Collezione Moto Poggi
With Phil Aynsley
Earlier this year I had the opportunity to photograph the Collezione Moto Poggi, located just outside Bologna in Villanova di Castenaso.
The current home to Pierluigi Poggi’s collection was opened in 2012 and houses the largest gathering of racing Yamahas in Europe, as well as bikes from many other marques.
While the vast majority of the bikes on display are Pierluigi’s, a number are on loan from other collectors and Yamaha Europe.
The bikes are displayed in four main halls with an additional room that houses the Minarelli family’s own collection.
Hall 1 has over fifty racing Yamahas, ranging from the company’s first production racer – the 1959 250cc Clubman Racer (also known as the YDS1R), to 990cc M1 MotoGP bikes.
Hall 2 contains many pre WW II racing machines including examples from DKW, F.B. Mondial, MV Agusta, etc. Hall 3 has mainly post WW II bikes such as Rumi, CM, Montessa & Yamaha.
Hall 4 is home to an impressive line up of Yamaha WSBK racers and is also used for temporary exhibitions. During the the time I was there Frankie Chili was dropping in items for an exhibition to celebrate his 24 years in racing and graciously posed for a few shots.
Hall 1
As can been seen there is no shortage of air-cooled TDs and water-cooled TZs here! From a 8.3hp TZ50 to the mighty TZ750.
A notable inclusion is one of Carlos Lavado’s 1986 World Championship winning YZR250/OW82s.
On a mezzanine are several YZR500s from 2002, including one of Garry McCoy’s bikes plus others ridden by Olivier Jacques and Norick Abe.
Two ex-Rossi YZR-M1s are also on display – a 2004 990cc and a 2007 800cc. An ex-Checa 2003 YZR-M1 rounds out the bikes on this level.
Hall 2
The mezzanine in Hall 2 has a display of about 50 micro motors (under 50cc). From Atala to Zurcher, via Benelli, Ceccato, Cimatti, DEMM, DKW, Ducati, Garelli, Grillo, JLO, Ibis, Imex, Itom, Malanca, Morini, Mondial, MV Agusta and Tomos.
Hall 3
Race and road bikes galore!
The oldest bike in the collection is this 1899 200cc Keller Donrion. Output 1.75hp!
At the other end of the spectrum – a 1993 Yamaha V-Max.
Two examples of the little known Binassi brand. A 125cc Competizone and 175 Sport. Both from 1971.
Now retired banker Nerio Pancaldi has been creating unique bikes since 1963. Typically using an unassuming small capacity Italian bike as the base, he designs and engineers major engine changes such as converting an OHV to a DOHC.
Or fitting his own desmo heads. A water-cooled 125cc gear-driven DOHC parallel twin is a completely original design.
Hall 4
Noriyouki Haga’s 2000 YZF-R7 OW-02 heads this row of WSBK racers. After a problematic debut of the new design in 1999, Haga had a much more successful time the following year, finishing 2nd to Colin Edwards, with 4 wins. 2000 was also the R7’s last year, as Yamaha withdrew from WSBK at the end of that season.
Pierfrancesco “Frankie” Chili poses with his first racing motorcycle, a Malanca he rode in 1982, during the setting up of a special exhibition to celebrate his 24 year racing career. The 4th Hall is used for such special events, including being the control point for historic races passing through Bologna.
Minarelli Room
One room on the first floor houses ten of the Minarelli family’s competition bikes plus dozens of production and prototype motors. The No3 streamliner set five 175cc world records in 1971 and two more in 1975.
The No1 bike set two 100cc records in 1971 and two in 1973. Successful 75 and 50cc bikes are also seen. One prototype motor on display is a 4-stroke 1954 DOHC 175cc unit.
067
Angel Nieto’s 1981 125cc title winning Minarelli twin. Nieto had also won the ’79 title on an earlier version, then with Minarelli passing the design onto Garelli for the 1982 season, he won in ’82, ’83 & ‘84 on the basically unchanged machine. With only small changes Fausto Gresini then took the title in ’85 & ’86 and Luca Cadalora in ’87. The Constructor’s trophy and certificate accompany the bike.
