MV Agusta Superveloce 800 - Presentation (1)

   

   Surfing the internet I came across the new motorcycles for 2019. Among the machines one particular motorcycle from Italia in an astonishing traditional red and silver paint shop immediately caught my eyes – the MV Agusta Superveloce 800.

MV Agusta Superveloce 800 from MV Agusta's Official Homepage

   Nearly every motorcycle manufacturer has a modern ‘retro’ bike in its portfolio, if it is Triumph with their Modern Classics Street Twins (7 different models!), BMW R nine T variations, Kawasaki Z 900 RS and Cafe models; the list seems to be endless.
   Strange, like the 1970s, they heyday of the super-bikes, some characteristics in these classics remain even after all these years: the design philosophy. While one of MV Agusta's obvious competitor, the BMW R nineT Racer, which also has fairing, remains very coarse (rough) compared to the new Superveloce 800. From the design the Agusta seems sleeker and much more refined. 

   A bike like the MV Agusta I would place on a turntable in my living room not only to be shown to my dear friends but also to discuss the design clues found on this bike. Or enjoying a fine glass of wine while admiring the 'art of motorcycle design'.

BMW R nineT Racer from BMW's Official Homepage

   It might be possible that younger readers are not familiar with the Italian brand MV Agusta, therefore I would like to introduce the company.    
   MV Agusta, originally Meccanica (Mechanics), Verghera (a small town, where the first MVs were made, in the municipality of Samarate, in the province of Varese, region Lombardia) Agusta, was formed as an offshoot of the Agusta aviation company formed by Count Giovanni Agusta on February 1923 near Milan in Cascina Costa, Italy. The Count died in 1927 and left the company in the hand of his wife and his sons.

   To save the jobs of the employees and the obvious need for cheap transportation in Italy the Count Vincenzo and his brother Domenico formed MV Agusta after World War II. 

MV 98, MV Agusta's first Motorcycle in 1945 (from MV Agusta's Official Homepage)

   Both of them were passionate about racing and in 1948 entered the Italian Grand Prix on a 125 cc two-stroke engine. Franco Bertoni won in Monza and put the manufacturer on the map. Other races were won and finally in 1952 the Britain Cecil Sandford made the dream of the 1st world championship on a MV Agusta 125 Bialbero come true. The winning streak continued with world championships in all four GP classes: 125 cc, 250 cc, 350 cc and 500 cc. 
   The secret was that Count Domenico Agusta had a sense for hiring the best engineers like Arturo Magni (1925-2015) who was fundamental in developing the brand's 350 and 500 cc three cylinder GP engines and, the pinnacle of MV engineering, the four cylinder engines, which led the marque to 17 (!) consecutive 500 cc world championships (1958-1974). Racers like Phil Read, Giacomo Agostini, Mike Hailwood, John Surtees were world champions on MVs.

Giacomo Agostini (shown in a photo from 1965) won 311 races, incl. 125 World Championship events, 10 Isle of Man's TTs, 13 World Championships and 18 Italian Titles.

(from MV Agusta's Official Homepage)

   Unfortunately, like many other Italian manufacturers, with the death of Count Domenico Agusta (28 Feb. 1907 - 2 Feb 1971) the company lost its heart and soul. At the end of the 1976 season the company unfolded its racing department after 270 Grand Prix Motorcycle races, 38 World Riders' Championships and 37 World Constructors' Championships.

   MV Agusta was forced to look for financial partners; EFIM (Ente Partecipazioni e Finanziamento Industria Manifatturiera) demanded that the company has to sell off the ir motorcycle business to be consolidated.

   What followed could be described as a voyage of the marquee between different owners. In 1991 Cagiva, another Italian motorcycle manufacturer, purchased the MV Agusta name and trademark and introduced the 1st MV Agusta motorcycle in 1997. 1999 the Cagiva group was restructured with MV Agusta as the main division comprising Cagiva and Husqvarna, a Swedish off-road motorcycle manufacturer. Heavily in debt, the company was bought by the Malaysian car maker Proton in 2004 which sold MV Agusta to GEVI spa, a Genoa based financing company in 2005. Husqvarna was sold to BMW. On 08 Aug 2008 Harley Davidson announced 'the completion of the privately-held Italian motorcycle maker MV Agusta. The company has acquired 100%..." On 06 Aug 2010 'Harley Davidson, Inc. has concluded the sale of its subsidiary, MV Agusta, to Claudio Castiglioni and his wholly owned holding company, MV Agusta Motor Holding, S.r.l., effective today.'

   The owner Claudio Castiglioni announced a long term partnership with the brand and the acquisition of a 25% stake with Mercedes-AMG on 31 Oct. 2014.

   Hopefully the company will not be sold to investors from the Mainland China who stick Italian brand names (Benelli, Moto Morini) on their bikes. I hope MV Agusta keeps innovating exciting Italian products to consolidate their business. 

MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro, voted 'Most Beautiful Motorcycle of EICMA 2018'

(continued @ https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/11/mv-agusta-superveloce-800-presentation-2.html)

Disclaimer: all material based on MV Agusta's homepage, otherwise specified! I am not endorsed by anyone, subscribers or followers more than welcome! If not convenient to subscribe here I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com.

Fighting the Cobbles - My trip to Belgium in 2018, Part 29 - Leaving Wavre

This blog continues the previous Part 28,
https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/10/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_17.html

Thursday, June 28, 2018

   

'People who wander are nicer to be with. Movement militates against hoarding possessions and against bigotry, because you are constantly moving across boundaries and having to negotiate with people.'

Robyn Davidson, Australian writer

   Most historical towns in Europe are designed in a very similar fashion; the oldest part is an island, governments protect the building, on the outside nothing can be remodeled in a different way than the previous version. Unlike the USA this let European towns stay the way they were even some several hundred years ago. In Germany some cities even rebuilt the city centers as they have been before being bombed thru the II. Word War. Wavre in Belgium is no exception to this rule. Once leaving the historical town center I was faced with the modern amenity: the car. I left the quiet and peaceful town behind me and had to cross a very busy road right in front of me.

   The road I chose was the Chaussée de Namur. The wide road was leading me uphill, between some houses I slowly passed the first companies. One interesting was Vanesse Moto Kawasaki Wavre, a dealer of motorcycles. 

   The 1970s was the pinnacle of the superbikes; when the Japanese big four manufacturers tried to topple each other with bigger & faster machines. The Honda CB 750 four started it all, later followed by the Kawasaki Z1, the original Honda Gold Wing, Suzuki GS 1000 etc. In the window of this dealer was a brand new Kawasaki Z 900 RS Cafe Racer, a homage to the original Z1 in the 1970s when this motorcycle was a dream in design and performance. 

Window of a Kawaski Candy Dealer with the Shadow of a Tourist watching...

   I continued to follow the Chaussée without motorcycle but on my trusted feet without pollution out of a pipe. The road became a much and therefore a much easier one to follow. The houses beside the road stopped and only some dried grass with wild yellow colored flowers became my companions until I crossed a bridge over the Belgian Highway A4.

Highway A4 near Wavre

   After this bridge I came to a fire station. When I stopped for a moment to take a photo from the outside of the building a window was opened and two guys invited me in to take some photos inside the building.  

   I followed their invitation and walked with my sports bag on wheel in the fire station and took some photos of the fire trucks and equipment. As I walked outside the 'chief' opened a glass window and talked to me while other firefighters had some fun in the background. 

   As a clearly identified tourist the fire chief asked where I come from. He told me that he went to Stuttgart several times for training and handover of new fire trucks. Some of their trucks are based on Mercedes Benz vehicles but made by a company called Ziegler, a German manufacturer specialized in firetrucks and equipment. He told me that they are not very busy fighting fires but worried about the dry weather and the heat - a great source of field fires. After a photo and some laughs it was time to continue. 

Wavre Fire Station - 

My Salute to those Men and Women risking their Life protecting and saving Others!

   After I left the fire station I came to a forest. Just when I arrived it at the intersection I've noticed a group of bike riders with two real police men riding on bicycles in the front of a group. They led a class of students on a bike tour.

   Passing the forest I came to the industrial area in a distance but still a part of the city of Wavre. The road was lined with different companies like plumbers and, not surprisingly, lined with some car dealers. One of them was a Ferrari Dealer, Francorchamps Motors Brussels. I crossed the road and checked it out. I was surprised to see so many Italian sports car lined under the open sky without any protection except yellow flags with the 'Prancing Horse' over large 'FERRARI' letters waving over them. I was also surprised that, while I was checking out the cars, no one came out, no one tried to hinder me or did something I would associate with an 'attack of arrogant behavior' which is very common in the the Far East.

   Once I wanted to open the door of a limited edition of a AMG C-Class in a Mercedes Benz car dealership in Taipei/Taiwan. It was locked and the sales man hurried over just to tell me that it could be opened for 'serious' buyers!

   It looks like in Belgium even Ferrari dealers are humans, a good news for tourists like me. One salesman even waved behind his office chair towards me while I took pictures of his beloved cars. I am convinced he would invite me for an Italian Espresso if I would dare to ask... 

‘Open’ Ferrari Dealership with a Tourist in a Window South-West of Wavre

(to be continued@
https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/11/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in.html)

Disclaimer: I traveled Belgium by myself, I am not sponsored by anyone. Interested subscribers and/or followers in traveling an in this small but beautiful country are more than welcome! 
If not convenient to subscribe on Blogger.com, I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com/travel