Rosselló 257, 3º D – 08008 Barcelona – T. 93 368 24 81 – F. 93 368 24 82 – www.sogues.com ÍNDEX PRESENTATION: OSSA Factory and the new TR 280i The OSSA Factory team OSSA´S HISTORY Joining the two-wheeled world First models Evolving towards sporty models… OSSA YANKEE Two legends in OSSA’s history: Santiago Herrero Mick Andrews THE MOTORBIKE We present the OSSA TR 280i Engine Chassis Why use an upside-down? OSSA TR 280i TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Rosselló 257, 3º D – 08008 Barcelona – T. 93 368 24 81 – F. 93 368 24 82 – www.sogues.com PRESENTATION OSSA Factory and the new TR 280i OSSA Factory’s young and dynamic team has chosen the Milan Motorcycle Show (EICMA) to present its new, revolutionary TR 280i. It was at this show, in 1965, that OSSA presented to the world the prototype on which its first trial motorbike was based: a multipurpose model called Scrambler. Today OSSA Factory has again chosen Milan as the venue to present the prototype of a motorcycle that it intends to be a breath of fresh air for the industry. The new TR 280i offers an innovative and exclusive design concept. It is a trial bike that has inherited the spirit that characterised the shamrock brand in the past. After almost two years’ work, the TR 280i is a very technologically advanced motorbike. With its electronic-injection two-stroke engine it breaks the established mould and is a quality alternative that will undoubtedly win over enthusiasts. This is the first step towards a future in which other projects and other kinds of bikes will raise OSSA Factory’s profile in the international motorcycle industry. Rosselló 257, 3º D – 08008 Barcelona – T. 93 368 24 81 – F. 93 368 24 82 – www.sogues.com The OSSA Factory team OSSA’s rebirth has been made possible by the efforts of a team led by Jordi Cuxart, President of OSSA Factory, who is the project’s champion and an investor; Joan Gurt, the General Manager and driving force behind the project; Alejandro Laplaza, the Finance Manager and also an investor; and Joan Roma, the Engine Division Manager and the person who brought them all together with an extraordinary vision for the future. Josep Serra "Xiu" is the engineer and soul of the new TR 280i, the project manager and designer of the prototype. His career is notable for his work at Gas Gas as development manager for an innovative and light trial bike engine, and his collaboration through Xiu Research and Development SL on various projects with Rieju, Dunax and Scorpa, and on Tramontana, an exclusive high- performance sport motorbike. Rosselló 257, 3º D – 08008 Barcelona – T. 93 368 24 81 – F. 93 368 24 82 – www.sogues.com OSSA´S HISTORY OSSA’s beginnings go back to manufacturing cinema equipment at the time soundtracks were being added to the movies. In fact, OSSA (Orfeo Sincronic, S.A.) is derived from orfeo, which in Greek means "choir, orchestra", and the "s" stands for synchronised sound. In addition to manufacturing machines for the cinema industry, including projectors and loudspeakers, OSSA even had some sewing machines and record players produced by Motobox, a company in the electronics industry. OSSA gained a share of more than 65% of the Spanish cinema equipment market. Its products were always of the very highest quality. Proof of this is that nowadays its machines are still in operation in a good number of cinemas. Joining the two-wheeled world Part of the Giró family, which founded OSSA, worked in the textile industry. After he had been in the merchant navy, Manuel Giró Mingella decided to settle down in Barcelona. He was a great enthusiast of motorboat, car and motorcycle races. Manuel Giró and his brother Ernesto decided to set up the team that drove forward OSSA’s new project and diversified the business. During the Spanish Civil War, Manuel Giró worked as a motorised messenger carrying dispatches in a motorcycle and sidecar. He got together with his friend Ricardo Soriano, a true patron and a motorboat, aeroplane, car and motorcycle enthusiast who lived in France. Together they manufactured Motores Soriano outboard motors for high-level competitions. The Giró family then carried out an expansion plan. They bought a closed-down car factory (Nacional Pescara) that was fitted with modern machinery. In 1942, OSSA presented the first prototype with a Motobecane engine. It was a great success among the public and was later replaced with an engine based on the famous DKW 125 RT. Rosselló 257, 3º D – 08008 Barcelona – T. 93 368 24 81 – F. 93 368 24 82 – www.sogues.com First models The first model that OSSA sold was a 125 cc motorcycle that it started to manufacture in 1951. It was a very modern motorcycle for its time. It had a twin cradle frame, rubber and cork disc suspension, a telescopic fork, which was a great innovation at the time, and a very advanced engine. Around 8,000 units were sold, a real success for a first model. A 50 cc motorcycle was later manufactured under a licence from the German company Express. It was by the 50 B version, which had a different chassis. In 1954 the 125 B was produced, followed by the 150 B (commercial model) in 1958, the 125 C in 1959 and the C- 2 in 1960. They all had two-stroke engines. In 1960, OSSA created a four-stroke model under licence from Morini: the 175 Gran Turismo. It had a Morini engine that ENMA (National Aviation Engine Company, formerly known as Elizalde) was subcontracted to manufacture at its headquarters in Barcelona where Paseo San Juan meets Calle Riera San Miguel. In 1963, Sandro Colombo designed the 160, which gave rise to the 160 T and 160 GT versions. Colombo was a great engineer and a great person, who worked on this and other projects but did not live to see the famous 160 go into production. Evolving towards sporty models Eduardo Giró, Manuel’s son, an industrial engineer and a great aeronautical enthusiast, was a key person in the development of OSSA, He created the 175 S and 175 SE models, as well as the later 230 Sport, 250 Sport and subsequent off-road range. Although his main experience was in commercial models, it was Eduardo Giró who designed the fantastic OSSA 250 monocoque. It was with this motorbike that Santiago Herrero wrote one of the most thrilling pages in Grand Prix history and certainly one of the most exciting chapters in OSSA’s history. The firm stood out for its great engineering team and a staff headcount of more than four hundred workers. When Eduardo Giró was working on model aeroplane engines and finishing his engineering degree, it became clear that OSSA needed to take a step forward in terms of technology. At a time when motorcycle sales were falling as second-hand small cars were coming onto the market, they needed to follow the market trend by expanding OSSA’s range with sportier bikes. Rosselló 257, 3º D – 08008 Barcelona – T. 93 368 24 81 – F. 93 368 24 82 – www.sogues.com OSSA YANKEE In 1967, Eduardo Werring, OSSA’s sales manager, contacted John Taylor with a view to entering the United States market. Taylor was a great enthusiast who later set up Full Bore, a company whose business included importing accessories, boots (Sidi) and oils. Taylor suggested manufacturing an exclusive engine to produce motorbikes for the American market. In 1968, after various tests, the first 460 cc Yankee was manufactured. This model was specially designed for Americans. 500 units were manufactured. OSSA made the engine, while the chassis and manufacturing were carried out by the Yankee Motor Corporation. Financial problems put paid to the project and OSSA requested the engine rights back so it could manufacture the Yankee. Eight years went by from the time this model was created for the American market to the moment it started to be sold in Spain. The Yankee era ended in 1978 and the fastest street engine ever built in Spain died with it, but it perhaps gave birth to the concept of two-stroke, two-cylinder sport bikes. Rosselló 257, 3º D – 08008 Barcelona – T. 93 368 24 81 – F. 93 368 24 82 – www.sogues.com Two legends in OSSA´s history Santi Herrero Santiago Herrero is one of the icons of the shamrock brand. He will always be remembered as one of the best riders in history, who tragically never won the world championship: an uncrowned champion. He was awarded his racing licence in 1962, when he raced for Derbi and was his own mechanic. He then switched to a Bultaco Tralla 125 and later the Spanish make Lube hired him for their competition department. In 1964 and 1965 Herrero came third and second respectively in the Spanish 125 cc Championship. Santi Herrero, was a very popular person who was much-loved by those around him. He clearly communicated his impressions of the bike at a time when it was not always easy for riders to find tracks they could experiment on. He worked harmoniously and effectively with Eduardo Giró on the development of the OSSA monocoque with a rotary valve engine, which surprised the world. The riders who tested this prototype mounted on a tube chassis spoke mainly of its speed, which was unheard of for its time. On the OSSA 230 cc without a fairing, which produced 30 CV of power, he had won the Spanish Championship with Carlos Giró and Luis Iglesias, and that six-gear motorcycle, with a metal-to-metal clutch, oil pump and monocoque chassis, promised to be highly competitive..