Ducati Cucciolo: The Engine that Changed Italy!

Welcome back to a new episode of Wheels of History. Before we tell you about today's protagonist, we ask you if you would like more videos like these, please subscribe to the channel. It's a small gesture for you, but essential for the continuation of our activity of popularizing means that have made history. Today we're talking about Ducati's Cucciolo, one of the motorized symbols of the post-war era. The Cucciolo auxiliary engine by Ducati was indeed one of the symbols of the post-war period. It saw widespread use, especially across the plains of northern Italy, where many craftsmen used it to create complete vehicles that were the forerunners of today's mopeds. In 1945, at the end of the war, the time for mass motorization had arrived. However, Italians' economic conditions did not yet allow for the big leap to four-wheel vehicles. Bicycles, especially in flat areas, were still the primary means of transportation. The Società Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati, with its Borgo Panigale factories leveled by bombings, began production of the Cucciolo in the Fayat foundries of Cameri. The engine was designed by lawyer Aldo Farinelli. Presented at the Milan Fair in September 1946, this new micromotor was advertised as the most economical in terms of installation, since it used the bicycle's original chain as the transmission component, and in terms of fuel consumption, achieving nearly 100 kilometers on a liter of gasoline. The selling price of 36,000 lira was equivalent to about a month's salary for a skilled technician. By 1948, the Cucciolo was already being produced at the newly rebuilt Borgo Panigale factories in two versions, the 48T2 Turismo and Sport. The power output was 0.8 horsepower measured at the brake for the former, and 1.2 horsepower at 4,250 rpm for the latter, with a weight of 7 kilograms and 800 grams. The installation kit included, in addition to cables and controls, a 2.25 liter tank, which allowed for an approximate range of 220 kilometers. This was mounted on the rear part of the bicycle, specifically above the mudguard. On bicycles with elastic rear suspension, central frame installation was recommended. The Cucciolo's commercial success was remarkable. Motorize your bicycle was the company's slogan. Between 1946 and 1950, 500,000 units were sold in Italy, also due to an extensive sales and support network, and an advertising campaign, reinforced by sporting successes in races dedicated to micro-motors. Sporting successes and innovation. With Glauco Zitelli, the Cucciolo won the first Grand Prix of the city of Milan in 1948, and set a world track record in Buenos Aires with riders La Terza, Lanza and Allegretti. Also in the same year, it participated in a raid to reach the York Moped Rally with Giancarlo Tironi, traveling 4,600 kilometers across Europe over about a month. Ducati's small engine allowed for speeds of 40 kilometers per hour, and in the 48T2 version, it had two semi-automatic gears plus neutral. To change speeds, one used the clutch control located on the left of the handlebar, with the valve lifter and throttle on the right, and the bicycle pedals. Pressing the left pedal forward would engage first gear, while pressing the right pedal forward engaged second gear. With the pedals in a vertical position, neutral was engaged. These maneuvers were carried out solely using the clutch control, which, when not engaged, allowed the rider to keep pedaling without the motor shifting gears with each pedal turn. With the help of the gear shift, slopes of up to 18% could be tackled. However, to simplify installation and use for those not particularly skilled at driving, Ducati began producing the single-speed Cuciolo Tipo Zero at the end of 1948. The Cuciolo was not the only bicycle micromotor. Its major competitor was the Moschito by Gorelli, created by engineer Gilardi, which used a roller acting directly on the rear wheel as its transmission component. The Moschito remained in production until 1960. The Cuciolo began its evolution. Around it, the Ducati Sixti was built, the first lightweight motorcycle from Ducati Meccanica. Anyone who lived through the post-war years will surely remember the tune by Maestro Olivieri, broadcast on the radio with the lyrics... "...se vuoi venire con me, ti porterò sul cucciolo, il motorino è piccolo, ma batte come il mio cuore..." The little motor beats like my heart. To offer more than just bicycles, various manufacturers produced more advanced frames, specifically designed for the Cuciolo. These could generally be purchased with the engine already installed, even before Ducati took on this role. Thus, very simple vehicles appeared, which in effect could be considered intermediate between bicycles and mopeds. The true strength of the four-stroke. For a long time, the Cuciolo auxiliary engine served as a genuine technical benchmark. Unlike many other manufacturers, who opted for two-stroke units, considered structurally simpler, with fewer components, no distribution system, and lubrication through a fuel-oil mixture, thus making them lighter and less expensive. Siata, which created the original version of the Cuciolo, chose the four-stroke model. Despite greater structural complexity, this type of engine offered clear advantages, such as lower fuel consumption, fewer starting issues, and a lower risk of spark plug fouling, a common Achilles heel of two-strokes at the time. The single-cylinder engine was designed to be extremely simple, featuring unusual technical solutions. In the second version, called T2, and in subsequent versions, the cylinder and head were made from a single aluminum alloy, Silumin, casting properly finned and with a cast iron liner. In the first version, this same casting even included the crankcase. In engines of the same architecture, but with displacement, increased to 60cc, built by Ducati starting in 1948, and a three-speed gearbox, the cylinder was made of cast iron and was separated from the head, which remained a lightweight alloy. Another unusual feature was that this engine had a single cam operating both valves, moving two rockers located in the crankcase and linked to pushrods. These pushrods operated in tension rather than compression, activating the finger rockers placed at the top of the head to open the valves instead of pushing the typical two-arm rockers. To use a single cam to operate both valves, two completely different geometry double-arm rockers were used in the crankcase. The valves, held by helical springs, were parallel and had a unique feature, they were both the same diameter, 12mm. The engine had nearly perfectly square dimensions, with a 40mm stroke matched to a 39mm bore. Ignition was by flywheel Magneto with fixed timing set between 25 and 29 degrees before TDC. The spark system was a wasted spark type. The crankshaft mechanism used a composite crankshaft with a forged steel monolithic connecting rod, operating at the head on loose rollers and with a bronze bushing at the foot. The piston, cast in a lightweight alloy, was of the full skirt type with a perfectly flat top. The crankshaft was supported by rolling element bearings. A primary gear transmission, located directly within the engine, transferred movement to the bicycle wheels, making the Cucciolo a groundbreaking innovation for its time. Engine parts, such as pistons, gaskets and connecting rods for the Cucciolo, as well as for many other vintage and modern motorcycles, can be found on the website www.thekingopiston.com