1954 Rumi Gobbetto SS52 Series 2

1954 Rumi Gobbetto SS52 Series 2 The Gobbetto or 'hunchback' is the first motorcycle developed by engineer Luigi Salmaggi for Rumi, until then a steel company from Bergamo that entered the popular Italian motorcycle market in 1950 with this extraordinary two-cylinder 125cc two-stroke. The Gobbetto road version immediately stands out because of its futuristic shape and unusual technology. Gobbettos are soon used for circuit races and the first tough regularity races such as the Giro d'Italia, on which a competition version is also built from Rumi, called the SS52. The two-stroke engine is derived from the production version and is fed by a Dell'Orto SSI22C or SSI23C carburettor. The Gobbetto gets its name from the 'hunchbacked' external voltage regulator from Marelli, model ST261DAS-D that is driven on the left side of the engine with a chain and crown wheel. The SS52 also gets a reinforced frame, with the special aluminum tank on top that artfully flows into the license plate. Rumi produced about thirty copies of the first series between '52 and '54. The Gobbetto won the Italian 125cc championship at the Monza circuit in 1954, with the crowd startled by the deafening sharp sound produced by the Rumi's. The second series Gobbetto gets a new frame, similar to its predecessor but equipped with a different swingarm. The imposing 22-litre tank gets rounder lines, while retaining the special structure that extends beyond the fork, enriched with a new grey/yellow colour scheme, matching the Rum grey frame. The horizontal two-cylinder two-stroke engine gets aluminum cylinders and reaches a maximum speed of 8,200 rpm and a maximum power of 9 hp, which allows the Gobbetto to reach a top speed of 135 km/h, depending on the version and type of fuel used. It is the spectacular, open megaphone exhaust that provides the unusually loud and sharp sound. Only ten Gobbettos from the second series are said to have been assembled, of which only a handful remain. This Rumi Gobbetto SS52 is therefore a unique addition to any motorcycle collection and the most collectible of all Rumi's produced, which will possibly bring the public to the banks during classic races.