The F.B Mondial 1000 Piega – An interesting ...

Mondial 1000 Piega

It’s maybe a bit of recognized indisputable fact that among the many first competitors bikes you see in Honda’s Assortment Corridor at Motegi is a 1956 F.B. Mondial 125 Bialbero. This has a really robust bearing on the bike we’ll take a look at on this column – a 2003 Mondial 1000 Piega.

I’ve gone into element about F.B. Mondial’s historical past and quite a few fashions beforehand, so I gained’t point out any of that right here aside from to say that the corporate ceased making their very own engines in 1960 and ceased buying and selling altogether in 1979.

Such was the corporate’s popularity that makes an attempt had been made to resurrect manufacturing within the late Eighties and once more within the mid ‘90s. Each got here to nothing and the rights to the identify remained with the Boselli household.

In 1999 Roberto Ziletti, CEO of the Lastra group (one of many world’s largest printing plate corporations) got here to an association with Pierluigi Boselli to revive the identify with a contemporary sports activities bike and a return to competitors in World Superbike.

A 1000 cc twin was type after and Suzuki tentatively got here to the occasion with a proposal of 250 TL1000 motors (that they had additionally provided the motor to Bimota to be used within the SB8R two years earlier).

Ex-Aprilia engineer Nicolo Bragagnolo was employed to design the brand new machine and Sandro Mor the bodywork. The chassis comprised of dual spars fashioned from tubular chrome-moly metal joined by trellis-style cross members – all TIG-welded. The sub-frame, seat, bodywork, swing-arm and quite a few different parts had been fabricated from carbon fibre.

Prime quality ancillary objects included Öhlins rear shock, TiN 46 mm Paioli forks, Marchesini wheels and Brembo brakes. Projector LED headlights had been employed.

Nevertheless not lengthy earlier than the bike’s scheduled debut on the 2000 Intermot Present Suzuki pulled out of the deal! With no motor to energy the bike Ziletti contacted Oscar Rumi (proprietor of crew that gained the primary two World Superbike titles) in hope that he might procure a Honda RC51 engine to suit into the prototype.

The request was handed onto Honda HQ the place it was remembered that Rely Boselli had helped Honda at first of their racing journey by promoting them the 125 Bialbero to make use of as the idea for the corporate’s race bikes.

Not solely was permission granted for Mondial to make use of an RC51 motor within the prototype however Honda additionally agreed to supply the SP1 model of the motor for the complete manufacturing run!

Mondial added their very own fuel-injection system, carbon fibre airbox and titanium exhaust system utilizing bespoke Arrow mufflers. Additionally the ECU was up to date to cope with the above adjustments. An extra 4 hp was gained over the SP1’s 136 hp. The Piega’s dry weight of 177 kg was 19 kg lower than Honda’s SP1 (and 9 kg lower than the Ducati 999).

Manufacturing started in 2002 however after solely 35 Piegas had been constructed the corporate (which needs to be famous was Mondial Moto SpA – not F.B.) needed to declare chapter in 2004.

Ziletti had spent €11 million on the mission however with Lastra shopping for Misubishi’s worldwide printing property he couldn’t commit his consideration to the bike firm (Lastra Group’s turnover in 2004 was €500 million so he had loads on his plate!).

Earlier than the corporate’s demise a number of new fashions had been introduced. The EVO Ziletti was to be a 100 bike restricted version mannequin with 43mm Öhlins forks, Brembo radial calipers, energy upped to 143hp and restyled bodywork with distinctive paintwork.

Moreover two bare fashions had been displayed at Intermot in 2003. The Starfighter was a restyled EVO (by Missiomo Zaniboni) whereas the RZ Nuda with excessive bars and distinguished headlights was by Boxer Design. Together with the 35 Piegas, 2 EVOs, 1 Starfighter and several other prototype race bikes had been accomplished by the point the corporate closed.

2005 noticed half the corporate’s property auctioned off to Piero Caronni’s Biemme concern (Caronni had beforehand purchased the V-due rights from Bimota) and an additional 85 Piegas, 7 EVOs and 14 Starfighters had been produced beneath the Gruppo Mondial identify earlier than this enterprise additionally folded.

In the course of these firm failures 11 Piegas had been supposedly “stolen” by manufacturing unit employees in recompense for unpaid wages (their VINs are nonetheless flagged)!

There have been to be two remaining (properly thus far!) twists to the Piega story. In 2012 Ziletti and one other had been discovered responsible of fraudulently declaring Mondial Moto SpA’s chapter and ordered to pay compensation to former collectors. Suspended jail sentences had been additionally issued and so they had been banned from industrial actions for ten years.

In 2014 Rely Pierluigi Bosselli (who had retained 50 per cent of Mondial Moto) and Cesare Galli started a brand new enterprise to supply Mondial branded bikes. Galli had been the Technical Director at Fantic Motor and his designs had gained three World Trials Championships earlier than the corporate shut down in 1996.

Bosselli then grew to become the Italian Kawasaki importer for off street bikes and ATVs, then established the European distributorship for Aeon and Over scooters and minibikes.

In 2015 his Pelpi Worldwide firm started promoting a spread of 125 and 250cc four-strokes beneath the F.B. Mondial identify. They’re manufactured by Piaggio in China (utilizing Piaggio motors).

Mondial 1000 Piega Specs