Italian Bike Week 2025 to showcase reborn of the 1938 Galbusera 500 V8
The Italian Bike Week 2025 is set to captivate vintage motorcycle enthusiasts with a rare highlight: the return of the forgotten 1938 Galbusera 500 V8. Originally conceived in the late 1930s but never mass-produced, this extraordinary machine has been faithfully reconstructed by artisan Mirco Snaidero, ensuring its legacy will no longer remain hidden in the shadows of history.
From September 18 to 21, Lignano Sabbiadoro (Udine) will host the gathering, with the Galbusera V8 taking center stage on Saturday. At about 1:00 PM on the main stage of the Luna Park Area, Franco Damiani di Vergada of Moto Club Trieste will present the book In the Footsteps of Marama Toyo. Mysteries Unveiled and the Dream of the Galbusera V8 – The Vanished Motorcycle, published by Tiglio Edizioni. The volume retraces the vision of Plinio Galbusera and his collaborator Adolf Marama Toyo—born Roberto Antonio Ivanicich—whose ambitious design sought to redefine performance at the time.
The Galbusera’s engineering was decades ahead of its era. Its 500cc longitudinal V8 two-stroke featured dual counter-rotating crankshafts, compressor-assisted supercharging, and a four-stroke-style lubrication system. Debuting as a mock-up at the 1938 Milan Motor Show, it was said to deliver 28 horsepower and a top speed of 150 km/h. However, World War II halted development, and Marama Toyo’s tragic death in 1946 sealed its fate.
Mirco Snaidero
Nearly 90 years later, working from just four photographs, Snaidero rebuilt the machine with meticulous precision. His fully functional replica will be unveiled during the event, giving visitors a rare chance to see—and hear—what might have been one of Italy’s most groundbreaking motorcycles.
