The Gilera Nordwest was a road-going supermotard presented in 1992, when the fashion for that kind of bike was just beginning. Because money was short, it was built from parts already in the Gilera store: it was identical to the RC 600 Cobra in engine, frame, swingarm and most of its plastics.
Gilera Nordwest at a glance
| Maker | Gilera, Arcore (Milan) |
|---|---|
| Presented | 1992 |
| Project | Federico Martini and Romolo Ciancamerla, from 1990 |
| Base | RC 600 Cobra |
| Engine, frame, swingarm | as the Cobra |
| Front fork | upside-down, from the Saturno 500 |
| Wheels | Grimeca, 3.50-17 front and 4-17 rear |
| Headlight | trapezoidal, as on French-market RC |
| Mudguard and calipers | from the 125 SP02 |
| Second version | 350 cm³, December 1992 |
based on one source (the Nordwest section of the Italian Wikipedia article on the Gilera RC). The Commons search found no free photograph of the Nordwest, so the article keeps the photo already attached to the record.
History of the Gilera Nordwest
A supermotard on a budget
The Nordwest was Gilera’s attempt to catch the fashion for road supermotards, developed from 1990 by Federico Martini, then Gilera’s technical director, and by the development manager Romolo Ciancamerla. Financial limits meant the bike was created from parts already available in the company.
It was in fact identical to the RC 600 Cobra in engine, frame, swingarm and most of the plastics. The exceptions were the trapezoidal headlight, already fitted to RC models for the French market, and the mudguard, taken from the 125 SP02 together with the brake calipers, although the rest of the braking system was different. The upside-down fork was the one designed and bought for another model of the company, the Saturno 500. Only the wheels, in sizes never used before at Gilera, 3.50-17 in front and 4-17 at the rear, were newly produced by Grimeca specifically for the model.
Two capacities
The Nordwest was presented in 1992, and in December of that year it was joined by a 350 cm³ version. Like the RC-R and the RC-C, it received several mechanical and graphic changes over the following years, and it was last revised in 1993 with a final range of colours.
Design and features
- Built from existing parts: the Cobra engine, frame and swingarm, the Saturno 500 fork.
- 17-inch Grimeca wheels: the only parts made specifically for the model.
- Supermotard stance: a road bike with flat-track style at the start of the fashion.
- Trapezoidal headlight: the unit already used on French-market RC models.
- 350 version: added in December 1992.
Gilera Nordwest versions
- Nordwest 600 (1992): the original model based on the RC 600 Cobra.
- Nordwest 350 (December 1992): the smaller-capacity version.
- 1993 colours: the final range before production ended.
The Nordwest shares its engine and chassis with the RC 600 family, and it used the fork of the Saturno 500. More models are in the Gilera collection.
Video: Gilera Nordwest
Video by lorenzo colombo on YouTube.
Sources
- Gilera RC, Italian Wikipedia: the Nordwest 600/350 section: project, shared parts, wheels, presentation
