General Cycling Discussion - Maserati bicycles?

About halfway through "The Dancing Chain", there is reference to bicycles made by Maserati. The story of the Maserati brothers is a fascinating one, and until now, I never knew they had made any bicycles.

Since I have lusted after a Maserati since 1957, and my chances of buying a car built by them are somewhere between slim and none (leaning heavily toward none until someone donates a few hundred thou' to the cause :) ), does anyone have any references whatsoever that I could chase regarding bicycles with their name on?

In the meantime, I will continue looking. I would have bought airhorns long ago, but they are illegal almost everywhere.

Thanks...Gary

Gary,
Try looking at this (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/vrbn-g-n.html#maserati) website.
Sorry but that's all I could find. Even Maserati's website only says,
"The first to become involved in engine design was Carlo who worked in a bicycle factory in Affori near Milan. There he designed a single-cylinder engine for velocipedes which subsequently went into production in the motorbike factory run by Marquess Carcano di Anzano del Parco. Carlo Maserati also raced Carcano motorbikes fitted with engine he designed, managing to win a few races and, in 1900, setting a speed record of 50 km/h (31 mph)."

Thanks - I did look, but very late. Which is pretty dumb, since I have long believed that should be the first place to look for almost anything regarding cycling esoterica.

I have also made a few contacts at retro sites. Seems the story is about the same everywhere - Fiorelli, whose fame was making Coppi frames, some not too bad, but most lower quality. And doubts about any actual connection with the automobiles. But if it carries a trident ...

I did find one shop that has a customer who owned one (no longer, however). I will keep plugging. Who knows, it would be a nice project, especially one in Italian racing red with a Campa Nuovo Record gruppo on it. :)

Cheers...Gary

About 20 to 30years ago "Car and Driver" or "Road and Track" did a road test on a Maserati road bike, including 1/4 mile drag stats etc, yes they did give it a "test" drive, they might have made a car model that came with a bike. They also couldn't figure out why it said Campagnolo 23 different places on the bike, or why it was "cool" to have Campagnolo printed, stamped, etched, and engraved 23 places on the bike, they made "fun" of it. I'm sorry I can 't help with finding one.

Ride Italiano
Pat

Originally posted by pat5319
About 20 to 30years ago "Car and Driver" or "Road and Track" did a road test on a Maserati road bike, including 1/4 mile drag stats etc, yes they did give it a "test" drive, they might have made a car model that came with a bike.
The main difference between cyclists and drivers is exactly this: cyclists can drive, but drivers often wouldn't know how to cycle if
their article depended on it.

there is a maserati on ebay right now

I know that feeling first hand. I have a Porsche mountain bike that I haven't had out in a while. It has a huge double triple clamp front fork that boosts the weight somewhat, but it goes exactly where you point it.

there is a maserati on ebay right now


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=22681&item=7125255592&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Yup.

About halfway through "The Dancing Chain", there is reference to bicycles made by Maserati.

I've seen a Maserati racing bike somewhere long ago in a far away place. It was blue with gold decals. Nothing special as I recall.

Didn't Cadillac have a joint venture with Maserati on a car, the allante(sic)? Get one of those in lieu of the real deal. The styling was by Maserati if memory serves, and the engine was some kind of 32valve wonder.

The Maserati store in Toronto had a bike in its window for a while. Looked like a very upmarket mountain bike. I didn't go in. Salesman might have thought I was looking to buy a car. :lol: I don't think I looked like the sort of person who might be able to afford to buy a car, but you never know.

it'd probably fall apart like one of those russian jetliners that's held together with dental floss and still somehow look like a lebaron with a $90,000 price tag.

Gary...I have a Maserati bicycle...I bought it in the early 1970's in Ocean City, Maryland, USA. I don't know anything about the history of the bike. I had ridden it alot during my youth and really loved the perfomance of it. It is in pretty much origional condition except that the Simplex (rear) derailleur failed and was replaced at a shop with an inferior unit. I am currently searching for an origional Simplex replacement (on ebay) because I really liked the way it worked. I have never seen or heard of any other Maserati bicycles since then. Bill

I have a Maserati bicycle...I bought it in the early 1970's in Ocean City, Marylandl
Drat. Had I been interested in those days, I would have snapped it up if I had seen one as I lived in the MD suburbs of D.C. for a long time. I would not mind owning one now just for fun.

OTOH, my serious bike is Italian these days, and is OK too ... http://perso.wanadoo.fr/masong4/casati.htm

Didn't Cadillac have a joint venture with Maserati on a car, the allante(sic)? Get one of those in lieu of the real deal. The styling was by Maserati if memory serves, and the engine was some kind of 32valve wonder.
Not Cadillac, but Chrysler (http://www.allpar.com/model/tc.html)

Life is strange sometimes. Since I posted what, two days ago, I have seen two Maserati automobiles.

Not Cadillac, but Chrysler (http://www.allpar.com/model/tc.html)
And if I recall correctly, the Citroen SM had a Maser engine in it.

I recall a shop in Louisville carried some Maserati bikes back in the mid-70s. The ones in the shop were nothing special and, if I recall correctly, were in the same quality range as the Peugeot UO8. They were a very dark maroon.

They were a very dark maroon.
That was a color that appeared on many of their racing saloon cars in the late 50s. There were a ton of them in the preliminary races for the 1957 GP of Italy at Monza. I especially liked the two liter coupes with Zagato bodies. Sigh ...

I like their cars, wouldn't trust a bike made after then though.

I have a Maserati bicycle. Its from the early 70's, and came with a 52/39 front, and 5 speed regina freewheel, all with a Campagnolo Valentino Extra (low end) drivetrain, and clamp-on downtube shifters. It had no name hubs, Mavic AL clincher rims, Pivo stem, Barilla brakes, Diacompe levers and the least comfortable no-name vinyl seat I'd ever sat upon (probably not stock, based on the mis-sized seatpost).

It has stamped dropouts, but a chrome fork, and chrome lugs. The color is this odd pale metallic green color, and it has a Made in Italy sticker.

It was in pretty poor shape when I got it, so it has been converted to a fixie, not a bad one, at that. The frame tubing is pretty low end stuff, no tubing sticker. Lug work is a little crude as well. Fiorelli apparently made a lot of the Maserati frames.

Anyway, not great bikes, but hey, who can resist a name like Maserati? People always see mine and expect it to be better than it is. ;)

peace,
sam

There's one of these from the early 70s on eBay right now

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120186545371

FWIW, these bikes had no connection to the Maserati brothers, and little connection to the great post-war racing Maseratis and sports cars. Now Maserati motorcycles are a different matter:

http://www.enormousturnip.com/barber_museum/pages/davies_20050730_1447.html

Ive got one stting in my living room as we speak! LOL! its green with a white headtube, will post pics tomorrow :)

I remember Maserati bikes from the 70's; and have seen Porsche mountain bikes. The Italians did the better job!

There's one of these from the early 70s on eBay right now

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120186545371

FWIW, these bikes had no connection to the Maserati brothers, and little connection to the great post-war racing Maseratis and sports cars. Now Maserati motorcycles are a different matter:

http://www.enormousturnip.com/barber_museum/pages/davies_20050730_1447.html

The brothers were last associated with the Maserati company in 1947. They went on to found another company: O.S.C.A.

Pics of the different models at:

http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/maserati/

The MT-2 was the only bike to be reviewed on the cover of Road and Track, 1974.

The MT-2 was respectable with Columbus butted tubing, Campy dropouts, Campy Record changers, Ofmega Headset and five speed Regina Oro.

steve

how about a brand new Colnago Ferrari?

How about the Ferrari CX-30 for children?

Pics of the different models at:

http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/maserati/

The MT-2 was the only bike to be reviewed on the cover of Road and Track, 1974.

The MT-2 was respectable with Columbus butted tubing, Campy dropouts, Campy Record changers, Ofmega Headset and five speed Regina Oro.

steve

As I recall in the April issue. Road & Track for many years did an April Fools road test in the April issue every year. I remember road tests of a motorized pogo stick, Goodyear blimp, San Francisco cable car, Maserati bicycle, Mercedes GT (garbage truck) and an ocean liner among others.

Pics of the different models at:

http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/maserati/

The MT-2 was the only bike to be reviewed on the cover of Road and Track, 1974.
steve

Enjoyed the description of the MT-2 frame. "Columbus or Reynolds tubing..."
They weren't sure? Didn't they write it down somewhere?

On another note, I knew a guy whose Italian grandfather had a small bike building business back in the old country. When my friend was younger, Gramps asked for all his measurements, then sent a custom Italian racing bike to him in Canada. It was logoed 'Ferrari', grandfather's name.
He thought it was 'cool' to have a Ferrari bike.
But was a non-rider.
Mama mia.

and his grandfather was Enzo, is that it?

Strange as is may seem, it was a completely different person.

As I understand it, Ferrari is not an unusual name in Italy. Of course, the majority of them are overshadowed by the relative success of Enzo...

Hi there.
If any one is still intersted or knows anything about Maserati Bicycles.
Please respond.
I found a Mid 70's Maserati single speed "52-17 gear ratio" Bicycle.
I love this bike to bits, but I can't seem to find any info on it.
Does any one have any knowledge on this subject?
Cheers,
T.

This is a representative photo from an old catalog - the others are about the same:

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp323/nagognog/maserati2a.jpg

Can't give you any details but I have a customer that renovates old Racing and Vintage sports cars of note. Last time I was there he had a true Racing E-Type stripped down and a couple of Austin Healeys just about finished. That was besides the racing Aston Martins and a couple of Ferrari's. In his office he has a Manx Norton Racing motorbike and a couple of Racing bicycles. One of which is a Maserati. Dates from the late 60's and do not get excited. The bike looks immacualte and looks the part for a 60's bike. But it is not made by Maserati. The batch this one came from was made by Chas Roberts- A well known custom builder in the UK.

Edit-- the MT-8 as posted by Panthers007 looks right on colour and decals to the one I saw but it was only sigle speed.

This is a representative photo from an old catalog - the others are about the same:

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp323/nagognog/maserati2a.jpg

psht, no trident logo? If it had the trident, I might go out of my way to find one :p

The Maserati to look for is the MT-2, top of the line bike. Very nice looking too. Here is a pic and specs.

Very nice indeed. I'd love to find a dozen in some forgotten airtight container.