Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Canuck750 on November 19, 2020, 08:36:18 PM
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A 1957 Parilla 175 Speedster, this would be a great bike to own, seems expensive at a Buy It Now for $5499.00 but I really have no idea what these are worth, only that I find the Hi-Cam single to be a very attractive engine
(https://i.postimg.cc/zXpn1qC5/Parilla-Speedster-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ykgJm4pr)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1957-Other-Makes/143853429787?hash=item217e55241b:g:dzwAAOSww5hfttBG
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That's one of Bill Herrings (sp?) bikes in Ohio. He's been more actively thinning his deep inventory for the past few years. There's been at least 1-2 other Parillas on the block from his bikes. That one looks better than some he has offered and is more desirable as a Speedster than some models.
Prices are high, with parts to restore them are both high $$ and hard to find. They were not plentiful at any time. Even the dedicated fans were struggling to justify/afford the real costs of a rebuild when prices spiked 10-15 yrs ago. High Cam singles were roughly equivalent to 750 Roundcase Ducatis, much higher than other singles at the time. Now the typical buy-in price has jumped and parts are more scarce. The Parilla scene is still much like the Roundcase scene. If you want one, you simply decide to afford it. Short of an occasional bargain- which do pop up- there is no consistent cheap workaround.
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Thank you for the great information. The Parilla high cam is beautiful but I don’t think I want to get into the price point shared with a round case Duc. If I could find a high can in the Ducati 860 square case range I would grab it.
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I dunno...they look pretty sweet "restored" - - just a LOT of time...and a LOT of money!! :thumb: :cool: :smiley: :wink:
(https://i.ibb.co/SBBGg2H/Screen-Shot-2020-11-20-at-10-49-03-AM.png) (https://ibb.co/SBBGg2H)
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The price of that one I think is too high. And the big problem with it would be the quality of the tinwear, particularly the rear mudguard.
Don't be afraid of rebuilding the engine though - NOS parts are available from Rudiger Kohlmetz in Germany. Rudi bought up the NOS spares stock of Cosmopolitan Motors when they closed. He had all the parts I required and was generally pretty reasonable on price. As an example he supplied me with new valves, valve guides and valve springs and the total cost was €90. So nowhere near the cost of Ducati Bevel spares. There's a great guy in UK called Mike McGarry who is a great technical resource and is very helpful. He manages a very useful website https://www.motoparilla.co.uk/ . For anyone considering buying a Parilla, I'd touch base with Mike first.
I was lucky in that all the hard to find cycle parts were on the bike - including the Greyhound mascot on the front mudguard. I also swapped the electrical system for a VAPE 12 volt alternator and electronic ignition, which is a worthwhile mod for reliability. New wiring loom cost €29 and seat cover €85 from Brezzi. Most difficult part was replacing the bronze bushes in the forks. Also I had to have a new swing arm pin and bushes made.
Here's a few photos of my rebuild. Note the bronze skull in the head, cassette gearbox and single lobe on the cam which operates both valves.
A really beautiful looking engine now it's finished. No match for a 200 Elite on performance, but a very attractive little bike.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50628664477_e5dd9a619e_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2k8T95e)20200604_153402 (https://flic.kr/p/2k8T95e) by Derek Wardell (https://www.flickr.com/photos/154993838@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50628570126_4865d031c3_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2k8SE2u)20200611_172828 (https://flic.kr/p/2k8SE2u) by Derek Wardell (https://www.flickr.com/photos/154993838@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50628570201_44cc8f1a98_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2k8SE3M)20200608_151644 (https://flic.kr/p/2k8SE3M) by Derek Wardell (https://www.flickr.com/photos/154993838@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50628578501_65d11806b9_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2k8SGvT)DSC_1880 (https://flic.kr/p/2k8SGvT) by Derek Wardell (https://www.flickr.com/photos/154993838@N08/), on Flickr
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A buddy in college some 50 years ago rode a stripped down Parilla. I don't know the model, but he called it his "Gorilla Parilla".
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My friend Jarl's 175:
(https://i.ibb.co/YPGTjnX/Jarl-s-Parilla.jpg) (https://ibb.co/YPGTjnX)
He also has a rare 350 Clipper:
(https://i.ibb.co/MCQFLN3/Parilla-Clipper-350-Left-Side.webp) (https://ibb.co/MCQFLN3)
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The price of that one I think is too high. And the big problem with it would be the quality of the tinwear, particularly the rear mudguard.
Don't be afraid of rebuilding the engine though - NOS parts are available from Rudiger Kohlmetz in Germany. Rudi bought up the NOS spares stock of Cosmopolitan Motors when they closed. He had all the parts I required and was generally pretty reasonable on price. As an example he supplied me with new valves, valve guides and valve springs and the total cost was €90. So nowhere near the cost of Ducati Bevel spares. There's a great guy in UK called Mike McGarry who is a great technical resource and is very helpful. He manages a very useful website https://www.motoparilla.co.uk/ . For anyone considering buying a Parilla, I'd touch base with Mike first.
I was lucky in that all the hard to find cycle parts were on the bike - including the Greyhound mascot on the front mudguard. I also swapped the electrical system for a VAPE 12 volt alternator and electronic ignition, which is a worthwhile mod for reliability. New wiring loom cost €29 and seat cover €85 from Brezzi. Most difficult part was replacing the bronze bushes in the forks. Also I had to have a new swing arm pin and bushes made.
Here's a few photos of my rebuild. Note the bronze skull in the head, cassette gearbox and single lobe on the cam which operates both valves.
A really beautiful looking engine now it's finished. No match for a 200 Elite on performance, but a very attractive little bike.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50628664477_e5dd9a619e_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2k8T95e)20200604_153402 (https://flic.kr/p/2k8T95e) by Derek Wardell (https://www.flickr.com/photos/154993838@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50628570126_4865d031c3_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2k8SE2u)20200611_172828 (https://flic.kr/p/2k8SE2u) by Derek Wardell (https://www.flickr.com/photos/154993838@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50628570201_44cc8f1a98_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2k8SE3M)20200608_151644 (https://flic.kr/p/2k8SE3M) by Derek Wardell (https://www.flickr.com/photos/154993838@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50628578501_65d11806b9_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2k8SGvT)DSC_1880 (https://flic.kr/p/2k8SGvT) by Derek Wardell (https://www.flickr.com/photos/154993838@N08/), on Flickr
Thank you for posting these pictures!
The views of the motor showing the chain drive for the cam is great, and thanks for the contacts as well.
I have one of these on my bucket list!
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Gorilla was the street name for those, back in the day.
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Beautiful, rare, Italian classic... :cool: :thumb: :smiley: :wink:
(https://i.ibb.co/phgg0fR/Screen-Shot-2020-11-22-at-9-40-16-AM.png) (https://ibb.co/phgg0fR)