Magni is a well known manufacturer in the motorcycles industry due to its connections with MV Agusta. Arturo Magni began his distinguished career in the Gilera racing division in 1947, working under the guidance of world famous Piero Remor. Remor was the founder of the famous 4-cylinder dual overhead cam Gilera racing motor.
In 1950, Arturo Magni joined the newly formed MV Agusta racing division, where he stayed until MV retired from races in 1977. Under Arturo Magni's management, the team won 75 world championships and over 3,000 races. His record has remained untouched by any other producer in the world ever since. Famous motorcycle racing personalities that rode for MV were John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Provini, Ubbiali, and more recently, Giacomo Agostini with 15 world championships.
After MV retired from races, Arturo Magni and his sons set up a manufacturing facility to produce special versions of production motorcycles. The first motorcycles the Magnis redesigned were the 750 cc and 788 cc MV Sport and MV America road motorcycles. With all of the motoring experience developed over 25 years of racing, Arturo and sons performed complete transformations of the street version MV's including chain drives, new frames, tanks, seats, etc. When complete, a Magni MV looks and sounds very much like a racing MV. A Magni MV is a masterpiece of motorcycle art.
By the early 1980's Arturo Magni Motorcycles expanded into producing Honda 900 cc replicas, that were named MH1 and came without fairings and a completely faired and full featured motorcycle called MH2. About 300 units were produced.
From 1982 to1983 Magni Motorcycles turned to the BMW boxer 1000 cc. motor, for which they designed a brand new frame as well as components. Like the Honda, the motorcycles were produced in two versions to MB1 and MB2, the MB2 featured every imaginable accessory of the time.
Magni motorcycles, driven by market demand, became completely Italian, in 1985 with a long lasting relationship with Moto Guzzi Motorcycles who supplied their engines.
Their new suspension system eliminated the reactions caused by the shaft drive motorcycles. The parallelogram suspension enabled the motorcycle to perform much like a chain drive unit and so from then on, other similar systems were developed by other companies.
In 1987 Magni Motorcycles introduced two new models Classico 1000 and Arturo 1000. These motorcycles featured a retro look with 1970's styling which included spoke wheels, big headlights, exposed motors, and many high-polished parts. The new Magni Motorcycles were a success, meeting the motorcyclist with a product of unique beauty and high quality.
By 1989 Magni motorcycles was able to introduce the Sfida 1000 which was a 1960's styled Italian racing motorcycle and the fuel tanks were made from hand hammered aluminium which was sculpted like the MV Agusta and Gilera racing motorcycles.
In 1998 Magni Motorcycles released two new models, the Sfida 1000 4V with the Moto Guzzi 4-valve motor, their new Australia 98, and the Giappone 52 which was to be a limited edition model commemorating the 20 years of Magni Motorcycle manufacturing as well as also celebrating the 50 years of Fukuda Motor's production who were the official importer of Magni Motorcycles into the Japanese market.
Magni entered the U.S. market in 1998 thanks in part to Commerce Overseas Corporation who Arturo Magni had a relationship with since his MV Agusta days. Back then COC was the importer of the MV750 Sport as well as the MV America models.
Magni Motorcycles are still in production today.
Original Authors: Nicholas
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 05/06/2008