Last month’s massive EICMA show in Milan saw the revived Norton and BSA present some new motorcycles under their new Indian owners, but forget about these iconic classic British motorbike brands for a moment, because some of the great names from Italian motorcycling history are on the comeback trail too.
We think 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year Italian motorcycling. Ducati is looking forward to its centenary, with more model unveilings imminent and a massive celebration due at World Ducati Week in July. Moto Guzzi is arguably just as grand, five years on from celebrating its own (Covid-interrupted) centenary in 2021 and scooter kings Vespa will mark a 70th anniversary in 2026, too. Meanwhile Aprilia and Ducati go into the 2026 MotoGP season as big favourites, with their race bikes considered by far and away the best around, and Ducati also favourites going into the World Superbike championship.
But as the recent EICMA and NEC shows proved, they’re now also joined by the likes of reborn, reinvented Bimota, Moto Morini and Morbidelli whose provenance is more, well, murky.
So, what classic Italian motorcycle brands are on sale in the UK in 2026? What are their stories and what do they offer? Here’s our pick (in reverse order) of the 10 biggest and best…
10. Morbidelli
Although a familiar, famous motorcycling name, in truth Morbidelli doesn’t go back as far – nor have they produced as many bikes – as many think. It was founded by Giancarlo Morbidelli in Pesaro in 1959, as a woodworking firm which entered motorcycle racing in 1969. It won the 125cc Grand Prix world crown in 1975, 1976 and 1977, moved into 250s (most famously with Valentino Rossi’s dad, Graziano) then merged with Benelli to become MBA.
In 1987 Morbidelli was acquired by the SCM group who, in 1994 showed off a still born but sensational V8 roadster. The Morbidelli name then resurfaced in 2025, first with a V-twin cruiser then a similarly powered adventure bike. The story here is that, in 2021, a new brand called MBP was set up in 2021 by Keeway, the export arm of Qianjiang Motorcycle Group, one of China’s largest motorcycle manufacturers which has also owned Benelli since 2005.
Its first bike was the C1002V 1000cc V-twin cruiser as designed at Keeway’s design centre in Benelli/Morbidelli’s historic home of Pesaro, Italy, developed in Germany and Spain and built in China, and was unveiled in 2024. Following the death of Giancarlo Morbidelli, MBP bought the rights to the name and rebadged the MBP C1002V as the Morbidelli C1002V. Its second model, the adventure style T1002V, was launched early 2025 and we have a full review of that model on our website.
9. Italjet
Italjet is another famous Italian motorcycle brand that was originally founded around 1960 and has recently returned to prominence. In truth, it has been largely dormant for most of the intervening years. Originally founded by racer Leopoldo Tartarini, Italjet had reasonable success in the 1960s before gaining most fame in the UK in the 1970s for a series of small, wheeled kids off-roaders and (later) for their trials bikes.
A mid-1980s collapse was followed by a first revival in 1988, highlighted by a hub-centre steered sports scooter, the Dragster, which went on to become a cult classic. Now under the control of Tartarini’s son Massimo, Italjet was relaunched again in 2019. It’s focused on a new, larger capacity Dragster with the still quirky but more traditional styled Roadster 400 unveiled at EICMA.
8. Moto Morini
Another famous Italian brand that’s now owned and built in China. Moto Morini was founded in Bologna in 1937 by Alfonso Morini, initially producing three-wheelers before releasing its first motorcycle in 1946. Racing success in the smaller classes fuelled reasonable fortunes up to the 1970s when it became best known for its widely admired 3 ½ (350) and later 500 V-twins.
The company’s collapse in the early 1980s led to it coming under Cagiva control in 1987 and a period of dormancy. However, in April 1999, the naming rights were purchased by Morini Franco Motori SPA, a company founded by Morini’s nephew in 1954, in turn leading to a relaunch in 2005 with a series of impressive large capacity V-twins including the Corsaro.
That company again went into liquidation in late 2010 and the brand was sold to the Chinese Zongshen group in 2018. A series of new 650cc and above machines began being designed in Italy soon after. They are assembled in China, often using engines from the likes of CFMoto, with a new V-twin 3 ½ and 1200 Corsaro imminent.
7. Benelli
Benelli is now another Chinese-owned Italian heritage brand but is also one of the longest established. It is owned by the vast Qianjiang Motorcycle, which in turn has been part of the enormous Geely Group (which also owns Volvo and Lotus) since 2005. Benelli’s heritage, however, goes back much farther.
Initially founded in Pesaro, Italy, by the six Benelli brothers way back in 1911 it's arguably the oldest and most storied Italian motorcycle brand of all. Although successful in the early years, in the late 1960s Benelli went into decline. That led to a takeover by De Tomaso in 1971, in turn leading to the spectacular but flawed 750 Sei six-cylinder.
After a period of dormancy, the brand was bought by wealthy industrialist Andrea Merloni in 1995, which saw the launch of the 900cc three-cylinder Tornado Tre family of machines from 2002. More financial difficulties, however, led to Merloni’s sale to Qianjiang in 2005. Since then, its Italian designed, Chinese built, machines have proved increasingly successful. Its TRK502 adventure bike was Italy’s most popular model in 2020 and more new models were unveiled at EICMA last month.
https://www.benelli.com/int-en
6. Bimota
High-end, sports-focussed, technologically innovative Bimota (now marketed as ‘bimota’), although only created as recently as 1973, is also one of the most tumultuous and collapse-prone classic Italian motorcycle brands of all, so it’s probably for the best that it’s now under the control of Japanese giants Kawasaki.
It was founded by Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri, and Massimo Tamburini, whose surnames formed the company's name and, after starting with a custom frame kit for the Honda CB750 (known as the HB1) in 1974, it found credible success through the late 1970s and ‘80s with premium road sports machines using Japanese engines in bespoke frames (initially tubular steel then, pioneeringly, with aluminium twin spar designs) such as, for example, the Yamaha FZ750 powered YB4 which almost won the inaugural world superbike championship.
Increasingly fine-handling Japanese models in the 1990s reduced Bimota’s premium appeal, while ambitious projects such as the hub-centre Tesi and two-stroke V-Due were flops. They crippled finances and contributed to bankruptcy in 2000. Several attempted revivals followed and led to Kawasaki buying a stake in 2019. They’ve since taken majority control, which leads us to today’s series of Kawasaki powered bikes, including the ZX-10R powered KB988 Rimini which provides the basis for Kawasaki’s factory world superbike effort.
5. MV Agusta
MV Agusta is probably the most historic, successful and spectacular of all classic Italian motorcycle brands – or at least it was up to the mid-to-late 1970s. Originally an aircraft company founded by Count Domenico Agusta, motorcycle production began post-WW2 and in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s its range-topping three and four-cylinder bikes dominated GP racing and were the most desirable (and expensive) of all street bikes.
However, MV won its last GP in 1976 and sold its last bike in 1980. Presumed dead forever, in 1991 Claudio Castiglioni’s Cagiva bought the rights to the brand and, following its sale of Ducati in 1996, turned to reviving MV Agusta with help from 916 designer Massimo Tamburini.
The 1998 MV Agusta 750 F1, with its completely new four-cylinder engine co-designed by Ferrari, was the result and was glorious, yet due to delays and production difficulties never quite lived up to its promise. Despite further models, the same could be said of revived MV, leading to repeated sales, takeovers and reorganisations, being owned at various points by Harley-Davidson and KTM. MV Agusta lives on to this day, still made in Italy but now under control of the Sardarov family.
https://www.mvagusta.com/gb/en
4. Moto Guzzi
Moto Guzzi, originally founded in 1921, is most famous for its 1950s V8 racer and the 1970s Le Mans. And with a historic, fairytale home on the beautiful banks of Lake Como it is probably the most classic Italian motorcycle brand of all – not least for remaining in Italian ownership to this day.
But Moto Guzzi’s path to greatness has not always run smoothly. It was conceived by two WW1 aircraft pilots and their mechanic: Giorgio Parodi, Giovanni Ravelli and Carlo Guzzi, although Ravelli died in an accident at the war’s end, and is commemorated by the eagle's wings that form the company’s logo. Success up to the 1960s was followed by a new series of transverse V-twins, which remain Guzzi’s signature design to this day.
Although models like the Le Mans and California were successful, in the 1980s and 1990s Guzzi floundered and led to its takeover by Aprilia in 2000, which in turn was taken over by Piaggio in late 2004. Since then, its fortunes have stabilized with its ‘small block’ V7 roadster proving popular and its all-new V100, launched to coincide with its centenary, again competitive with Europe’s best.
3. Aprilia
Although not as historic or ‘classic’ as some, Aprilia, especially since the 1990s, has risen to be one of the most respected Italian motorcycle brands of all. In true Italian style, it’s built its reputation on the racetrack and today remains among the front runners in MotoGP. Its road bikes are also some of the most impressive sports bikes currently available. Reassuringly, like sister brand Moto Guzzi, it also remains under Italian ownership.
Aprilia was founded by Alberto Beggio in Noale, Italy, after World War II in 1945 as a bicycle factory before transitioning into small capacity motorcycles under Beggio’s son, Ivano, from 1968. Up to 1994 it focused on ever more sophisticated, sporting and popular sub 125s, like the iconic AF1, and was the brand to beat in the final years of 125 and 250cc Grand Prix racing.
However, in 1998, ambitious Beggio targeted Honda and Ducati with a new 1000cc V-twin family. Not long after, Aprilia bought Moto Guzzi and launched a MotoGP programme before, overstretched, it collapsed and was bought by Piaggio. Since then, its growth and ambitions have been less spectacular, but its road bikes remain technological tour-de-forces and its revived MotoGP programme, in particular, is the main challenger to Ducati’s dominance.
https://www.aprilia.com/gb_EN/
2. Vespa
Ok, we’re talking mostly about classic Italian motorcycle brands here, but we couldn’t complete any round-up of Italian powered two-wheelers without a mention of the greatest Italian scooter brand of all – Vespa.
Initially an individual model launched by Piaggio in 1946, the Vespa (Italian for wasp, incidentally) proved such a success as affordable, practical post-war, transport it spawned a whole brand, not to mention countless scooter imitators such as Lambretta – which is in itself enjoying a revival under Swiss ownership.
The original small wheeled, 98cc two-stroke was the brainchild of Corradino D’Ascanio and was such a success it was followed within a year by a 125cc model. Not just a practical, commuter machine, the Vespa’s style also became a cultural icon, linked particularly with UK ‘Mods’ helping make the United Kingdom Vespa’s second largest global market.
By the time of its 50th anniversary in 1996, over 15 million Vespas had been sold. Today it remains a cornerstone of Piaggio’s business and is a major contributor to the group’s place as Europe’s largest powered two-wheeler manufacturer.
1. Ducati
From humble beginnings Ducati has grown into being not only the definitive classic Italian motorcycle brand but also one of Italy’s largest motorcycle manufacturers, with annual sales of over 60,000 generating over €1billion in revenue, a line-up of sporting machines generally considered the most desirable in motorcycling and powering multiple MotoGP and WorldSBK champions to their titles. What’s more, in 2026 it celebrates its centenary.
But it wasn’t always that way. It was launched in 1926 as an electricals manufacturer and only produced its first motorcycle in 1944. Ducati’s early years saw them specialize in humble small machines, which were ideal for the post war years.
That changed in the 1960s with its first, larger ‘desmodromic’ singles, then particularly after 1973 with its first ‘desmo’ V-twin superbike, the 750 Supersport, which established the marque as one of the most desirable and exotic sports bike manufacturers. A decline in the 1980s led to a takeover by Cagiva, who revived the marque with the 851 superbike, Monster and stunning 916, one of the most iconic motorbikes of all time.
Dominance in the new Superbike World Championship helped to reestablish the brand and, after a period of ownership by Texas Pacific Group, in 2012 Ducati was sold to Audi. The German car manufacturer has further developed Ducati as the most prestigious and successful classic Italian motorcycle marque of all.
Words: Phil West
Photos: EICMA/Morbidelli
