1957 Mondial Bialbero 250
Claimed power: 29hp @ 10,800rpm
Top speed: 137mph (Monza 1957, with full streamlining)
Engine: 249cc air-cooled DOHC vertical single, 75mm x 56.4mm bore and stroke, 10.5:1 compression ratio
Weight (dry): 220lb (100kg) w/o bodywork; 242lb (110kg) w/bodywork
The golden age of motorcycle road racing in the 1950s brought many makes to prominence. Newcomers such as MZ, Ducati and MV Agusta, which would play pivotal roles in motorcycle racing history, mixed in with older, more established teams. And none achieved world supremacy so quickly as the Italian marque FB Mondial.
FB Mondial was the creation of the Boselli family, whose four titled brothers Carlo, Luigi, Ettore and Giuseppe founded a motorcycle dealership in Bologna in 1929 under the FB (Fratelli Boselli — Brothers Boselli) brand. Their entry into two-wheeled manufacturing came about thanks to Giuseppe’s success in Italian motorcycle competition between 1927 and 1935, culminating his career with a gold medal in the International Six Days Trials (ISDT) on a locally made CM.
Seeking a sound basis on which to build their fledgling business, the brothers initially focused on making three-wheeled delivery vehicles, but production was interrupted in 1944 when the Bologna factory was razed to the ground by the departing German armed forces. Giuseppe Boselli, who had by now acceded to his late father’s title of Count, moved the business to a new factory in Milan and began again.
A love of racing
Recognizing that FB needed some distinction to its name in order to stand out from its many competitors, Boselli decided to create a heritage for his product by exploiting Italy’s love of racing. Two years before the first road bikes from the factory appeared, Count Boselli’s machines made their debut in Grand Prix road racing. MC
Order the July/August 2014 issue of Motorcycle Classics to read more about the 1957 Mondial 250 Bialbero. Contact Customer Service at (800) 880-7567 or contact us by email.