Lot 326: 1978 Moto-Villa 300E Racing Motorcycle

Brothers Francesco and Walter Villa began building their own machines in the mid-1960s. Walter raced Villa bikes before his rise to stardom and three consecutive 250-class World Championships for Harley-Davidson between 1974 and ’76, to which he added one in the 350 class. Manufactured up to 1988, the firm’s lightweight roadsters used proprietary engines, while its successful moto-cross and enduro models used motors of Villa’s own design. Built in 2003 at the Classic Racing Workshop in Swinton, the machine offered here features a Moto-Villa 310cc single-cylinder engine/six-speed gearbox housed in a Benelli 2C frame. Period parts have been used, some of them new, including the twin-leading-shoe front brake. An ideal entry-level classic racer/parader, the machine is CRMC registered: Group 1, Period 3.