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Timur Sardarov

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Big news today regarding Pierer Mobility (the parent company to KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas) and MV Agusta, as the Austrian company is set to take a 25.1% ownership stake in the Italian manufacturer.

The news comes just a couple weeks after it was announced that KTM North America would takeover distribution of MV Agusta's motorcycles in the United States, and quells rumors that have been circling about KTM's interest in the Varese brand.







Through a terse press release, the two companies have released few details on their strategic alliance, but it does seem that the ownership stake in MV Agusta comes with a lifeline of capital to keep Italian factory churning out exotic sport bikes.

The press release also explains that Pierer Mobility will takeover the supply chain and purchasing for MV Agusta, and that KTM et al will handle distribution for MV Agusta in certain unnamed markets - like what has already been announced in the USA.

Source: MV Agusta







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Before there was an Asphalt & Rubber, I spent some time working for the United Nations, prosecuting war criminals from the Balkan and Rwandan conflicts. These we massively devastating events, where neighbors found ways to dehumanize each other and through that process, commit acts that rose to the level of genocide and crimes against humanity.

While those crimes unfolded, the world stood by and watched, and in the case of the massacre done in Srebrenica, forces of good were forced to stand idly by and watch evil perpetrated right in front of them.

My work then at The Hague was part of an effort to correct the wrongs of indifferent nations, who suffered the guilt of not doing more – not interceding, largely because their toolbox of remedies was so limited and complicated at the time.

For the past weeks, I have found myself watching once again as neighbors attack neighbors, and heinous acts are perpetrated against the innocent. It is as deeply troubling this time around as it was before, but it is also different.

The past few days have seen a new front against evil emerge, one that spans outside the realm of politics and non-governmental organizations. In Thomas Friedman’s flat world, economics and business have just as much influence as armies and politicians.

Companies that are willing to draw a line in the sand between profits and people are showing that they can influence the world in new ways, and that we have shared goals of prospering together. This is a new kind of modern warfare.

So, it is warming to see that those in the motorcycle industry who have a voice and influence over the events surrounding them are using that platform, and I am sincerely thankful to see in my inbox today the following open letter from MV Agusta CEO Timur Sardarov, himself a Russian national.

Interesting news from MV Agusta, as the Italian brand has launched a new design studio in the Principality of Monaco, which will operate in addition to the Castiglioni Research Center that is San Marino.

The Monaco Design Studio is an off-shoot of the MV Agusta dealership in Monte-Carlo, which is run by notable Italian motorcycle racer Virginio Ferrari.

The purpose of the Monaco Design Studio is to cater to the über-wealthy that call the principality home, providing them with a boutique and bespoke customizing experience in direct relationship with the Italian factory.

A bit of a shakeup coming from Italy this week, as we get news that Adrian Morton will no longer be MV Agusta’s Design Director – working out of the Castiglioni Research Center (CRC) in Rimini, Italy.

Ending 20 years of work at the Italian brand, the news is surely to come as a disappointment for fans of MV Agusta, as Morton was the man behind the styling of the MV Agusta three-cylinder lineup, including the highly regarded F3 supersport and Brutale naked motorcycles.

Morton was also responsible for the Turismo Veloce, Rivale, RVS #1, and most recently the Superveloce 800, Brutale 1000, and Rush 1000. He is also known as the man behind the lust-worthy designs of the Benelli Tornado and Benelli TnT motorcycles.

Perhaps the most lurid motorcycle we saw at the 2019 EICMA show, the MV Agusta Rush 1000 is truly a bike that stands out from the crowd. Designed with what MV Agusta calls a “drag racing” aesthetic, the Rush 1000 takes the already gorgeous Brutale 1000 RR streetfighter, and dials it up to 11.

On the technical side, MV Agusta hasn’t distinguished the Rush 1000 too much from the Brutale 1000 – they both share a 205hp inline-four engine (209hp with the kit exhaust, which surely one would install for the full “Rush” effect), which is pulled straight out of the MV Agusta F4 RC superbike.

Got big plans for the weekend? Of course you don’t, you’re stuck inside like the rest of us. But, we can help with that and ease your motorcycle cravings at the same time.

On Saturday, April 25th at 11am PST / 8pm CEST, Asphalt & Rubber will be sitting down with MV Agusta CEO Timur Sardarov for a live chat on YouTube, and you can join us.

I have some questions of my own for Timur, but we want to make the show interactive, so we will be taking questions from the audience as well.

While much of the talk in the motorcycle industry right now is what factories are closing, and how to recover from the devastation the coronavirus is having on the world economy, one motorcycle brand is taking a different tack.

MV Agusta has announced today that it has decided to keep its factory open in Varese, despite the Lombardy region being one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak in Italy.

The Italian brand says it has come to this decision in agreement with its workers’ representatives, and that the factory will operate in full compliance with Italian restrictions and quarantines concerning the health epidemic.

It has been a curious thing to see the European press beginning to make hay of the news that MV Agusta has filed trademark renewals for the Elefant name.

Some publications have even gone on to suggest that the move could see the Varesini factory come to blows with its rival in Bologna: Ducati Motor Holdings.

These reports, while interesting to anyone who studies the flow of information in modern journalism, are a bit ridiculous in their reality…for several reasons.

In an exclusive interview with Asphalt & Rubber, MV Agusta CEO Timur Sardarov has revealed that the Italian motorcycle marque will release a lineup of 350cc twin-cylinder motorcycles.

The bikes will continue MV Agusta’s position as a premium motorcycle brand, but offer more opportunities for riders, not only in the Western markets, but in countries where smaller displacement motorcycles prevail.

“MV Agusta is entering the biggest relevant market in the world, which is 350c to 500cc,” Timur Sardarov revealed to Asphalt & Rubber