Benelli’s Chinese-built parallel-twin engine may form the basis for a new 500cc version from MV Agusta. Which models will this find its way into? Read on. (Benelli/)In the last few weeks, MV Agusta has unveiled some tasty new models. We’ve recently reported on the Rush and the F3 Rosso, and you’ve just seen our story on the new Brutale 1000 RR. Bikes like these paint a rosy picture for the venerable Italian company that once dominated the GP circuit, winning 270 Grand Prix races and 38 world championships with legends such as Agostini, Hailwood, Read, and Surtees.
But let’s pull that veil back a little further. It’s no secret that MV Agusta was mired in a deep financial swamp from the moment the Cagiva Group and the Castiglioni brothers acquired the brand. While the late Claudio Castiglioni had a deep and genuine love for MV, in the end there was little left but the name.
When Count Rocky Agusta finally agreed to sell the motorcycle division in 1992, times had changed for the worse in Italy. The Cagiva Group could no longer count on the protection of prime minister Bettino Craxi and access to easy credit.
MV Agusta did not make significant money during the Castiglionis’ ownership. This had negative consequences on production quality, after-sale service, and spare parts availability, not to mention research and development. There were partnerships and part ownerships with Proton, Harley-Davidson, and others, but really, this was just a rearrangement of deck chairs.
In its glory days, MV Agusta was the most formidable presence in the Grand Prix paddock. Will MV’s new partnership with China underwrite a return to greatness? (Klaus Nahr / Wikimedia Commons/)But 2019 brought real change as the Sardarov family acquired full control of MV Agusta, investing 150 million euros to bring MV Agusta back in line with an emphasis on quality control. Finally, Timur Sardarov, now CEO of MV Agusta, invested another 30 million euros to fully recapitalize MV Agusta and bail it out of Chapter 11.
About this time, MV Agusta signed a cooperation agreement with Chinese giant Loncin to produce 350–500cc twin-cylinder entry models. However, this particular Italian-Chinese fusion cuisine quickly proved unpalatable. A better arrangement was made with Qjian Jiang, another Chinese firm and the same company that owns Benelli.
Our sources tell us that MV’s technical team is at work on a new 550cc engine based on the Benelli 502. Since the 502 was derived from the Benelli 302, it’s compact and fairly light. While its modest 48 hp output may not scream GP champion, it does provide a reliable and competitive, low-cost path for MV to enter the middleweight market. MV is also evolving its very good 800cc triple into a 950cc unit. Personally, in light of how the 800 triple is designed, I doubt the 950cc engine will share the same crankcase.
In addition, Timur Sardarov has a couple of other goals. He wants to bring Cagiva back into the game as a brand specializing in ebikes, both pedal-assist models and scooters.
Perhaps of greater interest to motorcyclists is Timur’s plan for return of a specific Cagiva model, the Elefant. The Elefant has a huge following worldwide: The original was produced from 1984 to 1998 in a variety of displacements, but for purists the most desirable were those powered by the Ducati Pantah-derived air-cooled desmo V-twin in displacements from 650cc to 900cc. It was an imposing enduro machine, a precursor to our modern adventure bikes, and it remains Cagiva’s most iconic Cagiva model.
Cagiva’s original Elefant was a bike before its time, a precursor to our modern adventure machines. Could a new engine and a new Elefant be on the horizon? (Cycle World archives/)The Elefant name is so strong that it may return as a sort of Cagiva sub-brand. MV’s new 550cc parallel twin could be a solid choice for much of the world, wrapped in an Elefant package. Open-class ADV bikes are so often tall, big, and expensive, and the mid-displacement ADV category is growing. Will the riding public embrace a smaller Elefant? Will MV’s promising 2021 continue? We’ll keep you up to date on all of it.
