oneclick 

This guy was sold to someone who wanted a Torpado bad. He got it and it stayed in a friend's garage while he went somewhere else. Then I bought it. The only parts that he got that were original were the frame (not the fork), the headset, the two BB cups and possibly the balls in the BB. It had an SR crank, Mafac brakes, a mis-matched set of wheels with a Shimano rear hub and a "Sheffield" front, SR bar and stem and pedals. The fork is a Tange, nice enough, chrome is good and it's actually lighter than the real Torpado fork would have been - but it's not a real Torpado fork and there it is.

It's No. 3 because No. 2 is still in the middle of a chromovelato job, that was bought before and started before but it takes many, many coats; the opaque stuff takes two, it's done first.

Anyway, I stripped this one to metal and the chrome was not very good at all, so it got an opaque paint job; here it is before I fill the lug windows, do decals, and clear-coat:

Yelbom15

One day I'll post on this thread.

juvela

-----

Torresini fans might like to see this example dated by owner as 1949. Kitted with the Campag Paris Roubaix gear.









cycle posted and discussed on this thread over at thecabe. owner/poster is currently overseas and shall not be able to repsond to detailed questions until sometime next year.

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/19...oubaix.183215/


-----

SurferRosa

Well, I've been riding this bike a couple months now, and I just love it. I rode over to see Charles at Wright Bros Cycles, and told him about the DA brakeset/Sugino crankset the previous owner added. He said the bike likely came with Universal brakes and a cottered crank. So that makes sense...

Everything is so smooth. The rear triangle is a little heavy, but I don't mind here. And I like the feel of the 23mm tires. Probably needs more expensive rubber, but we'll get to that.
.

JosephCP

Howdy all!
I'm considering this as a project.
Appreciate your thoughts.










The seller is asking $120 USD.
I haven't yet begun to negotiate.

TIA!

Joe

randyjawa 

Finally got my 700c x 28 gumwalls and finished this one yesterday...

oneclick 

That rear mech doesn't look right - I'd not be happy with the amount of chain wrapped around the freewheel, needs more.

randyjawa 

You are absolutely correct. The pivot is too tight. I have corrected the situation and intend to test ride the bike later today. I actually started a thread asking for set-up advice as I have never actually used one of Campy's entry lever chain jumpers before. Time to learn.

juvela

-----

Torresini enthusiasts might like to see this example, as discussed at another forum -




https://www.roadbikereview.com/threa...orpado.382649/


-----

Torpado

campanelura wrote: "I'm very grad to know that we have a near twins!
I wonder why this rare Torpado has been inported to Japan and how many thisi type of Torpado still survived in the world?
The hubs are Campa by the way."

I looked closely at the pics and had to look twice. The Torpado in Japan was mine in the US! ... I sold it many years ago to a collector in Japan. I acquired it directly from Italy, and I believe it may have been a Giro d'Italia bike. Does it still have the Torpado saddle with remains of yellow paint underneath, and remains of red paint on the rear derailleur? I bought and sold it with the original Campagnolo small flange G.S. hubs ... those large flange hubs you have on it now are not original.

I have many photos of this bike, confirmed the exact same bike by the serial number and the paint chips!

Mark

oneclick 

Another bullet-pointed seat-stay Torpado showed up, this one only has a three-digit serial. It's otherwise identical in construction to the four-digit ones I've seen, parts on it that I think were original are an Ofmega steel headset, Valentino mechs, Universal 61 brakes, noname steel cottered chainset. These are the bike-boom low-end bikes, chrome front and back and headlugs, serial on the bottom of the BB.

Do serial numbers match dates?

squirtdad

I still hope to trip over a NOS super light 57cm

randyjawa 

I am going to look at and perhaps buy this one tomorrow morning. Sadly, I already have three Torpados and really do NOT need another one. I just cannot help myself but this one has a complere Gian Robert transmission. Sadly, the original brakes and saddle are gone...

oneclick 

I hope you are not expecting too much from the GR mechs. I remember them having a quality-of-manufacture slightly above farm implements.

randyjawa 

Actually, I have used GR stuff before and been anything but impressed. That said, I feel much the same about most vintage components when I compare them to the modern stuff on my Marinoni. That does not, however, mean that I do not like my vintage steeds but I do recognize the use limitations of antiquated technology. This set up does not work perfectly either and I don't ride it much but I still love the bike, itself...

oneclick 

Apart from the colours this one has a sort-of theme - asian (mostly) equipment, no Shimano:

yeslek

juvela

-----

thanks very much for sharing your example!

looks like Torresini really went casting about for a road ensemble here

she wears Galli chainset, Campag gears, Modolo brakes, Cino stem/bar set, etc.


-----

Mr. 66

My Super Light

juvela

-----

Do any of our experts know how late the marque active?

T-Mar hath writ that Torresini was acquired by Agrati-Garelli in the early 1980's

the latest examples have seen appear to date from the mid-to-late 1980's so evidently Agrati-Garelli kept the marque active for at least some period


-----

T-Mar

Torpado is still an active brand, now owned by Cicli Esperia Spa, though I'm not aware of distribution outside of Europe. Esperia is located in Cavazere, only about 25km south of the original Torresini location in Padua. Founded in 1989, Esperia acquired the Torpado brand circa 2001. In addition to Torpado, they own the eponymous Esperia brand, Fondriest and Legnano. Torpado still has a presence in the racing, with their most successful rider being Lithuanian cyclist Katazina Sosna, who won the UCI's new Marathon ATB Race Series in 2021. More on the current Torpado bicycles here: https://www.torpado.com/en/

Kabuki12

Thank you T-Mar, as always your knowledge is amazing and much appreciated. Glad to know that the name is living on. The only knowledge I have is that my 1972 ItalVega was contracted through Torpado , and that bike is pretty darn nice. It isn’t even a top of the line but rides like it is.

Torpado

Agrati-Garelli acquired about half of the Torpado company in the very early 1980s, believed to be for the purpose of joining with / absorbing / neutralizing the moto competition. Shortly thereafter, Torpado moto production ceased. I believe that it is very late 1986, possibly into 1987 that the last Torpado bicycles were sold.

I used to own what I believe to have been one of the last bikes they offered, an example of a Premo model. Thought by now I could attach pics, but evidently I still haven't reached 10 posts, sorry. So, I uploaded it to my Google account and tried to post the link, but evidently 10 posts are required for that action too. Sorry?!?!

BTW, the bottom bracket threading for Torpados went from Italian to BSC, in about 1985-1986. This includes the last Superlight-X frames, made of SLX tubing with the flag plate brazed onto the side of the top tube. This Primo (now sold) had a BSC threaded b.b.

yeslek

Beautiful yellow Torpado Nuovo Sprint upgraded to campagnolo super record with gipiemme chrono sprint 870 shifters(by simplex)
nearly new Mavic MA40 wheels and buttery smooth campagnolo hubs that spin forever.

oneclick 

This was the bike that got sold to a local as a Torpado.
Pretty much the only thing that *was* Torpado was the frame, the fork is a Tange, the brakes were Mafac, and for the rest it had a bunch of mismatched mostly non-euro equipment.

There are some pictures of the bare frame up-thread, on this one the plating was bad enough that it got a solid-colour job, not translucent like the other Torpados.
Each of the Torpados done recently have had a sort of equipment-theme, one is Italian campy, one italian not-campy, one all french stuff, one asian not-shimano, and this one is mucho shimano.
I still have to re-warp the bars to move the brake levers up a little, probably get better tyres, and some attention to the rims' cosmetics:.








Shimano HF hubs laced stainless to Araya 27" rims:



I was surprised by the quality of these Tourney brakes - they are stiff and tight and smooth, the cable attachment is simple and clever, no straddle to get lost.