Continuous improvement since 1904...
Betamotor's
history is linked with the history and evolution of two wheeled
vehicles. The company was created in Florence in 1904 with the name
"Societa Giuseppe Bianchi" for the construction of handcrafted
bicycles. It was because of the evolution of demand and progressive
modernization of society that, in the beginning of the 1940's,
Betamotor adapted to those new needs and transformed into an industrial
company with the current name of "BETA", created from the initials of
Bianchi Enzo, son of the founder and Tosi Arrigo, who took over the
firm's technical direction.
A new plant was opened in Osmannoro, in the industrial
area of Northern Florence and pro- duction began on a moped driven by a
single- cylinder, two-stroke engine, which pushed the vehicle with a
rubber roller, From that point, evolution was very rapid and already in
the 1960's, engines were also being manufactured "in house". Over the
years, with the experience and know-how that was acquired and, above
all, with continuous research, which is still an outstanding feature of
the company, the motorized bicycles of that era became mopeds and
motorcycles with varying cubic capacities, with two and four strokes,
and for any and all applications.
By
1972, with the arrival of new productive demands that indicated the
need for overhauling plants and company structures, a new plant was
built in Rignano on the Arno with shop buildings specifically equipped
for the production of vehicles with engines larger than 50 cc.
This
is the current head offices of Betamotor, which, extending over an area
of 116,000 m2, 12,000 of which is covered, relies on the most advanced
equipment and a 1,200 m asphalt track for testing machines. 15,000
mopeds and 4,000 motorcycles were manufactured in 1980, and in addition
to complete vehicles, Beta also produced 20,000 engines for export.
The
Rignano plant on the Amo is perfectly equipped for machining aluminium
castings, painting and for final assembly, and includes three testing
rooms that use Borghi & Saveri electronic benches with rollers and
rigid bracing, spacious tracks and research departments and a large
cafeteria for workers.
Production
workshops are rationally designed, with the machine tool department
well-separated from the assembly divisions, where there are individual
lines for mopeds and for motorcycles. The moped assembly line is
particularly efficient and turns out 100 pieces every 8-hour shift,
employing 16/17 workers, while the off-road motorcycle assembly line
produces 25 machines every 8-hour shift using 10 employees. All this is
proof of the reliability of the Company and shows how much its
commercial success depends on the quality of the results. A special
spare parts department efficiently and rapidly completes spare parts
orders throughout
the
world, supported by the important fact that Betamotor is one of the few
Italian Companies that directly and completely builds its own engines
and other basic components, and therefore does not depend on third
parties for its supply. The sales network in Italy is especially
efficient. taking advantage of about 300 dealers and more than 1,000
assistance centers, and it is just as strong abroad, since it covers
all Western European countries, the United States, that traditionally
is the best customer of the Tuscan firm, and Japan where the name Beta
is synonymous, above all, with Trial.
The
administrative and technical offices, which work together with the
research department, are located in a building connected to the
warehouse and spare parts department.
BETAMOTOR
production has always been varied, just looking at what was done during
all the years on the market, supporting its needs and often guiding it
with qualitative and commercial-sound choices, is enough to understand
the productive flexibility of this company, guided by experience,
continuous research for the best results and enthusiasm for
two-wheelers. Beta's archives provide example of studies and model
designs produced in the roadway sector, as well as moped, endurance,
cross and trail applications, and always with high-quality
achievements. Very different motorcycles with certain things in common:
the ever-present favourable relationship between quality and price,
never dictated by market conditions but obtained objectively according
to costs and profits, the passion with which the machines are built,
that can be seen down to the smallest detail, and the productive
consistency that makes the Florentine company the model and the pride
of the Italian motorcycle industry.
