Vehicle Detail

SkillanNaylor Car Company becomes SkillanNaylor Classic Motorcycle Company.

We are very honoured to offer for sale this stunning 1950s Gilera 500cc Piuma. The ultimate period clubman's racing motorcycle.

A rare opportunity to acquire one of Gilera’s most celebrated customer racing motorcycles — the legendary 500cc Piuma (Italian for “Feather”), so named for its remarkably light handling and agile performance.

Introduced in the early 1950s and derived from the successful Saturno Corsa, the Piuma represented the pinnacle of Gilera’s single-cylinder development. While the factory’s four-cylinder Grand Prix machines dominated the world stage with riders such as Geoff Duke and Libero Liberati, the Piuma was built to bring genuine competition pedigree to privateer racers. Around just 100–110 examples were ever produced, making surviving bikes exceptionally scarce today.

Powered by a 498cc air-cooled OHV single with hairpin valve springs, Dell’Orto carburation and a four-speed gearbox, the Piuma produced impressive performance for its day, capable of approaching 190 km/h in full race trim. Combined with lightweight construction, telescopic forks, hydraulic rear dampers and powerful drum brakes, it delivered handling and speed that rivalled far more complex multi-cylinder machines.

Period competition success included victories in events such as the Milano–Taranto endurance race and strong showings across Italian domestic championships, confirming its reputation as a giant-slayer among post-war racers. Even after Gilera’s official withdrawal from Grand Prix competition in 1957, the Piuma continued to compete successfully in private hands well into the 1960s.

Beautifully engineered, technically fascinating and rich in history, the Gilera 500 Piuma stands today as one of the most evocative post-war Italian racing motorcycles — a true collector’s piece that embodies the golden age of Italian motor sport.

This particular motorcycle came from a private collection in Italy and it is said that it was built by the factory mechanics at Gilera. There is no documented proof to corroborate this however the engine has a number of features which support this claim. The cylinder head & barrel are almost certainly not production racing items but rather manufactured specifically for this bike. The crankcases are not numbered and the forks are 35mm Grand Prix Ceriani items.

The bike is presented in Hill Climbing specification which the Piuma is swell suited to however it could be converted to road racing trim with the addition of some clip on handle bars.

This beautiful motorcycle is ready to go and would make a fabulous addition to anyone's private collection. It could be raced, paraded or simple displayed as a classic piece of motorcycling history and art.

For more information on this amazing motorcycle please contact SkillanNaylor Car Company.