‘Berneg Construzione Meccaniche’
With Phil Aynsley
Obscure Italian marque number 257…
Berneg
Berneg was established in Bologna in 1954 by Paride Bernardi and Corrado Negrini to manufacture parts such as frames, tanks and mud guards for other bike manufacturers.
In 1955 the company displayed their first complete motorcycle – the 160cc Iridea, taking the natural step forward to their own complete motorcycle.
The Iridea was designed by Alfonso Drusiani (of FB Mondial fame) and featured a parallel twin four-stroke, using a chain driven OHC, while making 8hp at 6500rpm.
The follow up to the Iridea was the 175cc Fario, seen here, (both names refer to types of trout incidentally) in 1957. Output was up 11hp at 8000rpm, with weight of 110kg, while top speed was 110km/h. Both models were very similar in appearance, while the Iridea had smooth cam covers and unpolished engine side cases.
Berneg ceased production in 1961, with reliability pointed to as a contributing factor by some.
