Garelli

Garelli is an Italian motorcycle and moped brand founded in 1919 by engineer Adalberto Garelli. Its origins are closely associated with the development of two-stroke engines and with a distinctive 350 cc split-single-cylinder design. Before establishing the company, Garelli studied engineering and worked on two-stroke development for Fiat. He left Fiat in 1911 after the company showed limited interest in the technology, then continued refining his own engine concepts. Between 1911 and 1914, this work produced the 350 cc split-single engine, an unusual configuration that became the technical foundation of Garelli's early motorcycles. The company entered the market during a period when motorcycles were increasingly being considered for personal transport, competition, and military use. In 1919, Garelli built a 350 cc motorcycle that demonstrated the endurance potential of its engineering. Rider Ettore Girardi used one of these machines to travel from Milan to Naples, covering approximately 840 kilometres at an average speed of about 38.29 kilometres per hour. The ride became an important early marker of the company's identity: Garelli motorcycles were presented not only as mechanical products but also as machines capable of sustained performance over long distances. The 350 cc split-single remained in production until 1926 and helped establish the brand in Italian motorcycle competition. Garelli also supplied motorcycles to the Royal Italian Army. Its early activities therefore combined civilian motorcycles, racing-oriented engineering, and military mobility. Several prominent Italian racers, including Ernesto Gnesa, Tazio Nuvolari, and Achille Varzi, began their racing careers on Garelli motorcycles. This association gave the company visibility in the formative years of Italian motorcycling and contributed to a performance-oriented reputation. After the Second World War, Garelli shifted its emphasis toward smaller motorcycles and mopeds for the European market. This change reflected the expanding role of lightweight two-wheelers in affordable everyday transport. The brand later continued to use small-displacement and practical motorcycle formats while retaining a connection to sporting and off-road applications. One notable product was the Tiger Cross MK 1, a black-and-yellow two-stroke enduro motorcycle produced in 1976. The model represented Garelli's participation in the off-road segment at a time when lightweight enduro motorcycles were becoming increasingly visible in recreational and competitive riding. Garelli also achieved an important endurance milestone in 1963, when two 50 cc motorcycles set eight world long-distance records. The company's strongest period in international racing came in the early 1980s. Garelli dominated the 125 cc class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing and won six consecutive constructors' world championships from 1982 through 1987. It also won the 50 cc constructors' title in 1983. These results made the racing program one of the defining elements of Garelli's historical profile. In 2019, the centenary of its foundation, the brand returned to the market with fully electric products. The announced range included the Ciclone Sic58 electric model and the E-Bike Ciclone Sic58. The products were developed in collaboration with the Marco Simoncelli Foundation, linking Garelli's renewed identity to electric mobility and to a notable Italian motorcycle-sport association. Publicly available reference material does not establish the current ownership structure, corporate headquarters beyond Italy, present production scale, or the continuing availability of each model. Garelli is therefore best understood as a historically significant Italian two-wheeler brand whose documented modern positioning combines heritage, lightweight mobility, and electrification.

Adalberto Garelli founded Garelli in 1919 after years of independent work on two-stroke engine technology. He had earned an engineering degree at the age of 22 and subsequently worked for Fiat, where he pursued two-stroke development. Garelli left Fiat in 1911 because the company did not show sufficient interest in the concept. He continued his own research between 1911 and 1914, creating a 350 cc split-single-cylinder engine. The design used a distinctive cylinder arrangement and became the mechanical basis of the company's first major motorcycles. During the years before the company's foundation, Garelli also worked for other motorcycle manufacturers. From 1914 to 1918, he participated in motorcycle engineering and entered a competition organized by the Royal Italian Army to design a motorcycle using his 350 cc split-single engine. The military connection continued after the company was established, when Garelli produced motorcycles for the Royal Italian Army. Garelli's first major public demonstration came in 1919, when a 350 cc motorcycle completed a long-distance journey from Milan to Naples. Ettore Girardi covered approximately 840 kilometres at an average speed of around 38.29 kilometres per hour. The ride helped demonstrate the durability and touring potential of the new machine. The 350 cc split-single motorcycle stayed in production until 1926 and became significant in both the company's commercial history and early racing reputation. Riders who later became well known in Italian motorcycle racing, including Ernesto Gnesa, Tazio Nuvolari, and Achille Varzi, began their racing careers on Garelli motorcycles. Following the Second World War, Garelli concentrated increasingly on smaller motorcycles and mopeds aimed at the European market. The company's post-war identity was consequently connected to accessible, lightweight two-wheelers rather than only to large-displacement machines. This segment allowed the brand to participate in everyday transportation while maintaining its engineering heritage. Garelli also continued to explore sporting and recreational formats. In 1976, it produced the Tiger Cross MK 1, a black-and-yellow two-stroke enduro motorcycle that represented the brand's presence in off-road riding. Endurance and racing remained recurring themes. On November 3, 1963, two 50 cc Garelli motorcycles set eight world long-distance records. In Grand Prix motorcycle racing, the brand became especially prominent in the 125 cc category during the early 1980s. Garelli won the 125 cc constructors' world championship six times consecutively from 1982 to 1987. It also won the 50 cc constructors' championship in 1983. This period established the racing program as one of the most important chapters in the company's history and reinforced Garelli's association with small-displacement performance. The brand returned to the market in 2019, its centenary year, with fully electric products. The documented relaunch included the Ciclone Sic58 and the E-Bike Ciclone Sic58. Garelli developed these products in collaboration with the Marco Simoncelli Foundation, connecting the renewed brand to Italian motorcycle culture and the legacy of racer Marco Simoncelli. The available reference material does not provide enough information to confirm Garelli's current corporate structure, production footprint, management, or model availability. Its documented historical trajectory nevertheless runs from experimental two-stroke engineering, through military supply, endurance and Grand Prix racing, to post-war mopeds and a centenary-era electric mobility proposition.

• 2019

  Centenary return with electric products

  [1]Garelli Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  Garelli returned to the market with the fully electric Ciclone Sic58 and E-Bike Ciclone Sic58 in collaboration with the Marco Simoncelli Foundation.

• 1987

  Six-year 125 cc championship run concludes

  [1]Garelli Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  Garelli completed six consecutive 125 cc constructors' world championships covering the 1982–1987 seasons.

• 1983

  Garelli wins 50 cc and 125 cc constructors' championships

  [1]Garelli Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  The company won the 50 cc constructors' title while continuing its run of 125 cc constructors' championships.

• 1982

  First of six consecutive 125 cc constructors' titles

  [1]Garelli Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  Garelli began a six-year sequence of 125 cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing constructors' championships.

• 1976

  Tiger Cross MK 1 is produced

  [1]Garelli Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  Garelli produced the Tiger Cross MK 1, a black-and-yellow two-stroke enduro motorcycle.

• 1963

  Eight world long-distance records are set

  [1]Garelli Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  Two 50 cc Garelli motorcycles established eight world long-distance records on November 3.

• 1926

  Production of the 350 cc split-single ends

  [1]Garelli Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  The 350 cc split-single motorcycle remained in production until 1926 and formed the technical basis of Garelli's early racing and endurance identity.

• 1919

  Garelli is founded and demonstrates long-distance capability

  [1]Garelli Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  Garelli was founded, and Ettore Girardi rode a 350 cc Garelli motorcycle from Milan to Naples over approximately 840 kilometres.

• 1914

  The 350 cc split-single engine is developed

  [1]Garelli Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  Garelli's independent engineering work resulted in a 350 cc split-single-cylinder engine that later powered the company's early motorcycles.

• 1911

  Adalberto Garelli leaves Fiat and continues independent engine development

  [1]Garelli Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  After Fiat showed limited enthusiasm for his two-stroke work, Adalberto Garelli left the company and continued developing his own engine designs.

Historically positioned around Italian motorcycle engineering, endurance, racing performance, and practical lightweight mobility; its documented centenary-era relaunch added an electric-mobility and heritage-oriented proposition.

• Motorcycle · 1919

  350 cc split-single motorcycle

  Garelli's foundational motorcycle used the company's distinctive 350 cc split-single-cylinder engine. Introduced around the company's founding period, it demonstrated long-distance capability in the Milan–Naples ride and remained in production until 1926. The model family also supported Garelli's early racing reputation and reflected Adalberto Garelli's engineering focus on two-stroke technology.

• Enduro motorcycle · 1976

  Tiger Cross MK 1

  The Tiger Cross MK 1 was a lightweight two-stroke off-road and enduro motorcycle produced in 1976. Its documented black-and-yellow finish gave it a distinctive visual identity, while its format placed Garelli in the recreational and sporting off-road segment rather than solely in commuter motorcycles and mopeds.

• Electric two-wheeler · 2019

  Ciclone Sic58

  The Ciclone Sic58 was one of the fully electric products associated with Garelli's return to the market in its 2019 centenary year. It was developed in collaboration with the Marco Simoncelli Foundation, combining Garelli's historical two-wheeler identity with a contemporary electric-mobility direction.

• Electric bicycle · 2019

  E-Bike Ciclone Sic58

  The E-Bike Ciclone Sic58 was presented alongside the electric Ciclone Sic58 during Garelli's centenary return. It extended the brand's renewed product scope from motorcycles and mopeds into electrically assisted bicycle-style mobility, with the Marco Simoncelli Foundation identified as a collaboration partner.

• 2019

  Re-enter the market through electric mobilityStrategy

  Background

  In its centenary year, Garelli returned to the market after a history centered on motorcycles, mopeds, racing, and small-displacement mobility.

  Action taken

  The brand introduced fully electric products, including the Ciclone Sic58 and E-Bike Ciclone Sic58, in collaboration with the Marco Simoncelli Foundation.

  Aftermath

  The relaunch documented a shift toward electric two-wheelers, but the available reference material does not establish subsequent sales, production scale, ownership, or long-term market performance.

  Source

1. 1Garelli Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Garelli official websitegarelli.com