific adjustments. The solution to this challenge is called RS24, the new brand that identifies the specific scooter suspensions for the track and that raises the quality level of this component, introducing gas shock absorbers for the first time on this type of vehicle. In these years another important Malossi brand was born that will be destined for a long history that reaches up to today: 7.1, the ideal oil for competitions, created precisely to ensure the best performance on the track.

1999

Between the end of the 90s and the early 2000s, the national and international scooter market changed with the arrival of new vehicles, characterized by four-stroke thermal units and displacements over 50cc, the so-called “maxiscooters”. The great commercial success of these vehicles puts Malossi management and technicians in front of a choice: to invest or not in the development of special parts for four strokes? The challenge is readily accepted and the study of these vehicles begins with the widespread Yamaha Majesty 250. First to believe in the aftermarket for maxi scooters, overcoming many skepticisms on the part of the experts, Malossi produces a four-stroke thermal unit for Majesty 250 with oversized cylinder and piston, bringing the total displacement to 290cc, ensuring maximum reliability thanks to the use of first-rate materials. Thus was born the first engine of the now wide 4Stroke range, to which an ad hoc transmission is associated, with the Multivar in the “maxi” version capable of replicating the success achieved with the 50cc configuration. The positive response of the market allows the company to expand the offer for these vehicles year after year, making camshafts, valves and secondary gears available for all the most popular maxi scooters at the time, starting an adventure that has not been never stop again.

2001

Starting from 2001 the house of the three tuning forks entered the market with a maxiscooter capable of partially changing the perception of the entire category: with the T-Max 500, Yamaha managed to conquer the international market, introducing new and interesting technical solutions to allow to this vehicle to achieve important performances, combined with a sporty design that until then had characterized only the bikes of the house. The challenge therefore consists of two ambitious objectives to be achieved: to produce components of the highest quality capable of exceeding the performance of the vehicle with the original configuration, without compromising its reliability, given the long distances that the T Max is expected to face. To achieve these ambitious objectives, even more stringent quality control and production control processes are introduced at Malossi: each component that will leave the Calderara di Reno site from now on must correspond to the standard that has been decided to respect. Starting from the transmission, enhanced by an ad hoc Multivar variator, Malossi continues to design and produce special parts following the various updates that over the years have led to the evolution of this scooter: after the transmission, exhausts, thermal units and many other components are born. , if put to the test on the track, they can enhance the sporting attitude of this scooter, making it reach very high performance.

2003

Vespa GTS, the sporty variant of the most famous Italian scooter in the world and a symbol of Made in Italy, makes those looking for a sporty soul fall in love with the immortal style of Vespa. The new Malossi V4 HEAD 4-stroke engine head gives Vespa even more liveliness and dynamism. Malossi, which until the early 2000s had dedicated itself exclusively to the development of 2-stroke engines and components, decides to face the challenge of designing and manufacturing a 4-stroke engine head. The V4 HEAD is born in primary gravity cast aluminum alloy, with thermochemically treated steel, cobalt and copper alloy valves. The real engineering challenge of the V4HEAD was to create a versatile head that could be mounted, in combination with the Malossi cylinder kits, from 125 cc up to 300 cc. Fitting the Vespa GTS engines has allowed the Malossi group to be further appreciated by the international public, becoming more and more standard-bearer of Italian craftsmanship in the world.

2010

In the early 2000s, Yamaha introduced very important set-up changes to the YZF – R125; it is in fact one of the first 125 cc vehicles to switch from the traditional carburettor to an unprecedented electronic injection system. Malossi fully understands the strategic importance of this novelty, which combines the advantages of the carburetor (full-bodied delivery) and those of injection (power at high revs), predicting that many manufacturers of 125 motorcycles and scooters would have made use of the same solution. . Studies and technical tests then begin to combine the new electronic control unit with the oversized cylinders supplied by Malossi. This is how, first on the market as combined components – the cylinder complete with Malossi I-TECH control unit was born. These are oversized cylinders with high performance and absolute reliability, designed and manufactured with the CadCam system which, thanks to the high level know-how that the company knows how to express, can redefine the thermo-fluid-dynamic cycle, the cooling system and the structural calculations. . Oversized cylinders which have proved to be exceptional especially for acceleration performance. Malossi decides to produce only the FORCE MASTER additional control units, with special mappings capable of optimizing carburetion.

2013

After years of continuous research and innovative ideas, the crankcase had become the most critical and vulnerable part as it was no longer able to adequately support the power delivered by the other Malossi components designed over time. Hence the decision to follow the path of the creation and realization of an entire crankcase. This is how the MHR C – ONE crankcase and later the MHR RC – ONE crankcase were born, marking a further turning point for the company. This new crankcase represents a real revolution: it allows you to raise the displacement to 94cc and deliver a power greater than 30 hp. It also has a further advantage: modularity. In fact, it can be mounted with the new line of Flanged Mount Testa Rossa cylinders and thus create a very high performance engine suitable for all uses. The first RC – ONE engine was mounted on all vehicles initially equipped with the Piaggio LC 50 cc 2 T engine. After two years, the RC – ONE version was released on the market for all vehicles initially equipped with the Yamaha engine. Minarelli LC 50 cc. The RC -ONE engine, in addition to the very high level of public satisfaction, brought another huge satisfaction to Malossi: it is in fact the engine of the 6 Bonneville World Records

2015

Since 2015 we have been certain that vintage is no longer a passing fashion but a real lasting trend (started in 2008). The orders of components for vehicles such as Piaggio Ciao and Si reach interesting levels, a sign of the great love of a niche of enthusiasts for these vehicles that have made history. In 1989 Malossi proposed a highly innovative component for Piaggio Ciao, which made history: the complete crankcase with reed valve. The most demanding challenge consisted in adapting the spaces of the original rotating feed in favor of the lamellar feed which required larger spaces. Malossi, succeeding in this enterprise, has established itself on the market as a leading manufacturer of components for these vehicles. But we have also done much more: we have given Piaggio Ciao grit and character by inserting a 19 mm carburetor (replacing the original 10 mm). Over the years, the engine casing produced by Malossi has proved to be highly resistant as well as performing.

2019

Precisely during the motorcycle fair par excellence, Eicma, Malossi pays tribute to fans of the Vespa PX 125, presenting two new crankcases: V-ONE and VR-ONE. The first dedicated to the amateur, the restorer, the traveler or the simple Sunday tourist looking for a component that can be perfectly replaced with the original, does not require any modifications to the vehicle. The crankcase of the MHR range, designed instead for the tuner looking for maximum performance, the best internal fluid dynamics and the greatest possibility of engine development.

Zip SP: Everyone’s dream is from the 90s

Speed ​​and power without compromise for the iconic scooter that turns into a competition machine thanks to the most performing MHR components. The Piaggio missile is tinged with Malossi shades and becomes the spearhead of the Bolognese company’s competitions thanks to its innate sporting spirit. Malossi immediately decided to focus on this gem, which today is the two-wheeled vehicle with the most components in the range.

The Zip runs in the Trofei Malossi in the Scootermatic category

Vespa 125 I-Get: the immortal myth with a gritty style

The vehicle that has made entire generations dream and that has conquered the whole world, born for purely urban environments, is equipped by Malossi and shows off all its sporting character. On the track, the Vespa is a real racing animal: equipped and graphed in yellow, orange and red, the vehicle that made the Tuscan motorcycle manufacturer famous in the 60s, proudly displays the lion symbol that gives it some horses and a style even more distinctive.

The Vespa runs in the Trofei Malossi in the Malossi Racing Academy category

Yamaha Aerox: born to race

Conceived for the road, but born for the track: apparently a scooter with sportier fairings, the Aerox is a perfect compromise between stability and speed. Malossi decided to adopt it immediately both for component testing and for competitions, bringing it to the track with an apparently even more aggressive look.

Aerox races in the Trofei Malossi in the Trofeo Nazionale Scooter Velocità category

Yamaha T-Max: the king of maxi scooters

Malossi took the king and gave him the weapons he needed to become the tyrant of the racing tracks, with a 560cc engine, forged pistons, ultra-light exhaust system and the world’s most famous automatic transmission, the Multivar. Burnout and wheelies are the most popular method to celebrate a victory in this category where each race crowns the fastest rider, but also the most reliable of the T-Max.

The T-Max runs in the Trofei Malossi in the T-Max Cup category