This is one well-preserved motorcycle! The 1966 Cimatti 160 Sport seen here was in climate-controlled storage its whole life and is in almost-new condition, right down to the original Michelin Rapido tires. The current owner bought it when it had 12 miles on it and it now has a whopping 120 miles! This 160cc time machine is listed on eBay with the current bid at $1,075 and six days left. It’s now located in Deerfield, Illinois and is owned by a gentleman who restores vintage BMW cars for a living; very cool.
The current owner is basically the third owner of this gorgeous, preserved Italian motorcycle. Cimatti was an Italian bike and motorcycle manufacturer from 1937 to 1984 and they sold these through Gamble’s Stores much like the Benelli and Ward’s Riverside or the Puch and Sears connection. Italian cyclist and 1932 Olympic gold medal hero, Marco Cimatti, started a company making bicycles in 1937 and they eventually branched out to mopeds and finally motorcycles before closing up shop in 1984 due to the recession.
Apparently, this bike had a scratch on the front forks so it sat unsold in a Gamble’s store for years and years and was finally sold to a motorcycle museum in Denver who then kept it for, again, years and years. The owner of the Denver museum passed away and the son sold off the collection. This engine is a Moto Minarrelli two-stroke with the original spark plug, air filter, and everything but the battery. The engine is like new on this jewel. I think that this would be a great piece for anyone’s collection and it would sure stand out among the sea of all-black Harleys at any motorcycle show. Are you into these orphan bikes or do you prefer to stick with the more popular motorcycle brands?
A good home for this is in the wheels through time motor cycle museum with all the other rare and odd motorcycles live.
Like! That is a good place for this bike.
Wheels Thought Time in NC only does American bikes. At least on display. They would be great folks to preserve it though and probably find it a proper home.
Where is (was) this museum in Denver? I wish I had known, since I live in Denver, and would have loved to visit there.
This is getting creepy. How did Scotty know I had a connection to a bike like this? When I was a kid, we had a Honda step-thru 50, and the neighbor kid at our lake cottage, had a bike just like this, only yellow. That was 50 years ago, and I had never heard of it then, and never saw one again. ( and I’ve been around a LOT of bikes) I remember, compared to my Honda 50, this was a BIG bike. I could never keep up. But Kenny, was cool and always slowed down and waited for me. I remember, it smoked profusely, but I liked the style, and still do. To see one in this condition is quite amazing. I highly doubt many like this survived, as usually, when the motor stuck, they were thrown away, and the owner moved on to a better bike. Not sure what to do with it. Even with modern 2 cycle oil, it’s still gonna smoke, something considered extremely offensive nowadays. And the noise would probably make young mother’s pick up their child and run. Thanks to Scotty G for the memories. For me, that’s what this site is all about.
“Even with modern 2 cycle oil, it’s still gonna smoke, something considered extremely offensive nowadays”
If it’s not smokin, it’s broken!
Cool scoot fer sure!
be cool with the gas /oil mixture and they don’t smoke as bad,as long as they are in good repair. I had a 72 Yamaha 2 stroke street bike and as long as the mixture was right it barly smoked at all. That bike was fast for a 250.
Wow, what a pretty little bike. No title will probably keep the bidding on the low end but someone is going to get a real time capsule to show off.