219.3 DERBI 125cc Super 1959

Derbi was a Spanish manufacturer of motorcycles since 1949, currently member of the Italian group Piaggio.

History

The origins of this brand date back to 1922, when Simeon Rabasa i Singla was devoted to the repair of bicycles. After the civil war, the production continues to increase. Establishing the first contacts with some of the factories of bicycle most important in the country, which crystallize in the production of chassis for mopeds and small motorcycles.

In 1944 Simeon, along with his brother Josep, creates the brand Bicycle Rabasa. It was not until the year 1949 when Derby decided to begin his career in the world of moped, creating what would be his first bike. It was the velomotor Derbi SRS) which correspond to the creator of the brand. This bike had an engine of 48 cc and 1.5 hp. The success of the SRS (initials of Simeón Rabasa i Singla) is indisputable, and in the early 1950's BICYCLE RABASA is converted into NACIONAL MOTOR SA, which presented in the Fair of Samples of Barcelona a new model: a motorcycle of 250 c. c. and 9 cv., inspired by the Jawa 250, but with a good number of own contributions, it was called the DERBY, a contraction of the expression DERivado of Bicicleta and be manufactured for a little over 10 years.

The factory was in Martorellas (Barcelona) and it has been visited among other pilots, Angel Nieto, Pol Espargaró and Joan Olivé. The last moto derbi came out of that factory in April of 2013, Piaggio moved the production to Venice.

The 50: growth

The 50 years would be crucial for Derby, because of producing 150 units with 30 employees in 1951 is going to happen to produce 4,500 and with 300 workers in 1958. Apart from the SRS and 250, the models most important of this period were:

• The 95cc two-stroke 1953
• The 125 Super , 1955
• The 350 bicilíndrica of 1957, which reached 120 km/h with 16 HP
• The Girocarro or Transca, a vehicle with traction and driving mobile, front or rear, depending on the needs of the user.

Nor missed the boat, with the Canoe D-6, equipped with a 6 cylinder engine in V.

The 60's and 70's

In 1961, after the launch of the Seat 600 the sale of motocicletes high displacement drops sharply, so that Derby is focused on models with engines 49-75 cc.³ One of the first creations in this sense are going to be the 49 Sport and Gran Sport, mopeds to 48.7 cc, 1.5 HP at 5,000 rpm, 3 speeds, drum brakes, foot pedal and hydraulic gearbox.

This light bike, after some modification, it will be renamed in 1965 as a Torch , and sell half a million units, so only in Europe. In Spain that model has had great acceptance and was popularly known as the Derby Palette.

Also in the decade of the 60's appeared the models:

• 125 Super (1963)
• 49 Junior (1964)
• 74 SG (1964), sports capable of exceeding 100 km/h and whose production would last until the end of the next decade
• 125 4V (1966), with 7 HP at 5,500 rpm
• Trial Pyrenees 74 (1966) 7 HP
• Derbimatic (1969), small moped citizen with an automatic transmission and appearance of bike tourism
• Scootmatic (1969), a small moped to drive without the need of a license.

In the 70's Derby is going to venture in the field of enduro with the Coyote 49 and 75cc, the Roadrunners and the Cross 50, filed after versions 74 and 74TT. The range of enduro Derbi Diablo will end up with the C4 in 1978.

While, for those years are going to prioritize the sector of road: in 1972 appears the Racing Client 50 cc, with 15.5 HP at 15,000 rpm, air cooled engine 6 speed gearbox and a maximum speed of 165 km/h thanks to its lightness. The food was by carburetor 24mm IRZ of rotary valve, piston Mahle and electronic ignition Motoplat. This small racing car for speed runs was sold for 35,000 pesetas of the time.

In 1975 came the sports economic 2002 GPX, a GT 125-187,5 cc with 23-26 HP, 6-speed, bicilíndrica and electronic ignition. In 1976 going to be the version with brake double front disk, respectively, separate shock absorbers front directional and rear oil/gas, with front fairing: the bike offered a 26 HP at 8,000 rpm and 150 km/h. Even had the 125 4V water-cooled.

In regards to the mopeds, in 1977, will come out the Variant and the innovative Spacetronic, a device that allowed you to start it by pressing a red button on the box of instruments, and that has become the standard for all scooters and almost for all the bikes.

During the last years of the decade and the beginning of the next, and unlike other builders catalans as Bultaco, OSSA or Montesa, Derbi will get successfully grappling with the challenges of macro-economic that accompany the Spanish transition and the entry of Spain into the European Union.

The 80's and 90's: the death of the founder

The 80s began with the new Diablo 80 CXS and the Variant Knight, going to enjoy the excellent advertising of having been around the world (18.835 km on two wheels) driven by Marco Gardoqui in 76 days the year, 1980. Those years will highlight the Derby 75TT, C-6, the Sport Coppa 80, 125 Cross, the 1001-74 Sport Coppa and the SC50 with 2.5 HP at 8,000 rpm. In 1981, they're going to get the two new enduro CX Jumbo and the TT8, as well as the SC125, the TTS9, the T-250 6V, SC-74 (which will replace the 1001), and the RC-250 6V tourism.

In 1982 going to come out different scooters 50-80 cc with 4, 5 or 6 speeds. In commemoration of the 60 years of the brand, appears the Variant Start and the Jumbo Super-FD. The decade will close with the presentation of the GPR 75, with chassis double beam, liquid cooled, 6 speed, fork telehidraulica, 3 brake discs. This bike would be the mother of the SPORT 75 in 1991.

Simeó Rabasa dies in 1988, a year after coming to an agreement by which Derby became a net importer of Kawasaki for the Spanish market. The company he founded more than six decades ago would remain independent until 2001, when it was bought by the Italian group Piaggio.

In the years 90, in addition to the GPR, you will see the production of the Country RD and the BIG 3, an enduro and a trail. In regards to the scooters are going to appear the classic bodywork We and the Fenix, with the aesthetics of a bike tourist. For the renewal of the range with views of the new millennium, they produced the Hunter and the Paddock in 1997, which were added to the scooter sports Predator, signed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1998. The decade closed with the Atlantis.

The years 2000: the purchase by Piaggio and closure of Derby

Derby face the new millennium with the crosser Derbi Senda, one of the best selling models in Europe in its category, in versions 50 and 125 cc two-stroke. This bike was the first with fork USD (inverted) and incorporated some interesting technical solutions for the chassis and suspension. In 2001 came the scooter GP1 and the moped GPR, a sports model of 50 cc derived from the racing world.

2003 was a key year with the introduction of a new range and two motorcycles-award-winning: Senda Black Edition, a limited series that would be exhausted before even starting production, while the new 50 Nude Look would win the design award MDA.

The following year the range GPR would be completed with four versions, the Nude (without cowl, as the name suggests) and Racing (carenada) available in 50 and 125cc two-stroke (extended after four times). In terms of scooters, the GP1 is to be equipped with chassis of motorcycle, with central engine of 50 cc or side of 125 and 250 cc. These products are distinguished by their line young and innovative technological solutions and sophisticated, such as the brake caliper radial GPR.

The presentation in 2006 of the Mulhacen 659 has led to the new Derbi owned by Piaggio to the field of medium-high displacement, with a scrambler in the purest style of the 70's, equipped with a motor Yamaha 600 cc. Another recent creation is the new engine of 125cc and four-stroke, fully developed in Catalonia.

In 2011, the brand Piaggio announced the closure of the factory Martorellas to move the production of Derbi to other factories outside of Spain (specifically to Italy, where it has several factories). In February 2013, the Italian company announced that it presented a redundancy PLAN to lay off 150 employees in the factory from Martorelles upon the failure of its sale to the swiss Humps. On March 22, 2013, Derbi made in the last moto of the historic factory in Martorelles, a Derbi Senda DRD of 50 c. c. with the frame signed by all the employees.