Polini S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of

tuning Tuning can refer to: Common uses * Tuning, the process of tuning a tuned amplifier or other electronic component * Musical tuning, musical systems of tuning, and the act of tuning an instrument or voice ** Guitar tunings ** Piano tuning, adjusting ...

parts for

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

moped A moped ( ) is a type of small motorcycle, generally having a less stringent licensing requirement than full motorcycles or automobiles. The term used to mean a similar vehicle except with both bicycle pedals and a motorcycle engine. Mopeds typic ...

s, and

scooters Scooter may refer to: Vehicles Ground Human or gravity powered * Eccentric-hub scooter, propelled by a standing rider making a bouncing motion * Kick scooter, propelled by a standing rider pushing off the ground * Knee scooter, a mobility device ...

. Among other products, they produce

cylinders A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infini ...

and variators for both

racing In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific goa ...

and road use. They also produce pocket bikes with 50cc up to 15 hp. The company was founded when the Italian soldier Battista Polini returned from his service in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and started making

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...

s, which sold very well. The first logo of the company was a

ram Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to: Animals * A male sheep * Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish People * Ram (given name) * Ram (surname) * Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director * RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch * Ra ...

, which was the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

of Battista's battalion. When the first

Vespa Vespa () is an Italian luxury brand of scooter (motorcycle), scooters and mopeds manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian. The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. of ...

and

Lambretta Lambretta () is the brand name of mainly motor scooters, initially manufactured in Milan, Italy, by Innocenti. The name is derived from the word Lambrate, the suburb of Milan named after the river Lambro which flows through the area, and wher ...

scooters emerged in the 1940s, manufacture of parts for these was started. Today, Polini is owned by Battista Polini's three sons Carlo, Franco, and Piero. Tuning parts are manufactured for all major brands of scooters and motorcycles. Polini also produces a line of miniature folding scooters called SkAtE. The company has also produced very small engines—notably the ''Polini Thor 250 / 250-DS'' water-cooled,

two-stroke engine A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being completed in one revolution of t ...

—for use in

paramotors Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring or PPG, is a form of ultralight aviation where the pilot wears a back-pack motor (a paramotor) which provides enough thrust to take off using a paraglider. It can be launched in still air, and on ...

for

powered parachutes A powered parachute, often abbreviated PPC, and also called a motorized parachute or paraplane, is a type of aircraft that consists of a parafoil with a motor and wheels. The FAA defines a powered parachute as ''a powered aircraft a flexible o ...

, and in

ultralight aircraft Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailer ...

. Though that line is apparently discontinued, the engines remain listed, on the menu of its website, as "Out of Stock Models," and remain available, used, and in wide use on active aircraft."Polini Thor 250-Thor 250 DS,"
Polini Motori,

Bergamo, Italy Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...

, retrieved December 10, 2022"Polni" (list of related articles)
''Cross Country'' magazine, retrieved December 10, 2022Wilson, Tom: ngine Theory: Direct vs. Geared,"August 19, 2016, ''Kitplanes,'' retrieved December 10, 2022"Which paramotor engine? These are the top 5 paramotor engine choices,"
''Paramotor Planet,'' retrieved December 10, 2022 Polini's main competitor is

Malossi Malossi S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of tuning parts for mopeds and scooters. It was founded by Armando Malossi in 1930. Originally the company specialised in tuning Dell'orto carburettors for motorcycles. This strong association continues t ...

, which is also based in Italy.

References

External links

* {{Automotive industry in Italy Motorcycle manufacturers of Italy Auto parts suppliers of Italy Automotive motorsports and performance companies Manufacturing companies established in 1946 Italian companies established in 1946 Italian brands Companies based in Lombardy Scooter manufacturers Moped manufacturers Motorcycle parts manufacturers Motorcycle technology Minibikes Two-stroke gasoline engines Engine manufacturers of Italy

See also

References

External links