Motohistory Quiz #89: We have a winner! (2/28/2011)

Title: Ed Youngblood's Motohistory | News | Current

The engine featured in Motohistory Quiz #89 is a Cucciolo, built by Ducati. Our first Motohistorian with the correct answer was Nick Jeffery from Great Britain. However, he certainly was not the last. We had more than a dozen correct answers arrive within a half hour of posting the quiz, so our quiz this time certainly was easier than we expected.

The genesis of the Cucciolo

When WWII ended in 1945, gasoline was rationed throughout Europe. Many companies, including Ducati, began offering small auxiliary engines for bicycles. The Cucciolo engine was designed by Aldo Farinelli, from Turin, while war still under way. His fresh design of a very economical four-stroke ohv engine was adopted by Italian firm SIATA after the war. Demand for these engines was high, much more than SIATA could handle. So a contract with Ducati was announced in mid-1946 to manufacture engines. By year’s end, Ducati was the main producer of the Cucciolo engine in Italy.

A promising start for Ducati

It was also produced under license in France by M. Rocher. These clip-on engines were sold to customers with a tank which could be fastened on the back carrier of a bicycle. Ducati Cucciolo engines were also sold to bicycle manufacturers who offered simple mopeds under their various brand names. It is said that when the first prototypes of the engine were run on the test-bed, they sounded like a small, yapping dog; thus their name Cucciolo, or “Little Puppy.” The engine is a very interesting design, built not just for saving fuel, but to be manufactured very economically as well.

Technological Innovation

Military 1948-1964 Triumph TRW 500 - Motorcycle Classics

Though simple, it features a lot of technology. It has a two-speed gearbox with integrated multi-disc clutch, and the drive shaft accommodates the cam lobes for the two parallel pushrods that actuate the valves, making a separate cam shaft unnecessary.

Ducati's Ingenious Design

The first series of engines, called T1, featured an in-unit head and cylinder. The rockers on top of the head were exposed, and its spindle had to be lubricated with grease from time to time. Internal lubrication is by oil splash on the early engines. Its capacity is 49cc and, with a 9mm Weber carburetor, delivers about 1hp @4,500rpm.

Evolution of the Cucciolo

In early 1947, the first Ducati design, the T2, was introduced. It was a completely revised, featuring many improvements such as separate cylinder and head, with exhaust facing forward. Still only 49cc, power was improved by 30 percent. In 1948, Ducati engineer Giovanni Florio decided to create an updated version, designated the T3. It offered a three-speed gearbox and over time became available in 50, 55, 60, and 65cc capacities.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, the progression and innovation of the Cucciolo played an integral role in the trajectory of travel technology. This slice of Motohistory demonstrates not only the advancement from post-WWII necessity but also the ingenuity that can come about in trying times, offering a new gateway to mobility and the freedom of travel that motorcycles embody.