Surflex - 75th Anniversary, from Vintage Range to 2026 bike clutches
Proud owners of the Italian 'Marchio Storico' - the prestigious recognition awarded in Italy to what are regarded as historic and industrially important brands and businesses - Surflex (founded in 1951) celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2026.
To mark the achievement the Tradate (VA) manufacturer is introducing a 'Vintage Range' of clutch components dedicated to motorbikes from 1914.
It was at that time that the early Italian bike industry was finding its place among the burgeoning British and German brands and models, enjoying already gaining a reputation for design and prestige.
Ariel and Norton dominated the international landscape at that time and, in Italy brands such as Bianchi (founded in 1885), Benelli (1911), Gilera (1909), Della Ferrera (1909) and Frera - founded in 1905 and based in Tradate, the same town that would eventually become home to Surflex.
Early brands that Surflex worked on included the likes of Vespa and Lambretta scooters, and 50 cc mopeds with Minarelli, Franco Morini and Zündapp engines, and the stylish reverse gear equipped Belgian Sarolea marque.
Surflex was founded by Giuseppi Rimoldi, the first Italian manufacturer of motorcycles clutches. Caterina Rimoldi told IDN that "in Surflex enthusiasm and excitement drove the production of mechanical parts and still does.
"Shaped and made with the same raw materials selected and designated by the OE manufacturer, always conducted our own independent research into friction materials. This resulted in own-made organic and sintered materials for various applications - especially for trial and speedway models - always been among the most demanding and specialist applications for friction materials.
"Racing was always a very important - and successful - market for Surflex. Among other famous racers our sintered discs equipped the MV Agustas of Giacomo Agostini.
"Surflex invested heavily in manufacturing technology, much of it was of our design and some of the original equipment is still used sometimes today. It is the only way to replicate the delicate operations and production differences that characterised some of the earliest components made in our factory.
"The same attention to detail, precision, materials research and craftsmanship that informed our earliest manufacturing is still applied to everything we do today. Despite the care of the conservation and restoration of vintage pieces, Surflex have continued following, considering, observing, studying and reproducing contemporary European and Japanese model clutches. range, as tradition and innovation."
The Japanese motorcycle industry started to develop in the 1950s, especially with Mr. Soichiro Honda. Surflex was what we'd these days call an "early adopter", offering OEM upgrades for early Honda and other Japanese made models as early as the 1950s.
The present Surflex catalogue for Honda replacement parts includes about 500 models while the complete catalogue lists 15000 items.
The Surflex attention to detail even went as far as the care that went into packaging with its classic black suitcase for road clutches and the plastic box for off-road items. Both contain instructions for the correct assembly of the products and can be reused in various ways: for tools, documents and small parts. Many is the race van that has Surflex clutch cases being used for race day and pit lane essentials. The design of the plastic box for off-road components has even proven ideal down the years to contain the oil for soaking the clutch disc kit before use, then, to collect the oil during disc changes, directly on the track.
"That is how deeply the Surflex brand has been integrated into the motorcycle power transmission, clutch care and racing culture in the past, and it still is today - 75 years and still counting".
