Page 23
October 9,1973
The Moto Villa 125. Kickstarter will be changed on production model. and a silencer will be fitted.
MotoVilla:
Anoth~r little
beauty froDl Italy
Yet another entry' has popped up
in the ever-swelling ranks of
lightweight dirt bikes - the Moto
Villa 125. Those who follow
European road racing will recognize the
name of Walter Villa, one of the top
pavement scratchers over there. His
daddy, Francisco, builds motorcycles.
Like most Italian machines, this 125
MXer is a handsome little number. It
weighs in at 184 pounds,"dry, has a
close ratio 5-speed with straight-eut
gears and electronic ignition. The
engine, rated at 20 horsepower, has
.quite a wide power band for a 125 and
will also be offered in a TT version
The Villa is a torquer for a one-two-fi~.
producing abou t 27 horses. The MX
model 'is equipped with a 30mm
Dellorto concentric carburetor.
Wheelbase is 54.5" with suspension
units by Marzocchi at both ends. The
forks have 6\4" of travel. Tires are 2.50
x 21 and 3,.50 x 18. The Moto Villa
clears the ground by gy," and measures'
31" to the top of the seat. The center of
gravity seems a bit high, but the bike
exhibited no problems in cornering,
slow or fast.
Rid ing impressions compare
favorably with CR-125 Honda, although
the p ower characteristics are far
different. The Honda accelerates more
rapidly but also requires more gear
changing within its narrower power
band. The Moto Villa 125 seems to
produce con.siderable torque for its size,
and will power through turns with good
grunt and minimal wheclspin.
Moto Villa also has a 250 in the
works that should be available soon. We
took a few laps on the prototype
campaigned by Alex Jorgenson in
Northern California and, though it
seemed more than a little overweight,
the 250 really hauls the lasagna. The
machine behaves a lot like a 4-stroke TT
machine, until the power really hooks in
and the scenery starts to blur.
The engine in the prototype was
lifted from one of Walter's road racers,
and how the production item will
The 250 prototype.
compare is hard to say. American Villa
Imports in San Jose, California, is now
setting up dealerships, and they also
have a 450 MX in the forecast. Th\t will
be interesting, too.
•
Neat little chain guide.
Skinny for an Italian.
