There are three things in Italy that will never fail you: food, wine, and engines – which include motorcycles. Interested to know the best Italian motorcycle brands? Keep scrolling!
Italy is home to a wide variety of automakers and motorcycle makers, from household names to smaller shops specializing in hand-built bikes. In fact, motorcyclists all across the world have come to associate certain brands with motorcycling.
Italian motorcycles are well-known for their high performance and striking personalities. This is due to their excellent functionality, flawless style, and long-standing tradition dating back to the early 20th century.
These Italian motorcycle brand names are so popular that even non-riders will recognize most of them.
It’s no surprise that a lot of people only buy Italian motorcycles because they’re so much better than anything else out there!
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10 Best Italian Motorcycle Brands
Here’s a look at the 10 top motorcycle brands made in Italy.
1. Ducati
There is no doubt that the most famous of all Italian motorcycle brands is the mighty Ducati.
Its original headquarters were in one of the districts in Bologna, Borgo Panigale. It was in 1926 when Ducati started making motorcycles. It has been so successful in manufacturing motorcycles since that it got dubbed the “Ferrari” of the motorcycle industry.
Boasting the Desmodromic valve control system, the L-Twin engine, and the steel tubular Trellis frame, each Ducati power unit is truly unique. Ducati’s high-performance vehicles are admired around the globe for their designs of pure Italian creativity.
Ducati has accomplished many things throughout the course of its long history, from manufacturing its first motorcycles to becoming a major league motorcycle brand and having racing success. They have a great reputation for excellent handling and virtually all of their models are optimized for racing.
2. Mondial
Mondial, one of the best Italian motorcycle brands ever, was established in Milan in 1929, and between 1949 and 1957, it won the Motorcycle World Championships.
Five Rides’ and five manufacturers’ World Champions were won by this company because of their production of the best and most innovative Grand Prix Road racers of their day.
When Mondial was at its peak, the first 125cc engine went into production in 1949. Production continued until 1979.
Despite specializing in bikes for racing, they also produced roadster models. After halting motorcycle manufacture in 1979, the firm came full circle in 2016 with the release of the Hipster model, a retro bike updated with current features.
The latest Hipster model is the HPS 300, and it has a dry weight of 135 kg, a displacement of 249 cm3, and 24.8 hp. This motorcycle can reach speeds of up to 141 km/h and it has a wheelbase of 1370 millimeters.
3. Piaggio
In 1946, Piaggio released the first generation of their iconic Vespa scooter, which quickly became a best-seller and eventually sold over a million units. It has always been among the most popular motorcycle brands from Italy.
Vespa is a status symbol for many older generations of Italians due to its widespread distribution across Europe and the rest of the world.
To mark 75 years since the introduction of the first Vespa, the company debuted a new and improved Vespa GTS Super 125 in 2021, which boasted 13.8 horsepower, a dry weight of 160 kilograms, and a wheelbase of 1380 millimeters. This particular Vespa model has a 124 cm3 displacement and can reach speeds of up to 101 km/h.
4. Lambretta
Lambretta was first created by Innocenti, a mechanical company founded in 1933, which is based in Milan. Produced for the first time in 1947, the Lambretta model was an instant hit with the people of Italy.
The Lambretta was made to take on Piaggio’s Vespa. In 1972, the Indian government purchased the Lambretta trademark in order to ensure that the people of their country would have access to a cheap, compact mode of transportation.
The SIL (Scooters of India Limited) brand continued production until 1997, and the Lambretta nameplate is now owned by the Austrian KSR group. It remains one of the top Italian motorcycle brands today.
5. Moto Guzzi
It’s a classic Italian motorcycle manufacturer with a rich history dating back to the early 1900s and the First World War. It began in 1921 as a family business, but it faced many difficulties and was eventually acquired by the Italian government in 1966.
The original model was a GP Guzzi-Parodi, but the Moto Guzzi brand eventually took its place. The Guzzino 65, followed by the Falcone and various versions, was a huge hit.
Even if an economic catastrophe hits later, the V-twin will always remain Moto Guzzi’s defining feature. The company is now owned by the Piaggio Group. Even now, its newest models are the gold standard of motorcycle design.
6. MV Agusta
MV Agusta began manufacturing road and racing motorcycles in 1945. Production of the first four-cylinder superbike began in the early 1960s, and the Cagiva Group, which had briefly lost control of the brand to the Harley Davidson Group in 2008, reclaimed it in 2010.
Historically, it has been the most successful motorcycle manufacturer in Italy or Europe, even more so than Ducati. The current lineup has a number of fantastic bikes, including the MV Agusta Brutale, F4, F3, and Dragster.
Timur Sardarov took control of MV Agusta in 2019 following the departure of two previous owners who had failed to restore the company to its former glory.
7. Gilera
Gilera is one of the oldest Italian motorcycle brands and the oldest Italian motorcycle maker that’s still going strong.
Gilera was founded in Milan in 1909 and is currently owned by the Piaggio corporation.
It all started with the VT 317, the first motorcycle ever produced. Models like the Otto Bulloni and the Saturno appeared shortly after the war’s end.
8. Vespa
Vespa was first introduced in 1946, and its 98cc displacement and timeless design are still going strong today. It’s undeniably an international symbol of Italian style and one of the most well-known goods ever created.
An automatic transmission was introduced to the Vespa engine in 1996, ushering in a new generation of scooters.
A PX with a two-stroke engine, the successor to the original shown in 1977, has returned. It started off as a Piaggio product, but its popularity led to its own brand being established in 2004.
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9. Cagiva
In 1950, two brothers in Varese started a business called Cagiva to specialize in the molding of metal components and started joining the racing world in 1978.
Cagiva officially became part of motorcycling history when the Suzuki 500 competed in the 1978 French Grand Prix. The factory that previously produced Aermacchi and then AMF was taken over and was used for its operations.
The 1980s saw the release of several iconic models, including the 916 and the Monster. The Cagiva Mito SP 525 2009 stands out as one of the sports motorcycles we have seen.
Having an elephant in the logo helped it become known as “the home of the tiny elephant” in international trade.
10. Energica Motor
Energica Motor is a manufacturer that may not have the same level of history as others discussed in this article, but it is still important enough to be cited in our Italian motorcycle brands list.
Energica Motor Company, one of the most promising motorcycle brands from Italy, was founded only in 2014 with the sole purpose of developing high-performance electric motorbikes.
CRP Group, its founder, is active in laser 3D printing and numerical control machining. Energica was able to use this expertise to create its first motorcycle in only six months.
In addition, Energica has recruited a team of F1 veterans to work with them.
This multidisciplinary expertise enables Energica Motor Company to develop three kinds of totally electric motorcycles that are among the most advanced in the world.
Energica Ego, their flagship product, has a whopping 169 hp, weighs 260 kg, and has a wheelbase of 1465 mm. The base model has a maximum speed of 240 km/h, a range of 200 km, and 107 kW of power.