A passion, that combining motorbikes, cars and
mechanics in particular, is the basis of
Tiziano Rossi’s varied collection

For those who don’t know Tiziano Rossi and his passion for all expressions of historical motoring, the display of some vintage motorbikes in a shop window near the entrance to COMEST, Costruzione Meccanica Stampi (Mechanical Mould Manufacturing, n.d.t.), the company he founded and directs in Sala Bolognese, could arise some doubts or perplexities. Molds for automotive companies are the core business of his activity, but the motorbikes on display, which are from previous periods, have no connection with his work, nor any promotional purpose: they are just an expression of his interest towards this sector, a sort of preview of what can be admired inside a warehouse adjacent to COMEST.

The motorbikes in the showcase arouse curiosity, but it is when you enter the collection headquarters that the emotion is taken away by the number of cars and motorbikes, especially the latter, which are kept there. Whether the wheels are two, four or even three with sidecars, is most striking is the temporal variety of the vehicles, which span every period of the Twentieth century. Faced with such a spectacle, all that is left to do is to give the speech to the person who created it.

Rossi: -” Mechanics is my job but also my passion and this is what led me to create the collection, if we really want to define it that way, given that it is mixed and is not dedicated to anything in particular. I can say that my passion for motorbikes is linked to the motorcycling tradition of Bologna and the territory. I studied at Aldini-Valeriani (one of the schools in Bologna where were trained many of the technicians who made the Bologna province one of the major motoring hubs in the world) and then I got involved in my company. The collection of motorcycles began towards the end of the nineties through a friend, Edo Bettini, who knows everyone here. He deals with the clearing of garages-cellars-attics. Knowing my passion, when he finds motorbikes, he brings them to me. Since then I have only bought and never sold anything. I like motorbikes, but even more I like working on them. I like to put them in place. I deal with their entire restoration, both from a mechanical point of view, for the engine and chassis, and from an aesthetic point of view of the bodywork and components, including painting. Taking inspiration from a report published by Legend Bike magazine on the MM 175, I rebuilt four examples of this motorbike in my workshop (one is on display at the entrance of Comest). I reproduced the drawings and manufactured everything. Apart from the magneto, the carburettor, the gearbox and the tyres, everything else I made it myself in my workshop: from the engine to the frame, from the fork to the tank, fenders, handlebars and every other component. I also obtained the distribution diagram. All four bikes work perfectly.”

Why did You make 4 copies?

Rossi: “At the beginning we were four, we were supposed to have one each, but then when my friends realized that the costs would be very high, and they preferred to withdraw. That’s how all four bikes are here. The tank of these motorbikes has the MM brand, but the engines are marked RT, like Rossi Tiziano, and are numbered progressively 1-2-3-4. The bikes are certified Replicas by the FMI (Italian Motorcycle Federation, n.d.t.).”

The collection does not follow defined themes but, in addition to the case of MMs, is it undeniable that Bolognese motorbikes are in the majority?

Rossi: “Surely, friends who work at Ducati also contributed to this and allowed me to purchase motorbikes from the Museum, such as the Mike Hailwood Replica. There are the Ducatis, but also the Morinis and the other ones from Bologna.”

There are also many Moto Guzzis in the collection.

Rossi: “By visiting the markets and having a passion for Guzzis, I tried to collect the whole series starting from the Sport of the 1920s getting to the various V7s. Not all the models are there, but I think that nonetheless the history of the company is well represented.”

You have the Bolognese, the Italian but also several foreign motorbikes.

Rossi: “I also really like foreign motorbikes. For example the Ariel, and indicates an overhead valve “Sloper”, or the HRD-Vincent, which is a nice bike, or the Norton Manx. Then I purchased a fair number of DKWs, motorbikes which can partly be placed in the history of Bolognese motoring, given that Cavani, the importer for Italy, was in Bologna.”

Among the foreigner motorbikes is there one with a particular story?

Rossi: “Yes, it’s the Triumph Rocket. We made the molds for the engine and the president of the company, whose name I no longer remember, told me that if I had delivered them to him before the date set out in the contract, he would have given me the motorbike as a gift. And so it was, even if he wasn’t entirely faithful to his promise, since he then gave it to me with a 50 percent discount. The bike arrived at the importer in Milan dedicated and already registered to me.”

Have you used it a few times, given that it’s a 2300 and you said that now you prefer lighter and not too demanding bikes?

I have already done more than 10,000 km. Even though I’m struggling a bit now, given that he weighs 360 kilos. However, for Triumph we also made the molds for the Bonneville. I have that too, but I keep them at home together with the Moto Guzzi Astore and a few others. It’s the motorbikes, which at my age, I use the most.

Did the sidecars arrive by choice or by chance?

Rossi: “I also like the sidecar. I was able to restore the NSU buggy thanks to the information received from the ASI Technical Commission. It’s always all linked to my passion: I like tightening bolts. It’s the beauty of mechanics. The motorbikes that I have restored, or that I have subjected to conservative restoration, are all well-functioning.”

Two, three and we also get to 4 wheels with the cars in the collection, where does this “broadening” of interest come from?

Rossi: “It’s linked to an opportunity that came to me through an importer of machine tools from South Africa, who offered me the two Ford A’s. I restored them and then, given that an opportunity brings the other, I moved on. All the other cars, however, are less “interesting “. Even though the Balilla was the car that belonged to the parish priest of San Giovanni in Persiceto (a nearby city, n.d.r), there is a particular connection with the boxed Fiat 1100 Musone. My father was a milkman and I restored this one, bringing it to a similar condition to the van he used. As with motorbikes, I also like to restore cars.”

You also have a pink VW Beetle, why?

Rossi: “That belongs to my granddaughter. When she was born I promised her. The color is pink because I dedicated it to her. I hope there is continuity of the collection. Her dad is also passionate about motorbikes and I hope that the family “disease” will continue.