Enigmatic 1967 OSSA 175 Sport

By Robert Smith
Published on May 28, 2013
1 / 10
The OSSA’s Amal carb was made under license in Spain.
The OSSA’s Amal carb was made under license in Spain.
2 / 10
Port Moody, British Columbia’s Cariboo Motorcycles had imported a batch of OSSA 175 Sports, so Mann, looking for a replacement for his Yamaha, bought one new.
Port Moody, British Columbia’s Cariboo Motorcycles had imported a batch of OSSA 175 Sports, so Mann, looking for a replacement for his Yamaha, bought one new.
3 / 10
The OSSA may not see daily service, but owner Will Mann loves getting in an occasional ride on his Spanish roadster.
The OSSA may not see daily service, but owner Will Mann loves getting in an occasional ride on his Spanish roadster.
4 / 10
Restored speedometer/odometer shows this OSSA gets some use.
Restored speedometer/odometer shows this OSSA gets some use.
5 / 10
For the 1966 race, the engine of the OSSA 175 Sports was stretched to 230cc (70mm x 60mm) for a claimed 23 horsepower at 7,000rpm.
For the 1966 race, the engine of the OSSA 175 Sports was stretched to 230cc (70mm x 60mm) for a claimed 23 horsepower at 7,000rpm.
6 / 10
Although superficially a conventional piston-port 2-stroke design, the engine incorporated many of the lessons Eduardo learned from tuning model aircraft engines, including aggressive porting and efficient exhaust design.
Although superficially a conventional piston-port 2-stroke design, the engine incorporated many of the lessons Eduardo learned from tuning model aircraft engines, including aggressive porting and efficient exhaust design.
7 / 10
The OSSA looks good on the road and performs well, too, thanks to its light weight.
The OSSA looks good on the road and performs well, too, thanks to its light weight.
8 / 10
The 175 Sport’s 21 horsepower 2-stroke single was designed by Eduardo Giro, son of OSSA motorcycles founder Manuel.
The 175 Sport’s 21 horsepower 2-stroke single was designed by Eduardo Giro, son of OSSA motorcycles founder Manuel.
9 / 10
Though the company enjoyed some later sales success with offroad versions of its 250cc street bike and the Mick Andrews Replica trials bikes (and through its involvement in the Yankee motocross and enduro bike project), OSSA never really recovered the momentum it enjoyed in the late 1960s.
Though the company enjoyed some later sales success with offroad versions of its 250cc street bike and the Mick Andrews Replica trials bikes (and through its involvement in the Yankee motocross and enduro bike project), OSSA never really recovered the momentum it enjoyed in the late 1960s.
10 / 10
The OSSA 125cc grew to 150cc, then finally to 175cc and 8 horsepower during a production run of more than a decade.
The OSSA 125cc grew to 150cc, then finally to 175cc and 8 horsepower during a production run of more than a decade.

1967 OSSA 175 Sport
Claimed power: 21hp @ 7,500rpm
Top speed: 90mph (claimed)
Engine: 175cc air-cooled 2-stroke single, 60.9mm x 60mm bore and stroke, 11.5:1 compression ratio
Weight (dry): 225lb (102kg)
Fuel capacity/MPG: 4.1gal (15.5ltr)/45-50mpg
Price then/now: $595/$4,500-$8,500

“A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” That’s how Winston Churchill once described Russia. He might just as well have been talking about the OSSA motorcycle company.

Apart from a short list of race wins, the OSSA motorcycle story, at least the part recorded in the public domain, is vague and contradictory. Yet even if only some of the stories are true, OSSA motorcycles patriarch Manuel Giro was clearly quite the adventurer and innovator.

The birth of OSSA

Manuel’s birth year is recorded as 1907, yet he is also credited with a career in the Spanish Merchant Marine before founding the OSSA company, which if true would seem to raise doubts about the timeline of the early part of the OSSA story: How could one man have accomplished so much in such a short period of time?

Until the 1920s, it appears the Giro family was in the textile machinery business in Barcelona. But seeing opportunity in the rapid growth of the movie business, around 1928 the family founded a new company, Orpheo Sincronic Sociedad Anonima (O.S.S.A.), to manufacture movie projectors and associated equipment. In the then Golden Age of Hollywood the company thrived, establishing a reputation for quality and durability in their projectors, many of which are reportedly still in use.

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