‘My father can only be defined as crazy’ — Giovanni Castiglioni

Two weeks ago Claudio Castiglioni passed away after a long battle with illness. The man responsible for launching Cagiva motorcycles, reviving Ducati and bringing MV Agusta back to life, Claudio had an unassailable impact on the modern two-wheeled landscape, but was nevertheless controversial; all the above companies appeared to ride a financial roller coaster while he was at the helm. Now, his son, MV CEO Giovanni Castiglioni, speaks about his dad in this open letter. — Ed. :continue:

Wes Siler. September 8th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (12)

17 extraordinary images of the MV Agusta F4 Serie Oro

After the MV Agusta Brutale 675 spy shot turned up yesterday, we went browsing in the company’s media database to find out if, perhaps, it was one of those officially distributed “spy” shots that are all the rage right now. We couldn’t find any more images of that new bike, but our sleuthing did turn up an uncataloged photo cache on the original modern MV, the F4 Serie Oro. Here those images are, 2500px wide so you can save wallpapers.

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Wes Siler. September 1st, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (27)

This is the MV Agusta Brutale 675

This is the first image of the MV Agusta Brutale 675 — a naked F3 — snapped by Motociclismo.it as the new model undergoes validation testing. What do we see? The same three-exit exhaust, frame, brakes and suspension as its faired sibling and bodywork very similar to that of the larger MV Agusta Brutale 990R that we reviewed in February. MV’s CEO, Giovanni Castiglioni, told us this baby Brutale will be, “priced below €9,000,” or exactly the same as a Triumph Street Triple R and specs leaked in March suggest the triple will be detuned from the F3’s 140bhp to a less peaky 120bhp. The Brutale 675 will enter production in February, 2012.

Wes Siler. August 31st, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (32)

Claudio Castiglioni’s legacy: a counterpoint

News of the recent death of Claudio Castiglioni has made the rounds in the motorcycle community, which has been quick to offer sympathy and heap praise on a man seen by some as a visionary. Certainly many of the fruits that came from the companies controlled by Castiglioni (pictured, center) became some of the most desirable motorcycles of the modern era, indeed of all time. But calls in various online publications, including this one, that seem to hail the man at the helm of the Cagiva/MV empire as a kind of extraordinary genius are naive. I do not wish to demean the brilliance and passion that created the F4, Brutale, Monster or 916; in fact I love those motorcycles and personally aspire to own them all. I also don’t wish to speak ill of a deceased man who is undoubtedly worthy of praise. But to blindly heap accolades regarding his business acumen or boast of his accomplishments in industry without also including some of the significant failures of the companies he led is shallow and disrespectful not only to his legacy, but to the hard work and hard times of those who worked for him.

Photo: John Gulliver

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Michael Uhlarik. August 19th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (21)

A visual tribute to Claudio Castiglioni

Last November, we reached out to our friends at MV Agusta to find out who the designer of the then just-unveiled F3 was and arrange an interview with him/her. In response, we were told, “The CRC Team, captained by Claudio Castiglioni, designed the new F3.” At the time, we just assumed that was a nice bit of stonewalling/grand standing from an ego too big to share a spotlight created by a stunning new bike. But, looking back on it now, how far is that from the truth? Without him, we wouldn’t have had a 916, a Monster, an F4 or a Brutale, much less that new 675cc triple. Without Claudio, Doug Polen wouldn’t have won the World Superbike Championship and John Kocinski wouldn’t have won a Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. Without him, motorcycles would be very different than they are today. Here’s why. :continue:

Wes Siler. August 17th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (10)

Claudio Castiglioni 1947-2011

Founder of Cagiva, former owner of Ducati and the man who revived MV Agusta, Claudio Castiglioni passed away in Varese this morning after battling an unspecified illness. Responsible for bringing two of the most beautiful motorcycles ever — the Ducati 916 and MV Agusta F4 — to market, Castiglioni was viewed both as a savior and an incredibly cunning businessman. His most recent triumph came just last year, when Harley-Davidson paid him €20 million to take MV Agusta off their hands two years after he’d sold it to them for €70 million. The deal made possible the two greatest MVs ever, the current F4 and Brutale, as well as the new MV Agusta F3. When the lightest, most sophisticated supersport motorcycle ever goes on sale later this year, it’ll serve as a fitting remembrance for one of the most passionate men in motorcycling.

Grant Ray. August 17th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (18)

MV Agusta F3 Serie Oro, minus the photobombing random dudes

MV Agusta just released two official images of the 2012 MV Agusta F3 Serie Oro. That swingarm that Wes was hoping was magnesium? Nah, it’s just paint, silly. And those wheels that Wes also hoped were magnesium? Yeah, also paint. They’re actually forged aluminum wheels. Wait, so why is this thing expected to cost €24,900? Well, it does have a TTX shock and steering damper, radial Monobloc Brembo calipers, “Racing” discs, fully-adjustable Öhlins suspension, tig-wiedled chassis and subframe, plus fully adjustable rearsets and levers “carved from solid.” Ooh, carved from solid what? Hm, that part must’ve been left off.

Update: eight more images. :continue:

Grant Ray. July 14th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (26)

The first 200 MV Agusta F3s will look like this

These are the first ever images of the MV Agusta F3 Serie Oro, a special edition of the all new middleweight that will be available ahead the “base” model late this year. Where the regular MV Agusta F3 will cost just €11,500, this Serie Oro more than doubles that to €24,900. Justifying that premium will be top-drawer Ohlins suspension, Brembo Monobloc brake calipers, carbon fiber body panels, carbon exhaust tips and what appear to be magnesium wheels and swingarm pivot. :continue:

Wes Siler. July 13th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (32)

Caravaning, MV Agusta style

Aah, holidays are here again! Time to get your hypersports ready and packed, while you’re dreaming weeks in advance of horizons to explore. Still, during your count-down to the holidays, you’re haunted by the annual nightmares and sleepless nights. Because where on earth do you leave your waterproofs and U lock?! How do you bring a tuxedo for that gala in Saint-Tropez? How do you create your own Hospitality Unit at the Laguna Seca GP to welcome Brad Pitt, Jenna Jameson & Co.? How to bring home some nice souvenirs, like that ebony, hand carved giraffe? Or how to impress your future ex-mother-in-law by serving her a cup of home made fresh coffee on her camping site?

Photos: Henry B. Stern :continue:

Joost Overzee. June 29th, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (36)

Video: MV Agusta F3 on track

French magazine Moto-Station has captured video of the prototype MV Agusta F3 testing at Circuit des Ecuyers in France. The 675cc, three-cylinder proprietary engine in the F3 makes 140bhp and uses a counter-rotating crank to reduce the influence of reciprocating mass on handling. And handling should be the €11,500 MV’s forte when it goes on sale this fall, as you can see in this video it’s radically small, even for a supersport. :continue:

Wes Siler. June 22nd, 2011 - Permalink - Comments (19)

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