Sertum Web Page

   The Restoration 

In order to remove immediately the your curiosity of as "Madame Maestrale" has resulted  after lifting and the make-up, please watch here .........very beautiful bike!!!!! .... eh ?????

The conditions in which the single components of the motorcycle were reduced were of several kind:

The Engine

My first effort was about the engine..... and this time, to difference of 1970, and fortunately for me, I could use a pulley in order to lift and to move it.

I have begun the stripping down the head, then the sump of left side where there is the group of clutch, the sump of right side with the selector of gearshift together to the crank of starter and the pedal of the gearshift and removed the carburetor and the dynamo. To that point can be release the bolts of the group of cylinder-valves and be separated from motor sump, leaving out the pistons mounted on the their conrods.  The pistons show only an light sign of seizing, and the perfectly integral  piston rings, like also the small-end bushing of gudgeon pin. With the pistons removed from their conrods, I have checked the play of the bearings of the big end of conrod on the crank shaft, assessing that not there was excessive play, indeed that not there was play for nothing, like also for the main bearings of crank shaft. here you can see the description of these stripping.

The successive step has regarded, after found a workshop of engine machining enough comfortable respect my house, the honing of the cylinders and the grinding the valves and their seats. At same time, together to the mechanic Stefano of the workshop, we have fixed the gauge of the new piston rings, suitable to being mounted on the pistons. here you can see the honed cylinders, the grinded valves and their seats, let alone the new piston rings, than for the precision, are of Fiat 500 (that old one of 1965) with oversize diameter. Since the thickness of groove of the third ring, the oil control ring, was smaller than those new, the mechanic had to increase, using the lathe, the thickness  and the deep of the third groove on each piston. The successive step has been obviously the reassembling the valves with their springs and plates, then the cylinders, after inserting inside the pistons with their new rings, and naturally after to have cleaned up accurately the aluminium gasket, between the cylinder group and the motor sump, and putting a layer of red mastic (... what it would have to resist to the high temperature of the engine)  here you can see the assembling of the valves, the group cylinders on the pistons and motor sump, the carburetor and the dynamo. Naturally for the dynamo,.... I have suffered in hell in order to find a car-electrician able to check and overhaul a dynamo of beyond 50 years, it has been finally overhauled... practically did not have big problem.... but usual problem YEEAAAHHH!!!!!!!..... when I asked some so-called "today car-electrician" if he were able to check a dynamo, ...He start to laugh (... and me to cry!!!!).... because if you had the intention to substitute a broken dynamo (...NO...DYNAMO...NO.... sorry ... NO MORE!!!!! ....ONLY ALTERNATOR are available today!!!!) with a new one....OKAY...alternators....as many you want.. but... the check and overhaul a dynamo... NOOOO!!! .... NOT POSSIBLE!!!! ...moreover 6 volts!!!!!.. .... NEVER And THEN NEVER!!!!!!! ... better.... a stab to the liver!!!!!...... HE...... ,the car-electrician, is able to only replace a broken alternator with an other new one!!!!!!.... the important that it has the bolts in the same place!!!!!.... not ask more  other...!!!!!! ....All of that situations, to find a clever technicians to make the rebuilding  and overhaul the mechanical components, are the true difficulty to make a restoration of motorcycle (or car), at least in Rome.... anyway.... continuing my story.... Last part of the motor overhaul  was about the cylinder's head, for which it was necessary to find a clever welder of aluminium in order to weld the broken fins. After several searches.... (the usual problem!!!!....) I have found Tanturri - welder in Rome from the 1939!!!!!.... that it has not only welded the two broken fins, but, with a piece of aluminium plate has also reconstructed the lacking fin one. After the welding I have carried the cylinder's head to the mechanic Alexander to grinding the surface, because in some points was out of plane for 2-3 tenth of millimeter. Here you see the workings on the head.

The Speedometer

During the first restoration of 1970 I had not restored the speedometer, also because there was not one on the motorcycle (... perhaps it was stolen when the bike was for 3-4 years abandoned in the country.....) but it must be renewed today. So, observing the the hub of front wheel, I found that was prepared for the attack of a speedometer. In fact inside of the hub was present a gear, of approximately 65  millimeter of diameter, with 36 teeth, fixed with the wheel (see here), while on the hub-plate of the brake, was present a little shaft connecting, inside of the plate, a little gear with 25 millimeter of diameter, placed to engage the previous gear, of a perhaps plastic material, but sure not metal, for half completely eaten, nearly unrecognizable, with presumably 12 teeth, and outside of plate two worm gear engaged at 90° with the drive shaft carrying the cable of the speedometer, all of that into little sump, broken too. I make all the calculations with the circumference of the tyre (diameter 19 "of rim + 3.25" of the tyre), the relationships of several linked gear, and establish that one turn of the cable is one meter of the road. While I had however to find a "vintage" speedometer, not being willing sure to mount a ......... electronic speedometer..... even Japanese.... and, trying on the reviews, in particular "Motociclismo d'Epoca" and on Internet, I found a workshop that repairs and overhaul vintage speedometer: "La casa del Contachilometri" of Bologna. I ask them by phone, they say of having a Veglia with 60 millimeter of diameter, black dial face and white numbers, that was exactly "one turn-one meter", and with end of scale up to 80 Km/h (... a little bit indeed... but in order to begin was more than good!!!!!), they send to me a photo by mail, it appeals to me and I order it with a 80-cm cable complete of its square end. Still remains the problem that the gear-shaft inside of the plate and the little sump on the outside of the plate was broken... while the worm gear of link was good. Not even to try to find a reciprocation!!!!!.... therefore I decide to rebuilt them using the lathe and the vertical miller. I resume and fix all the measures involved, find a beautiful full brass piece and begin and suit the rebuilding in brass the external sump. The same one happens for the inner 12 teeth gear that I total rebuilt using the miller, before made it in aluminium, and after, thinking that two gears with straight teeth when they turn engaged make a big noise, I rebuilt the little 12 teeth-gear using Teflon. Here you can see part of the workings and its results.

The Hubs and the Brakes of the Wheels

After many kilometers made in ten years, the pads of the jaws of brakes were just well worn out (... in center of the jaw were reduced to a thickness of approximately 1 millimeter... you see the photos) and indeed also the bearings of the hub were well worn (..... the spheres "was dancing" in the shell like a Brazilian maracas ....!!!!). For the bearings nothing of exceptional in order finding them, having a measures absolutely standard, I have finds them without difficulty in the store of motorcycle reciprocations. For the pads of brakes I found the same and usual Rome-problem : who is able to renew the pads????? .......new jaws (with new pads) ... how many of you needs!!!!!.... but renew the pads of old jaws?????...absolutely NOOOOO!!!!! Fortunately, having carried the drums of the hub brake to the mechanic Stefano  in order to turning  them on the lathe in the eventuality they were oval, Stefano remembered that a boy who had worked for few years in his workshop, now worked in other warehouse who collected jaws of brakes and several clutches disks, all things of truck and bus, in order to carry them in workshops outside of Rome for being renewed.... he gave me the telephone and  where it is this warehouse. -- now... felt this that it is just great!!!!!!...... sometime ago the City Hall of Rome, with a decree of the Mayor - what "illuminated" person!!!!-, it has banned the so-called "polluting" workings, as typical the machining material containing asbestos or similar, indeed the pads of brakes and clutch..... what happened????.....that those workshops or closed their business or more simply they were moved the workshop at some kilometers outside the Rome, in the territory of some other county..... I say ... THERE  yes.....there are totally stupid to make pollution..?????.... Naturally all of that stops just before the nose of the Mayor.....what a foresight!!!!!! .... In fact, just beyond the nose of the Mayor... all roman peoples sees all the small and big buses of the public transportation of the same and illuminated City Hall, circulating for the city roads, returning that pollution on the air in form of powder every time he brakes or starts!!!!!! ....be worth a Nobel awards.....!!!!!! ....anyway after a week the warehouse gave me back the overhauled jaws with renewed pads. here you can see the reassembling of the new brakes and the new bearings into the hubs overhauled.

The Chassis and the Body

The chassis, the front and rear fork and other metallic pieces, as already mentioned, was in very bad conditions. The restoration of this pieces was in principle very simple : first step was a deep cleaning with the iron brush mounted on hand grinder, taking out the rust and the old varnish leaving a shine metal, the second step was the spray painting it with primer, the third step was the oven shining black painting, made by coachbuilder "er Pistola", very specialized workshop in Rome, only for motorcycles. The same treatment was done for all metal sheet body of the motorcycle and for all pieces like a footrest, stirrups, rear rack, pedal brake, saddles,etc. here you can see the different steps of cleaning and primer painting and the final results of different pieces with nice shining black. 

The Front Fork

During the first restoration of the 1970 the front fork was only chromed but not mechanically overhauled, also because was not particulary worn and it working enough well. But, after so many years of service and so many kilometers, I found the fixed tubes was a little oval and one of two also little crooked, and the guide sleeves of the slider tubes absolutely out of tolerance. The mechanic Stefano cannot, or don't want, repair the fixed tubes and rebuild the guides sleeves, but he know a clever turner, Alessandro, able to make it. Obtained the phone, and after a phone call, I carried to the turner Alessandro all fork components. After about ten days, Alessandro have turned the fixed tubes by lathe, with 1 hundredth of mm of tolerance, have pulled out the old guide sleeves off the slider tubes (...and this was the hardness job because they don't want comes out!!!!), have rebuild the guide sleeves, by brass, with gauge of the fixed tubes, with calculated tolerance of 5-6 hundredth of mm, after their compression, by hydraulic press, inside of the slider tubes. Here you can see the results of working of Alessandro on the front fork.

The Chrome

The rims of the wheels, like the fixed and slider tubes of the front fork, the springs of the saddle, the springs of the rear suspensions, the crank of starter, the pedal of gearshift and other pieces has losed the most part of the chrome and was come out a lot of rust. Again for this works I've passed the usual  odyssey to find a clever chrome workshop with good references on the quality and the time of working. At last I found the galvanic workshop Ugo Pangrazi that more or less after a month (perhaps 20 days), make a shining polish of all pieces and make a very good bath of chromium..........very nice!!!!!!!  You can see here the results of Pangrazi working.   After chroming, I can carry the hubs, the rims, the wire spokes and the nipples to Bonaccorsi workshop for the final assembly of the wheels.

The Exhaust Pipes and the Silencers

Like already mentioned previously, in 1970 I did not restore neither the exhaust pipes and neither the silencers, while now was absolutely necessary. For the silencers it has been relatively easy: on Internet I have found the web site "the motostoricheitaliane", a factory of Reggiolo (Bo), with the online catalogue of the silencers of several Brands and several years. Naturally there was not the Sertum, but from the pictures and designs reported on the handbook "Reciprocation Parts" confronting them with the products of the catalogue, have found a model practically identical : the Gilera Neptune Parallelogram of  1947, unless for the gauge of the connection  to the exhaust pipes that instead of 40-mm had to be of 45-mm. However i order it and I send by mail a design with these detailed lists and specifications. After approximately a month they send me the two new silencers, that I had required to make also with the inner noise suppressor.... noise suppressor....uhm.... I mean that they are two not totally empty tubes... but they make a beautiful "round" powerful sound.......  like a British bike ....in order to understand, Matchless, Triumph, BSA..... or like that. Instead in order to rebuild the exhaust pipes it has been a true odyssey, not because at last I have found the workshop in Bologna, and I have had to carry them there, but because, before landing to Bologna, has happened all and more.... while always the usual Rome-problem..... the professionalism!!!!...... in fact, "eminent" and a enough famous factory of exhaust and silencers of Rome.... indeed on the "Grande Raccordo Anulare", with a great name trades that produces "big silencers" and exhaust pipes for all giap and all the other modern bikes like Ducati, Cagiva... I don't know which others..... in the person of its owner, it had assured me with great arrogance that they, make hundred... thousand of pipes and silencers per day.... what matter about my two shabby pipes ? .... and therefore they don't would have any problems to make them... is their business... or not??????..... which doubts I could have? ... and always with the usual air of superiority... "...hey...boy... next week call me that we say if are ready!!!!,,," a week passes... and I call!.... not..... they had not had time of provide the pipes from 45 milimeter...... recalls... boy!... and I recall... not... not two... not three... non four... not... ten... but at least fifteen times... and every time was a different excuses.... grrrr... had not had time to change discs to the bender machine..... did not have discs of the correct diameter.... more.... neither I remember....!!!.... until when after two... I say two months!!!! ... return from these "professionals gentleman" and I got my old pipes, but in order not to resolve the problem... noooo!!!! ... but in order to recommence same joke with an other workshop... for the truth a little less arrogating... but cobblers too!..... that it tries to bend them at cold.... test to fold them at warmth.... waits that a new bender is arriving... you will see that with that one we resolve all.... absolutely not!!... and after a month (... now are stew a little before!!!) I got my old pipes... But in the meantime , having felt smell of burnt also for this workshop, I had put myself to call to all Italy..... until when I discover that in Bologna there is a workshop that... wonder of the wonders!!!!!, ... it bends the tubes as you want.... was enough that he has a model in order to make them equal...!!!!... I must say that probably also to few kilometers from Rome... or quite within Rome.... goodness knows where but... there is an other workshop that makes the same things, but unfortunately I am not successful to find it....... yes-sir!!!!... I have only found in Bologna. After approximately 20 days, I must go just to Bologna for my office job... chance to be not missed ... we are about the end of July 2004.... I went in Bologna with car, with my good old ones and rusted Sertum pipes in the luggage car, and finally I find the owner of the workshop that says to me that he is its father... that he was there and it was at least 75 years old and that still worked in its workshop... only just some day... just for those particular jobs like mine....  even making the pipes as they were made once.... straight tubes... welded one side, filled with dry sand.... pressed with a mace... weld the other side in order to close them watertight.... warmed with the oxyhydrogen flame.... slowly slowly in order not to deform them... and to bend them by hand with the curves made like the model... a photocopy!!!!..... naturally I leave to it the old pipes.... regulate the work with advance payment and we agree that, once ready, he sends me them to Rome with shipment expenses on charge to me..... bye bye baby and thanks a lots again.....we feel when they are ready. OKAY!!!!...good task!!!!... Resolved problem!!!!... I rethink... while the return to Rome... in fact... good task, once it arrives... I think... I mount them on the motorcycle, I adapt the lengths of the pipes to the attack of the cylinder exhaust and to the attack of the silencer, I make the brackets for the anchorage to the chassis, and, once ready, I  can carry them to the Pangrazi for one beautiful chroming and... voilą.... The Madame is served!!!!... maybe..... all this was a beautiful dream!!!..... in fact a week passes.... and by phone the daughter of the owner answers me "... very well!!.. the grandfather has been little bad, but that now it is already in workshop and the next day.... very well!!... it would have made your pipes"..... The afternoon after in fact re-calls me, says to me that my pipes are ready, that she must call the carrier in order to withdraw them, that must still make the package... I  recommend to put within also the old pipes together new ones... will want 3-4 work days for the transport and the delivery... again.... bye bye baby and thanks a lots eh??!!!..... passes one week..... no transport .... neither delivery to the horizon!!!!.... meanwhile we are arrives to the begin of August.... 6 or the 7, I call... the voice box informs me that...they are in vacation until the 20 of August...... grrr!!!.... more I do not have the pale idea than who can be the carrier, he is in vacation too......!!... must to wait for at least first of september... grrr..... therefore I wait.... at first of september I call Bologna...saying that I have not still received anything....  she surprising... "we have delivered the package at 2 or the 3 of August... just before going to vacation!!!"  ..now we feel the carrier!!!.....She recall me the day after saying that the conveyor called for the freightage, not making shipments outside of the Emilia, had delivered the package to an other carrier of Milan, than had withdrawn it in Bologna during a shipment from Milan to Rome of first of August..... I say... Okay....BUT?????.... nooo!.... because it must feel the offices of Milan directly....Well!!! ... I call it and talk with a kindest gentleman, which, after the checking the name and address of the recipient and of the sender .... lillo lillo... tomo tomo..... tell me that all the shipment, included the truck... and the driver... was disappeared between Florence and Rome!!!!!... the police already had been informed with a their denunciation and the explanation was that their company, due to peak of job, accasionally, had engaged, through the usual they trusted agency ... (...very good trust!!!!...).....grrr!!.. an independent driver, with its truck, in order to make that shipment from Milan to Rome... and the driver... rascal... had all premeditated ... documents fakes itself, fake plates of truck, fake names... all in order to load all goods and then to steal it... guys!!!!... seems a joke!!!!... only that instead that to laugh I began to cry!!!!! ...... the my new pipes... but specially.... those old ones!!!!!!... goodness knows where they were!!!!... I take a anguish that remove me the sleep... the appetite... the breath!!!!.... where I can find the original pipes of Sertum motorcycle??????... that news ones...patience...  few euros throws through the window..... but those old ones... with their original bends ... where I can find them???... just to cry!!!!... however I call Bologna in order to tell him what has happened.... that they, don't have any model, neither any measures with which they can be able to rebuild the pipes, but if me..... the mechanic was reasoning to high voice, if I taking the model, the measures, the angles on the motorcycle, making a model also on a plywood piece, then they could able to rebuild the pipes...... guys!! .... it was already a step ahead!!!!!... perhaps there was a little light in bottom to the tunnel!!!..... then I  remember that after the first odyssey of the first workshop of Rome, taken care that it must have of discs of bender of various diameter from those for modern bike... now only small bends.. never great bends... I had put myself to analyse the geometry of my Sertum pipes. I had established that the pipe had two bends, the first, near cylinder's exhaust, of the 100 milimeter of radius on one sector of approximately 70-75°, from where begin a second bend of 200 milimeter of radius on a field that had to finish with the horizontal alignment of the pipe.  However in order to make these measures I had plotted on one of the bench the horizontal projection of the pipes (see here)... and that now.... using those projections, I could sure have reproduced two models of pipe with their exact measures and their original bends... perhaps now I can resolve..... meanwhile we arrives towards the half of september. During a job meeting in office, ring my mobile phone..... is the kindest employee of the carrier office of Milan that tell me that the police has found some material packed with their labels on a large square of a provincial road close to Florence and that... (my heart began to roll like a crazy one!!!!...)....... between those packages there were also my PIPEESSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... the robbers had unloaded and discarded in that large square all the goods worthless trades... non suspecting... and neither imagining .... how much I would have also pays them !!!!!.... However they had recovers my package and already had carried it in their warehouse in Rome. After three hours I had my loveds and beautiful old and new pipes in the luggage car !!!!!!! ..... after all this history... you can see here the new exhaust pipes and the new silencers.

The Grips Handle  and The Footrests

Strolling by "Sertum road" on Internert I have found Mr. Sandro Mentasti that has a factory close to Varese, where he makes motorcycle's grip handles of handle-bars and footrests, for several brands and for different years, using the original stamps that he recovered. In the online catalogue of products in theirs web, .......I happened lucky this time!!!!!!!..... there is also the Sertum brand, with footrest and grip handles that is both marked "Sertum", as it were in original. Immediately  ordered and delivered to my house. You can see here the two products, perhaps the only that are market original "Sertum" that I found.

The Tyres

Always strolling by "Sertum road" on Internert I have found (... it is always one true lucky-hand!!!!!!!) I have found various vendors of new tyres but made with the "old" stamps ; after to have call two or three I have ordered a front tyre of 19"x 3.25" and one rear of 19"x3,50", complete of inner tube, and also these delivered to my house after one week.