Monday, 6 April 2009

RUMI Little Ant

I bought this scooter in the fifties,a twin 125cc two stroke. had an air box that howled like a banshee and went like a scalded cat till it seized which it frequently did but a ten minute cool down and it would be off again as if nothing had happened. Cast alloy bodywork instead of frame,the headlamp moved with the steering,Italian design miles ahead of its time. would make a brilliant scooter today if it was built a little larger with a 400cc twin engine. I sold it in the end and went on to motor bikes but it was a great little scooter and should be revived.

THE FORMICHINO'S HISTORYFrom the Moto Rumi Club:
"The launch of the "Formichino" (or "Little Ant" as it is nicknamed), took place in 1954 and, according to Rumi's plans, the machine was to take the company into the newly formed scooter sector dominated at that time by Piaggio, with the "Vespa", and Innocenti, with the "Lambretta".
The styling of this splendid scooter was undoubtedly the work of Donnino Rumi and demonstrated his artistic talent. It is said that he built a life size clay model around an engine mounted on trestle.
The stressed aluminum alloy bodywork was essentially divided into two parts:the front divided in turn into two shells, which incorporated the front forks, the headlight and the fuel tank; and the rear sections which constituted the seat base and the mudguard over the driven wheel.
The production of the aluminum castings was handled by the Metalpress Company of Bergamo, Italy. The firm was part of the Rumi industrial group and specialised in diecasting techniques. The engine was intelligently located at the center of the machine and acted as a stress member connecting the two chassis elements. It was equipped right from the start with a four speed gearbox and the same engine was used to power the contemporary "Sport" and "Turismo" models, a fact that did a lot to simplify production processes. Deliveries began in July 1954 and the first examples put into circulation were fitted with a single leading link front suspension system. This was a very well made, but expensive, feature and subsequent standard production models adopted a fork with two lower leading links.
In 1956, modifications were made to the rear section of the bodywork, which was split into two parts instead of being formed froma single casting. Veglia speedometer-odometer was mounted on the handlebar. A year later, the Milan Trade Fair was again the setting for the presentation of the "Sport" model, distinguished by new aluminum cylinder barrels and a carburetor with a 22mm choke tube in this form, the engine's power output rode to 5hp and top speed to 105kph.
The "Formichino" range was further extended in 1955 when new versions were introduced alongside the "Normale" (Standard) and "Sport". The "ST-EC" model featured pressed steel bodywork, a tubular frame and a tubular steel front fork. The EC part of the name stood for "Economical" and in fact the scooter was sold for just 125,000 lira. A few hundred examples were produced, mostly designed for export markets. This version was painted British Racing Green with white stripes on the tank.
The "Formichino Lusso" was practically the same as the standard model but was equipped with a number of accessories such as a dual seat, cast aluminum footrests for the passenger, chromed hubcaps and a chromed strip on the rear mudguard. On request it could be equipped with 3.50 x 10" tires and the color range was considerably widened.
Following the first place successes obtained at Monthlery in the 1957 and the 1958 Bol d'Or events, the scooter was also offered in a special "Bol d'Or" edition. This version was specifically prepared for endurance races and, not surprisingly , it was painted gold. The engine developed 8.5hp at 7200rpm, a degree of performance that was achieved by fitting special chrome barreled aluminum cylinders, as well as two Dell 'Orto 18mm carburetors. On request, the machine could also be supplied with 22mm carburetors. Improved suspension was also fitted to this model, as were 3.50 x 10" tires and a supplementary fuel tank. Tank decals on the "Sport" and "Bol d'Or" versions included the usual Rumi trademark, plus the Italian flag, as on the competition models.
Again in 1958 a version fitted with a 149.9 cm3 engine was introduced throughout the model range. This unit had a bore of 46mm and a stroke of 45mm and developed 9hp at 6500rpm. In 1959, the "Normale" model remained in production unchanged, whilst the "Sport" was fitted with the chrome barreled aluminum cylinders and fitted with 3.50 x 10" tires as standard equipment.
Production of the "Formichino" only ceased when the motorcycle division of the "Fonderie Officine Rumi" finally closed down in 1962."

3 comments:

  1. It was YOU then was it making all that infernal noise?

    Seriously G, it does look a swanky little blighter. Bet you could pull on that.

    Love Granny

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  2. Yes and yes but motorcycles more.(but also got me into complications and trouble!)

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  3. Complications and troubles, huh?

    It looks like a lot of fun to me.

    ReplyDelete