Up with the Lark

hen in 1956, the famous Italian firm broke tradition with the Lodola, meaning ‘Lark’ in English, continuing the Guzzi tradition of naming models after birds. Significantly, the Lodola was designed by Carlo Guzzi himself – his last task before retiring at the age of 68 to a less stressful life. The engine itself, an all-alloy affair with dry sump lubrication, was inclined at 45 degrees and of full unit construction to the four-speed gearbox. Rather than using expensive bevel gears, a chain-driven single overhead camshaft controlled the valves, which featured a self-adjusting tensioner for the timing chain. Bore and stroke were over-square at 62mm x 57.8mm. An external flywheel