Brilliant brew
Most enthusiasts would associate the name of ‘Italjet’ with either quirky minibikes or some feisty off-roaders and possibly overlook the very impressive 650cc four-stroke twin that for four years in the late 1960s and early 70s rolled off the Bolognese factory’s production lines. It carried the name of ‘Grifon’ on its beautifully crafted side panels and it’s believed that this month’s test bike – owned by West Country enthusiast Roger Chapman – is possibly the only one of its kind in the UK.
By the mid-1960s motorcycling in Italy had lost its appeal and numerous well-established firms – Parilla, Mi-Val, Bianchi, Capriolo, MM and Rumi – had been forced to close their doors, and even big manufacturers (including Moto Guzzi, Ducati and Laverda) were running into the red. Largely thanks to Government and military orders, they managed to survive and their salvation came with the huge, burgeoning American market, which was crying out for large capacity twins.
This proved to be a happy hunting ground for Triumph, which in 1967 exported a staggering 28,700 units to the US and it was the latest unit construction Bonneville motor which would power the Italjet masterpiece, the first and only time the Meriden twin engine would officially be used by another manufacturer.
In its four-year production period, around 1000 Grifons were
