A superb photo made of the magnificent Renzo Pasolini seen in action on the Aermacchi - Harley-Davidson 250cc RR two stroke factory racing machine during the 250cc race at Zandvoort in April 1973.

The incredible Harley-Davidson 250 RR and 350 RR racing machines clinched no less then four world titles in three years! It was with these machines that Walter Villa scored the 250cc world title in 1974, 1975 and 1976; and the 350cc world title in 1976, making it a double that year! The H-D 250RR and 350RR models have an interesting history that goes back to the end of the 1960s, when the twin was initiated after the big success of the 125cc two stroke racing single, also build by Aermacchi - HD in Italy. The first twin was basically constructed as a double 125, sharing one joint crankcase. The first prototype was build in 1970 and tested extensively by works rider Renzo Pasolini. Development went rapidly and a 350cc version was also soon being build. Water cooling also became an engineering fact on this fast racing machine and soon the racing successes came flooding in for Harley Davidson, clinching no less then four world titles in three years!

Renzo Pasolini, nicknamed "Paso", was a popular Italian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer in the 1960s. His uncalculated style of racing made him a crowd favourite. Pasolini's rivalry with Giacomo Agostini divided motorcycling enthusiasts, and while Pasolini's style of racing brought mixed results which hindered him in his attempts to win a world title, it nonetheless earned him a place in the affections of many fans. Pasolini was born at Rimini, the son of a motorcyclist. He began his motocross career in 1958, although he had shown a great interest in boxing. With his smoking habit and appetite for food and drink, he did not fit the mould of an athlete. His approach to corners was a risky combination of balance and speed which always made it appear as though he was about to fall off his bike. After performing well in motocross, Pasolini began to concentrate on road racing, but he did continue his involvement in other sports as a means of keeping fit. In 1962 he began racing with the Aermacchi 175cc, with two first-place finishes ahead of Giacomo Agostini marking the start of their long rivalry. Pasolini then took a two-year break from racing to complete his military service; stationed in Sardinia, he met his future wife, Anna. They would have two children, Sabrina and Renzo Stefano. Pasolini resumed his racing career in 1964, racing Aermacchi 250 and 350cc bikes at senior level. Though these motorcycles were not the most advanced at the time, Pasolini did achieve some excellent results. In the 1965 Italian championship Pasolini, racing a Benelli, finished second to Tarquinio Provini in the 250cc class and third in the 350cc class behind Giacomo Agostini and Giuseppe Mandorlini. 1966 was a year of varying results at domestic and world championship levels. Most notable was the final race of the Italian championship. Pasolini finished in first place on the then new four-cylinder Benelli 500. With a more competitive bike, Pasolini was now able to compete with the best, and this marked the start of a string of epic confrontations with Mike Hailwood, then riding a Honda, and the renewal of his rivalry with Agostini, an MV Agusta rider. 1968 saw Pasolini finish second to Agostini in the 350cc world championship, in addition to winning the Italian 250 and 350cc championship titles. The media-fuelled rivalry between Pasolini and Agostini was at its fiercest in 1969, but it never escalated to so much as a war of words, whereas on the race track, the intense competition between the two led to the suggestion of a pair of head-to-head races, one with each rider on a Benelli and the other with each rider on an MV Agusta. The FMI (Federazione Motociclistica Italiana, the governing body of Italian motorcycling) and the manufacturers quickly put a stop to such plans. 1969 was also the year in which Pasolini lost out to Benelli team-mate Kel Carruthers in the 250cc world championship. New regulations in the 250cc classification for 1970, which limited the category to two-cylinder bikes, led the Benelli team to concentrate on the 350cc class, but it was not one of Pasolini's best years. He split from Benelli and returned to Aermacchi, now merged with Harley-Davidson. For Pasolini, much of 1971 was given over to testing out the Aermacchi/Harley-Davidson 250cc bike, which took much longer in development than had been anticipated. The result of the perseverance of Pasolini and team was a competitive motorcycle, albeit one of many at Pasolini's level of competition, and there were also a number of up-and-coming racers to contend with, including Jarno Saarinen, to whom Pasolini lost the 250cc world championship in 1972 by a single point. Pasolini tragically lost his life during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on May 20, 1973. He retired four laps from the end of the 350cc race. On the first lap of the 250cc race, Pasolini fell from his motorcycle, and Jarno Saarinen was unable to avoid crashing into him. A pile-up involving twelve riders ensued, and Pasolini and Saarinen lost their lives. In 1986, Ducati, then under the ownership of Cagiva, introduced the Ducati Paso, which took its name from Pasolini's nickname. The bike was designed by Massimo Tamburini, co-founder of Bimota.

Aermacchi was founded in the Northern Italian city of Varese in 1913. Soon after World War II had ended it was decided to start peacetime production with a three-wheeler truck. This was an unorthodox but very good design. Then, anticipating the motor cycle boom and intending to have a stake in it, the Aermacchi chiefs looked for a good designer who could produce an attractive lightweight. Their choice was Lino Tonti, who had been at Benelli and had worked on aircraft engines during the war. Tonti designed a lightweight motorcycle that broke the land speed record for the displacement. The bikes produced by Aermacchi were quite successful in the postwar Italian market, also thanks to their repeated placements on the race tracks. The firm designed and produced models incorporating the Italian word "Ala" (wing) in its names, such as "Ala Verde", "Ala Blu" and "Ala d'Oro" (respectively "green wing", "blue wing" and "golden wing"). In 1959, 50% of Aermacchi stock was acquired by Harley-Davidson to produce, in its assembly plant at Schiranna (near Varese), several models of small bikes (with engine displacement between 125cc and 350cc) for the American and the European market. This was an attempt to take back market sectors that were at the time increasingly being taken by Japanese manufacturers such as Honda and Yamaha. Aermacchi went on to have success in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world with rider Renzo Pasolini finishing 2nd in the 1972 250 cc Roadracing World Championship. After 1974, when the American manufacturer acquired complete control of the Italian company, Aermacchi bikes re-badged as Harley-Davidsons won the 250 cc Roadracing World Championship three years in a row in 1974, 1975 and 1976. They also won the 350 cc World Championship in 1976. In 1972 AMF bought the remaining shares over from Aermacchi. From then on, the name Harley-Davidson was the only name to be found on the bikes, instead of the previous Aermacchi - Harley-Davidson name. In 1978 the Italian operations of the firm were sold to the Castiglioni brothers, founders of the Cagiva motorcycle company.

We have more photos listed on Ebay of Aermacchi, Harley-Davidson , Renzo Pasolini and Aermacchi and Aermacchi-HD and other brands with various riders.

This is your rare chance to own this non period photo that reflects a very interesting and historic piece of motorcycle history. Therefore it is printed in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 12" (ca. 20 x 30 cm).