It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Ivano Beggio, the founder of Aprilia, who passed away during the early hours of Tuesday, March 13th. Beggio was 73 years of age, at the time of his passing.

Getting his start in his father’s bicycle shop in post-WWII Italy, Beggio innovated Aprilia from a simple bicycle company into one that sold motorcycles and scooters.

In 1975, Beggio started a small racing team, which quickly rose to success, winning the 125cc and 250cc Italian Motocross Championships in 1977.

From these pursuits, Aprilia became one of the largest motorcycle brands in Italy, entering the large-displacement market in 1998 with the RSV Mille superbike, and its racing pursuits have involved some of the biggest names ever in the sport.