Gilera is an Italian motorcycle

Motorcycle

A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...

 manufacturer founded in Arcore

Arcore

Arcore is a comune in the Province of Monza and Brianza in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan.Arcore borders the following municipalities: Usmate Velate, Camparada, Lesmo, Biassono, Vimercate, Villasanta, Concorezzo.A notable resident is Silvio Berlusconi, Italian Prime...

 in 1909 by Giuseppe Gilera. In 1969 the company was purchased by Piaggio

Piaggio

Piaggio based in Pontedera, Italy encompasses seven brands of scooters, motorcycles and compact commercial vehicles. As the fourth largest producer of scooters and motorcycles in the world, Piaggio produces more than 600,000 vehicles annually, with five research and development centers, more than...

, which now holds six marques and is the world's fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer.
In 1935 Gilera acquired rights to the Rondine four-cylinder engine. This formed the basis for Gileras racing machines for nearly forty years. From the mid-thirties Gilera developed a range of four-stroke engine machines.