Italian Marque Morbidelli Could Soon Be Making A Comeback

It seems that the historic Italian brand is returning under Chinese ownership.

By: Enrico Punsalang

Jan 11, 2023 at 8:41pm ET

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Recent years have brought about the revival of multiple European motorcycle brands, notably through the help of Asian manufacturers. Benelli, for example, once again hit the spotlight following Qianjiang's acquisition of the company. Smaller brands like Bristol Motorcycles have also made comebacks in certain markets.

Now, yet another brand seems to be reemerging from the ashes thanks to help from Qianjiang, one of the biggest names in the motorcycle industry in China, and that's Morbidelli. Qianjiang is indeed the most prominent manufacturer to come out of China, with brands like Benelli, Keeway, and QJ Motor in its control. At EICMA 2022, Qianjiang unveiled yet another motorcycle brand in the form of MBP. Now, it's speculated that the brand could soon be using the more popular Morbidelli name in order to give it a more authentic look and feel.

Morbidelli Motorcycles rose to prominence in the 1970s in the world of racing. Giancarlo Morbidelli, the company's founder, entered his bikes in the 125, 250, 350, and 500 classes of the world speed championship, taking home three 125-class world championships and one 250-class title between 1975 and 1977. As such, seeing the Morbidelli name in performance-oriented bikes of the future will certainly be a welcome prospect.

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What's interesting, however, is the relationship between Morbidelli and MBP (Moto Bolognia Passione). A report from Cycle World states that the MBP names and logos are trademarked by a Hong Kong-based company called Powerlink Technology. While it's unclear whether Qianjiang also owns or has a stake in Powerlink, we do know that the MBP brand is under the Qianjiang umbrella. However, just like Keeway, MBP doesn't source its bikes from QJ Motor, but instead, from multiple Chinese manufacturers such as Gaokin and Longjia.

Whatever the case may be, the brands under the Qianjiang umbrella are known for their rapid development, thanks to their seemingly endless resources. At present, though, it's still unclear that the future holds for the Morbidelli brand, but it's clear that Qianjiang is looking to leverage on the legacy and history if the Italian brand.