1976 Derbi 2.002 GP 6V
With Phil Aynsley
The mid to late 1970s was a turbulent period for the Spanish motorcycle industry. Bultaco, Mototrans and Ossa closed their doors while Montesa was taken over by Honda and Sanglas by Yamaha. Which left Derbi as pretty much the sole survivor of the major brands to remain in original hands.
Perhaps one contributing factor for this was the company’s desire to keep at the front of current technology. This 1976 2.002 GP 6V is a good example. The 2.002 referred to the ‘200 cc’ capacity and two-cylinders, at a time when single-cylinder motors were the norm.
It was the most advanced bike produced in Spain at the time and used a 187 cc 2-stroke parallel-twin motor that originally had a five-speed gearbox that was quickly changed to a six-speed. Other features included a digital gear indicator and a twin leading shoe front brake.
Later versions had a single disc at the rear and twin discs at the front. The engine capacity was also increased to 199 cc which resulted in output rising from 23 hp at 7600 rpm to 27 hp at 8600rpm. Weight of the 2.002 models was around 125 kg, depending on the version.
The last version of the 2.002 was the 250T of 1978. Apart from the capacity and power increases the 2.002 name was dropped.
Source: MCNews.com.au
