Frequent commenter Gene Herman recently set his camera on stun so he could gather several examples of automotive wildlife he thought we’d enjoy. First up, his buddy Will’s 1952 Moto Guzzi Ercole. In Gene’s words:
It’s powered by an almost horizontal 500 c.c. single cylinder thumper with a five speed plus reverse transmission shifted in a conventional “H” pattern, not sequentially, like most motorcycles. Ignition is by magneto, with a generator/battery arrangement for horn and lights. Ercole is Italian for Hercules and the nearly one ton load capacity (830 kg/1826 lbs.) might to live up to the name. The body dumps, hydraulically.
The accessory cab, made by a company called Ariasi, comes complete with full doors and a roll back fabric top insert. Does this qualify it as carrozzeria coachbuilt ?
Will has opted to leave the doors off for now because, even in this configuration and with the top open, the interior din can best be described as akin to sitting inside a 55 gallon oil drum while someone beats on the outside with a hammer ! Passenger capacity is two plus the pilot. In photo number three you might just be able to make out the fold down seat (in the up position) that is actually just a plank with a diagonal wooden support. There’s another one on the other side. It’s just shy of being street legal with some minor wiring glitches to work out. Will plans to use it for occasional errands to town when weather permits.