1950s - 1960s Twostrokes and Fourstrokes
Manufactured: 1949-1962 (and later by Benelli)
FAMOSA (Fabbrica Auto Motocicli Officine Strada Adriatica) was founded by Giuseppe Benelli when he left the Benelli company as a result of a family disagreement.
The first model, built in 1950, was the 98 B, using an egg-shaped single-cylinder two-stroke engine with rear suspension of the balestrino style.
In 1952 Motobi announced a model named the Spring Lasting, a twin-cylinder 200cc two-stroke designed to challenge the Benelli Leonessa (Lioness) and which won a Milano-Taranto race.
In 1956 they built a series of motorcycles with four-stroke engines including the 125cc Imperiale and the Catria 175cc, the names honouring Pesaro locales.
Giuseppe Benelli died in 1957, and his heirs rejoined Benelli. The last MotoBi recognizable as such was a twin-cylinder two-stroke 250cc sports machine built in 1968.
The British market saw new Motobi mopeds and lightweights introduced in 1964 with 48cc engines and pressed-metal frames. They were quite attractive machines but did not fare well and were dropped by the UK distributors after just two or three years.
See also Motobi Mopeds
Model: B98 (Balestrino)
Capacity: 98cc
Production Years: 1950
Capacity: 115cc
Production Years: 1951
Capacity: 98cc
Production Years: 1952
Capacity: 98cc
Production Years: 1952
Capacity: 115cc
Production Years: 1952
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years: 1952
Capacity: 195.4cc
Production Years: 1952
Capacity: 195.4cc
Production Years: 1953
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years: 1953
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years: 1955
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years: 1955
Capacity: 195.4cc
Production Years: 1955
Capacity: 195.4cc
Production Years: 1955
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years: 1956
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years: 1956
Capacity: 172cc
Production Years: 1956
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years: 1957
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years: 1957
Capacity: 172cc
Production Years: 1957
Capacity: 172cc
Production Years: 1958
Capacity: 172cc
Production Years: 1959
Capacity: 75cc
Production Years:: 1960
Capacity: 172cc
Production Years:: 1960
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years:: 1960
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years:: 1961
Capacity: 172cc
Production Years:: 1961
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years:: 1961
Capacity: 172cc
Production Years:: 1961
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years:: 1962
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years:: 1966
Capacity: 197.9cc
Production Years:: 1963
Model: Motobi Sprint 48
50cc 1964-65 (The Sport Special 48 is very similar)
Model: Motobi Sport Special 48
50cc 1961-64
Model: 1966 125 Sprite America
Capacity: 245cc
Production Years:: 1966
Capacity: 245cc
Production Years:: 1966
Capacity: 245cc
Production Years:: 1966
Capacity: 245cc
Production Years:: 1966
Capacity: 123cc
Production Years:: 1968
Capacity: 245cc
Production Years:: 1968
Capacity: 123.6cc
Production Years:: 1968
Capacity: 245cc
Production Years:: 1968
Capacity: 123cc
Production Years:: 1969
Capacity: 245cc
Production Years:: 1969
The marque name was acquired in 1995 by Andrea Merloni who planned to build scooters under the MotoBi banner.
Subsequently an Austrian company, Michael Leeb Trading GmbH, assumed the rights to the name and built a number of machines of 50 and 125cc named Imola, Pesaro Misano and Modena.
Sources: MC Storico Conti, scooterdepoca.com, wikipedia.it, Museo Migliazzi, et al.
