MBP Moto announces the acquisition of the historic Pesaro brand Morbidelli

Innovation, craftsmanship, passion, Italian style.

Long-term vision and investments.

“Centro Stile Morbidelli” will rise in Bologna.

Bologna, 18 April 2024. MBP Moto proudly announces the acquisition of the legendary Morbidelli brand. The initiative marks a new chapter in the history of MBP Moto, as well as in that of motorcycle innovation, combining the cutting-edge design and technology of MBP Moto with the extraordinary sporting and image heritage of the Pesaro Morbidelli brand. The merger between the two brands, which leads to the creation of the Morbidelli brand, aims to redefine the contours of motorcycling excellence and fascinate motorcyclists from all over the world.

Innovation, craftsmanship, passion and Italian style are the four pillars on which the new brand was born and which will characterize its products.

Dante Bustos, CMO of Keeway Group: “This acquisition is a testament to MBP Moto's aspiration for excellence in the motorcycle industry. We are thrilled to welcome a historic premium brand like Morbidelli into our family. It will allow us to blend the legacy of racing and Made in Italy craftsmanship with our vision of the future of motorcycling. Our passion for innovation, combined with Morbidelli's rich heritage, will lead to the creation of motorcycles with an unrivaled blend of performance, design and history”.

Morbidelli MBP's slogan “Beyond the Ride” highlights the brand's philosophy of giving motorcyclists an experience: of riding, but above all of travel, in which the road and the motorbike are the bridges that unite people and horizons in the name of passion, adventure and freedom.

The Morbidelli range will consist of road and crossover motorcycles from 125 to 1000 cc, and scooters between 125 and 500 cc. The first launches will initially concern Europe, the United States, and China, and will continue in all the countries where the Keeway Group is present. The product portfolio will also include an initial range of electric motorcycles and scooters starting from the first half of 2025.

Investments and strategy are long-term. “Centro Stile Morbidelli” and a new Research and Development Center will be created in Bologna, to explore new technologies and materials, improving the design, performance and bringing Italian motorcycling excellence to the world, in the name of heritage and passion by Giancarlo Morbidelli.

Giancarlo Morbidelli, the visionary

Giancarlo Morbidelli (1934) was a mechanical genius, a brilliant entrepreneur and a legend of the two wheels. Born in Pesaro, he created a company from scratch for the industrial production of woodworking machine tools, which in the space of just 15 years was so successful that it exported its products all over the world. However, his true passion is motorcycles, particularly racing ones, and being a visionary he manages to build, in a few years and starting from a small workshop located in the company factory, Grand Prix motorcycles. It was 1968 when the Morbidelli brand was born.

The first bike is a 50 cc GP. The first victory dates back to 1971, with Gilberto Parlotti in the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix, on a 125. In 1975 he won the 125 class World Manufacturers’ and Riders’ Championship, with Paolo Pileri in the saddle. Between 1975 and 77 he won a total of 7 world titles, between Riders and Constructors, including that of the 250 class in 1977 with Mario Lega. In 1979 he made his debut in the premier class, with a four-cylinder 500, but without particular success, and in 1982 the activity of the racing department ceased. In 1999 Giancarlo Morbidelli created a museum dedicated to motorcycles in Pesaro which became one of the most important in the world, but it closed its doors the same year Morbidelli passed away, in 2020 at the age of 85.

Brand innovation and legacy

The Morbidelli's represented the state of the art of the competitions in which they took part, winning races and titles. It is from the meeting between the owner Giancarlo and the extraordinary German designer Jörg Möller, who arrived in Pesaro in 1974, that the brand became a point of reference in the innovation of racing motorcycles. “Wizard” of two-stroke engines, Möller studies a 125 and then 250 cc twin-cylinder which allows Morbidelli to write history. It is a heroic, successful and exciting period, which Möller loved to remember like this: “We were four cats but we scratched like tigers, intimidating our opponents, like lions”. The Morbidelli engines designed by Möller mark an entire era and are a source of inspiration for various manufacturers.

After retiring from racing, Giancarlo never stopped chasing his dreams. In 1992 it presented the prototype of the first road Morbidelli, which was also the first 8-cylinder road motorcycle ever presented. It is called, simply, V8, and it is a monument of Italian genius and passion for motorcycling. It is a super-tourer with an 850 cc engine which in design derives from the Cosworth Formula 1 engine, to be produced in a limited series of 12 pieces per year. The line is signed by Pininfarina. The definitive version appears in 1994, and is the most expensive motorcycle in the world. It will be produced in a few examples.

About MBP Moto

MBP Moto was founded in 2021 by Keeway Group and stands at the forefront of motorcycle innovation, dedicated to crafting the future of riding with advanced technology, groundbreaking design, and a passion for the open road. At EICMA 2022 and 2023 editions, MBP Moto unveiled a lineup of prototypes that redefined motorcycle design, instantly captivating the global motorcycling community. Their innovative and striking designs at these showcases marked MBP Moto as a trailblazer, generating widespread acclaim and setting new industry standards. With each presentation, MBP Moto solidified its reputation as the future of motorcycling, eagerly watched by enthusiasts and experts alike.

About Keeway Group

Keeway Group has a portfolio of companies and vehicle brands in more than 100 countries, including Keeway Motorcycles, founded in Hungary in 1999, and MBP Moto. As a shareholder and global distributor of Benelli and other companies dedicated to the design and development of scooters, motorcycles, bicycles, electric bicycles and electric vehicles, the Keeway Group is a multinational company with operations in Italy, Spain, Hungary, Germany, United States and China, which currently sells over 500,000 vehicles worldwide.