Bikes Morbidelli

Morbidelli Motorcycles was founded by Giancarlo Morbidelli and was an Italian manufacturer of motorcycles in Pesaro, Italy.

Morbidelli began as a simple woodworking shop which built furniture as well as wooden coach bodies for several different automobiles. As Morbidelli's business grew over time to have almost 300 employees, Morbidelli's true passion was located in both motorcycles and motorcycle racing. Morbidelli utilised the woodworking business in order to finance his interests in motorcycle racing.

In 1969, Giancarlo Morbidelli entered a team in the Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing World Championships, which is commonly referred to as the Moto GP circuit, with a small 50 cc motorcycle. Morbidelli later would commission the design and building of a water-cooled 125 cc two-stroke which was based on the design of Rhingini. Giancarlo Morbidelli's team won two different 125 cc Moto GP races with their Italian rider Gilberto Parlotti early on in the 1972 season but later, Parlotti was tragically killed during that year's Isle of Man TT race.

In despite of the recent death of their rider, Parlotti, Morbidelli Motorcycles forged their way forward in their racing efforts over the coming years. By 1974 Jorg Muller, who was previously an engineer for Van Veen Kreidler, was given the opportunity to take over Morbidelli Motorcycle's research and development and for his contributions to Morbidelli in 1975, he was gratefully rewarded for his efforts with his very own first World Championship when Paolo Pileri, who raced a motorcycle of his design, won the 125 cc division crown. Paolo Pileri's Morbidelli team-mate who was Pier Paolo Bianchi was also able to finish in second place. The following year, Pileri would once again repeat his win as the 1976 125 cc champion. But it was to be the 1977 Moto GP season that would mark the apex of Morbidelli Motorcycle's accomplishments when their team won not only the 125 cc division but the 250 division as well.

Only Morbidelli's racing team members had Morbidelli Motorcycles, as none at that time was available to the public for other private racers to use, but by the end of 1978, a new manufacturing facility was erected with a little help from Benelli and in thanks to his help and efforts, the new factory was called the MBA factory, which stood for Morbidelli-Benelli-Armi, so that the company could start production of Morbidelli motorcycles in a high enough quantity to allow for resale to both other Moto GP racers and to the general public, but by 1980, Morbidelli Motorcycles would end their Moto GP career for ever.

Although Morbidelli Motorcycles no longer produces their motorcycles, their old factory has been converted into a museum which is used to showcase the rich Moto GP heritage of the Morbidelli motocycles.