If you live Outside of Italy, you may not have heard of FB Mondial. But the brand is familiar to Europeans of a certain age, because it dominated the Grand Prix arena in the 1950s — and raked in numerous world championships in the 125th and 250th divisions.
It’s been more than ten years since we for the last time introduce a Mondialso this subtle reconstruction from Bill Becker’s BeckerBuilt is a welcome to. Bill is a retired architect based in Philadelphia, and his constructions are characterized by thoughtful, methodical craftsmanship.
Bill’s latest project builds on the remaining features of the beautifully designed little Mondial and adds just enough customizations to give it a classic look. It started out as a 175cc Sprint from 1960, with red and yellow paint, and evolved into a cafe racer – inspired by the racing cars produced by the Mondial founders, the brothers. Boselli’s house.
Bill told us: “The previous owner of Mondial is a former racer and motorcycle accumulator. “In a moment of sobriety that we collectors sometimes experience, he felt that it was time to ‘lean’ – he would never be able to complete all the projects he wanted to do. has been there for many years. I took the opportunity.”
For Bill, the prospect of working on such a rare bike is fascinating. “I have only Read about Mondial motorcycles, and have never seen an actual model. This bike, in stock, is a very compelling example of cafe racer design very desirable in the 1960s.”
The chassis appears to be finished. All the beautifully detailed little parts that are unique to this product seem to be present — just out of place.
Bill said: “The engine has been completely disassembled, with the parts in the box and coffee can. “But who doesn’t love a good puzzle?” Luckily, he found the spare parts manual for this model online—but unfortunately, he couldn’t find the right service manual. “This is where confidence in one’s abilities and experience is needed,” he noted wryly.
After checking all the parts and cross-referencing with the manual, Bill discovered that some important parts were missing. “Clutch basket, disc and spring are missing. The piston rings were damaged, and the carburetor was punctured by zinc rot.”
Worse yet, the drive spindle was cracked and was repaired by welding. Unacceptable.
Sourcing vintage parts is not easy. Mondial do . factory fratelli Boselli is a boutique manufacturer that produces only a small number of motorcycles during limited production years.
“In the US, I can only find the usual items like tires, washers and bearings, and a used Dell’Orto carburetor,” Bill said. The Italian division also proved difficult, but Bill found a new clutch, and he discovered that other motorcycle manufacturers – such as Aprilia in this case – shared the suppliers. grade and standard spare parts.
The solution to a faulty spindle is to purchase a complete, used motor on eBay of Italy. A friendly motorcycle dealer in Italy agreed to drive for four hours to get the motor, then remove the main shaft and send it to the US, in exchange for the rest of the motor.
As Bill worked on Mondial, he discovered more defects: the swingarm had rusted and shrunk, the speedometer body was shattered, and the seat and cushions were missing. The battery box was rusted and one of the finned exhaust end clamps was cracked. The only solution is to craft new parts in his shop.
“Any work of this nature requires planning and clarity in the design approach,” says Bill. “I am not interested in a full-blown restoration project, but one that leverages the original good characteristics with slight modifications — where there is room for improvement.”
The changes are in the spirit of the 1960s. Bill’s opted for a classy blue and silver paint job to mimic the Mondial race cars of the period, instead of the original red and bronze.
He also fitted a beautiful set of alloy rims with stainless steel spokes, to replace the original with rusted steel and chrome. The tin caps on the front fork are gone; Polished aluminum tubes and rubber bellows look much better.
Bill said: “The final piece has to be FB Mondial’s best and BeckerBuilt’s best.
We agree on both counts.
The picture of Roman Torres.
