From Darkness to Rebirth: The Story of Borile, the Artisan Who Builds One-of-a-Kind Motorcycles by Hand

Umberto Borile is one of the last great artisans of Italian motorcycling. Born in 1952, he became famous for his ability to build motorcycles entirely by hand, with ultra-light frames, modern technology, and classic design.

In 1987 he founded Borile Motociclette in Vo’ Euganeo, a small village in the Euganean Hills. The first motorcycle was the Piuma 500, the world’s first hand-built enduro, featuring a chrome-moly perimeter frame and handlebar-adjustable air suspensions. It weighed just 101 kg: a record! Among the iconic models was also the B 500CR, a café racer unveiled at EICMA 1999. Its standout feature was the extensive use of aluminum: every component was handmade, with many parts machined from solid light alloy and then hand-polished.

In 2010 the company structure changed with the entry of the Bassi family and the creation of Umberto Borile & Co. During that period the Multiuso (125 and 230cc) was introduced, a bike that sparked debate for being so essential and lightweight. The following year brought two heavy hitters: the B450 Scrambler and the B500 Ricki, an aluminum special built in just 20 units. In 2015 the range expanded again with the B300CR and the Bastard, a retro-flavored café racer.

After the passing of Carlo Bassi, the brand went through a dark period. Between missing industrial plans and acquisition attempts that went nowhere, series production had practically come to a halt.

The turning point came in 2017 from the meeting between Umberto and Massimo Fracassi, a business consultant and, above all, a true enthusiast. They decided to join forces to pick up the interrupted thread and relaunch Borile. Today the company is back in operation, based in Spoleto, to keep doing what Umberto does best: building motorcycles that look like no others.

In recent years the Borile MDV 300 has achieved great success, a handcrafted enduro that combines 1970s retro charm with extreme lightness, weighing just 114 kg. Produced since 2018, the Borile MDV 300 is powered by a 299 cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine of Chinese origin (Loncin), with a single overhead cam and 4 valves. The bike features styling inspired by the motorcycles of the 1970s, with carefully crafted artisanal solutions such as the hand-hammered aluminum fuel tank, which is particularly appreciated.