Italian Bike Week 2025: Among the stars, the forgotten 1938 Galbusera 500 V8
Conceived in the late 1930s but never brought to production, the extraordinary eight-cylinder creation by Plinio Galbusera and Adolf Marama Toyo has been reconstructed by the artisan Mirco Snaidero. This unique motorcycle will be on display during the Italian Bike Week 2025 in Lignano Sabbiadoro (Udine – Italy)
The Italian Bike Week 2025, scheduled to take place in Lignano Sabbiadoro (UD) from September 18 to 21, is calling together vintage motorcycle enthusiasts for an unmissable event.
On Saturday, September 20 at 1:00 PM, on the main stage of the Luna Park Area, the book “In the Footsteps of Marama Toyo. Mysteries Unveiled and the Dream of the Galbusera V8 – The Vanished Motorcycle“ will be presented. Curated by Franco Damiani di Vergada from the Moto Club Trieste and published by Tiglio Edizioni, the volume tells the story of a forgotten Italian gem of motorcycle engineering, conceived at the end of the 1930s and then lost to time—until now.
A revolutionary 8-cylinder, two-stroke motorcycle, designed by Plinio Galbusera from Brescia with the vital collaboration of Adolf Marama Toyo—born Roberto Antonio Ivanicich—a skilled engine builder from Fiume and one of the pioneers of Italian speedway racing. The Galbusera V8 remained a prototype and never entered serial production, but nearly 90 years later, it has finally seen the light thanks to italian craftsman Mirco Snaidero, who meticulously rebuilt it in his workshop.
Working from just four period photographs, he brought to life a dream that seemed destined to remain just that. A truly Herculean effort in terms of research and labor, yet one that didn’t deter Snaidero, already known for his custom flywheel slicers.
The fully functional and incredibly faithful replica built by Snaidero will be on display during the presentation, giving enthusiasts the chance to admire its astonishing mechanical refinement and to hear the roar of its mighty multi-cylinder engine.
TECHNICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTES: Beyond its already exotic layout, the 500 cc longitudinal V8 engine designed by Marama Toyo features truly unique engineering solutions that clearly distinguish it even from conventional two-stroke engines: from its oversquare bore-to-stroke ratio to supercharging via compressor, from a four-stroke-style lubrication system to the presence of two counter-rotating crankshafts.
When it was first revealed as a mock-up in January 1938 at the 19th Milan Motor Show, the Galbusera was claimed to produce 28 horsepower and reach a top speed of 150 km/h. The project was initially halted by the outbreak of World War II, and ultimately abandoned following the tragic death of Marama Toyo, who passed away at the end of a Dirt Track race at the Trieste Racetrack in 1946, at just 48 years old.
