MV Agusta partners with Chinese brand to develop small-capacity motorcycles

MV Agusta has partnered with the Chinese industrial giant, Loncin Motors Co. to develop new smaller capacity motorcycles in the 350cc-500cc range. The Italian brand will be designing and developing four motorcycles which Loncin will manufacture for China and other Asian markets. The first model from this partnership is likely to hit the market by end of 2021.

Though, as per the agreement, MV Agusta will be completely designing these motorcycles, it is not clear of these motorcycles will be based on Loncin’s existing platform or will have new engine and chassis. However, MV Agusta has announced that these small capacity motorcycles will retain the styling, sound and dynamics from the existing range of bikes.

These small displacement motorcycles will be sold via MV Agusta’s existing dealership network. However, the countries that would receive these bikes are not announced yet.

This partnership will not be limited to smaller capacity motorcycles. Through this partnership, MV Agusta will also develop new 800cc motorcycles for VOGE, Loncin’s premium motorcycle brand.

On the announcement of this partnership, Timur Sardarov, CEO, MV Agusta Motor said, “This strategic alliance is an important step to consolidate our vision for the future of MV Agusta. Our target is to reaffirm our leadership in the production of upper-premium motorcycles, while also enlarging our customer base by offering a broader range of products without compromising our distinctive design and performance. We are looking forward to grow with the right partners and the right products, making sure that our clients enjoy the larger choice of models, all of which share the same DNA and MV Agusta pedigree.”

MV Agusta joins the likes of Triumph Motorcycles India, Harley-Davidson and BMW Motorrad, partnering with Asian manufacturers to develop motorcycles and expand their reach across countries. The Italian bikemaker has been amongst the most exclusive brands in the world has finally opened-up to the idea of developing smaller capacity motorcycles. It’ll be interesting to see how the Loncin and MV Agusta partnership fares in the long term.