From Arturo's dream to the roads of the world: how Magni reinvented the handcrafted motorcycle

Craftsmanship, technique, and heart. Magni is one of Italy’s longest-standing artisanal motorcycle manufacturers.

Behind this brand is Arturo Magni, the man who turned the know-how of the world’s most successful pit boxes into unique road bikes, hand-built one at a time. In every model runs the invisible thread that ties racing glory to the gears of everyday life on two wheels.

Arturo Magni was born in 1925 in Usmate Velate, near Milan. As a child, he loved making model airplanes and gliders. He initially worked in the aeronautical sector. In 1947 he entered the motorcycle world with Gilera, contributing to the assembly of the Grand Prix four-cylinder engine that would lead the company to six world titles in the 500 class.

In 1950 Count Domenico Agusta called Magni to MV Agusta’s racing department, where he became chief mechanic and later Sporting Director. There he worked with riders such as Giacomo Agostini, John Surtees, and Mike Hailwood, amassing world titles in succession for both riders and manufacturers. When MV Agusta withdrew from competition in 1976, Magni did not stop dreaming.

In 1977 Arturo Magni founded Magni Moto together with his sons, turning decades of experience into a small artisanal enterprise. The goal wasn’t to race, but to transfer racing culture into limited-series motorcycles: frames in chrome-molybdenum steel tubing, TIG welding, geometries designed for sporty riding, and advanced technical solutions.

The company’s first steps involved kits and modifications for MV Agusta: shaft-to-chain conversions, displacement increases, upgraded suspensions and frames. In this way, Magni made it possible to restore historic bikes or build racing replicas, keeping the original engine while improving chassis and handling.

In the 1980s Magni Moto made the big leap. The first complete motorcycles were born, initially with Honda CB900F engines. The MH1 and MH2, respectively without and with a fairing, marked the start of an exclusive artisanal production limited to a few hundred units.

Models based on BMW boxer engines followed, and from 1985 onward, Moto Guzzi— a choice that reinforced the motorcycles’ “fully Italian” identity. During this period Magni developed the famed parallelogram, a rear suspension that cancels out the reactions of shaft drive, making the ride similar to that of a chain-driven bike: a small masterpiece of engineering applied to the road.

Years later came models like the LeMans, Classico 1000, Arturo 1000, Sfida, and Australia, all distinguished by clean lines, artisanal details, and sport-bike performance. The focus on chassis, suspensions, and frames remained Magni’s signature. Over the years Magni Moto continued to create true gems, among them the Experience, a racing special entered out of classification at the Bol d’Or Classic, and “Filo Rosso,” a highly acclaimed prototype powered by an 800cc MV Agusta three-cylinder.