After World War II, Giovanni Parrilla built his first motorcycle (it was based on a Norton). This evolved into the company of Moto Parilla, which was best known for their “high-cam” engines in the US. Here’s one of their lesser known models, the Olimpia (which is one of the few bikes I know that was offered with 2-stroke and 4-stroke engine options).
The 2-stroke and 4-stroke variants were easy to differentiate – you didn’t even have to look at the engines as Parilla painted the models different colors. Red (like this previously featured example) signified either a 98cc or 125cc 4-stroke engine, whereas the blue you see here means this bike has a 125cc 2-stroke motor. Either way you got about 7 horsepower and the bike weighed 167 pounds. For more information, head on over to MotoParilla.org.
This example (VIN: 995091) was acquired by the seller as a barn find years ago, and he’s since turned into a running bike. The seat has been restored, and the seller has sourced a engine gasket set, headlight bezel and rear tail lights for you to finish the mild restoration.
Find this Olimpia for sale here on Craigslist for $1,950 in Loomis, California.