The Garelli Tiger Cross MK 1 was a small off-road two-stroke enduro built in 1976. It was the best-remembered member of the Cross line that Garelli had begun in 1967, and it was finished in black and yellow.
Garelli Tiger Cross at a glance
| Maker | Garelli, Italy |
|---|---|
| Model | Tiger Cross MK 1 |
| Produced | 1976 |
| Type | off-road two-stroke enduro |
| Colours | black and yellow |
| Line started with | Garelli Cross, 1967–1972 |
| Cross engine | 48 cc air-cooled two-stroke, Dell’Orto UB20S |
| Cross power | 5.8 hp at 8,150 rpm, 6.2 hp at 8,500 rpm later |
| Cross gearbox | four-speed, kickstart |
| Cross top speed | about 75 km/h |
| Cross tyres | 17-inch knobby |
Very little has been published about the Tiger Cross itself: the company history mentions it in one paragraph. The technical figures are those of the 1967–1972 Garelli Cross, the model from which it descends.
History of the Garelli Tiger Cross
Garelli’s off-road line
The Cross, built from 1967 to 1972, was a lightweight off-road moped available in single-seat and two-seat form. Its 354 nBZKW engine was a sportier, short-geared variant of the unit used in other Garelli models such as the Rekord and Monza, and with 17-inch knobby tyres and short ratios it accelerated strongly for a moped of its time, although top speed was limited to about 75 km/h. It had a high-mounted exhaust with a heat shield, a motocross-style handlebar, a tubular steel frame with an engine skid plate, and on later models adjustable shock absorber mounts at the rear.
The Tiger Cross MK 1
In the 1970s Garelli produced the Tiger Cross MK 1, an off-road two-stroke enduro motorcycle. The Tiger Cross was produced in 1976 and was painted black and yellow. The company history gives no further details of the model, so the technical figures quoted here are those of the earlier Cross from which it descends.
Design and features
- Off-road equipment: high-mounted exhaust with heat shield, motocross handlebar and engine skid plate, as on the Cross line.
- Strong acceleration: short transmission ratios and small knobby tyres made the Cross quick away from standstill.
- Adjustable rear suspension: later Cross models had adjustable shock absorber mounts, unusual for a moped of the period.
- Simple electrics: a 6 V flywheel magneto with a 30 W headlight and a 5 W tail light.
Garelli Tiger Cross versions
- Tiger Cross MK 1 (1976): the black and yellow off-road enduro.
- Garelli Cross single-seat: the original 1967–1972 off-roader.
- Garelli Cross two-seat: the same machine with a second seat.
The Tiger Cross came from the same firm as the Garelli Gulp moped and the Garelli 125 GP racer. More machines are in the Garelli collection.
Video: Garelli Tiger Cross
Video by Tony McGuire on YouTube.
Sources
- Garelli Motorcycles, English Wikipedia: the Tiger Cross MK 1 of 1976 and its colours
- Garelli Cross, English Wikipedia: the 1967–1972 Cross, engine and equipment
