The medium displacement motorcycle segment is where the biggest chunk of future business lies and every top two wheeler brand in the world knows this. With biggies like Triumph, Harley, BMW, Husqvarna, etc., either already entered or in the verge of entering this segment, MV Agusta has decided to follow suit.
The Italian maker of swanky premium sportsbikes has announced a partnership with Loncin Motor Company of China to develop and manufacture a range of 350 to 500 cc motorcycles. The products in question will be designed and engineered by MV Agusta while its Chinese partner will be in charge of manufacturing it in a cost effective manner and export to international markets with focus on south east Asian nations.
No technical specifications are released and it is not clear whether the compact motorcycles will be developed from scratch or will have the existing Loncin platforms as a starting point.
If MV Agusta decides to develop a family of medium displacement sportsbikes on its own, we expect the new products to sport trellis frame, top notch suspension and running gear. It is reasonable to assume that the upcoming motorcycles will become the most affordable versions of Brutale (naked street fighter), F series (supersports) and Turismo Veloce (Sports tourer) nameplates.
In addition to manufacturing the new entry level MV Agusta motorcycles, Loncin Motor Co. will also employ its Italian partner’s expertise to develop its own range of 800 cc models and market it under its new premium brand, Voge. Voge will focus primarily on creating a niche for itself in the Chinese sportsbike segment.
First of the new compact MV Agusta sportsbikes is expected to be ready by 2021. We hope the company decides to give us a little preview in the form of a concept at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan this year or next.
With premium motorcycles of all sizes, shapes and price points arriving in India of late, we don’t see why MV Agusta won’t launch their upcoming products here. The brand is currently represented in India by Kinetic Group’s Motoroyale outlets. How nice would it be if Ducati and Aprilia too come up with a similar plan!
