Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1524627
P108 INTERVIEW I GENERAL MANAGER, MV AGUSTA NORTH AMERICA, LUCA DOVESI dence. I'm under that umbrella, therefore there is a standard of what we do and how we do it. Now, if you think about it, and that's the brainstorming we did with the management back in mid-2022 before we decided everything, was MV actually fits perfectly to the picture. It's a company that has a very famous heritage that hasn't been lost, so there is still a brand reputa - tion that is struggling, and we needed, strongly needed, an industrial plan from KTM. We needed people, direction, pro- cedures, and goals. That's what it needed. Product-wise, we produce three- and four-cylinder motorcycles. This is something KTM doesn't have in its port- folio. They only make singles and twins for production use. Therefore, we don't cannibalize any product in the lineup and just complement the offer to the customer. whereas now MV has moved into more the luxury line almost like Aston Martin versus Ferrari, in a way. I found it interesting that KTM decided to go for that route, although I think it's start - ing to work. The idea at the beginning was clear to everybody. Stefan Pierer is always looking for expanding. His goal is to become the biggest two-wheel manufacturer in Eu - rope. The goal is keeping invest- ing and acquiring companies, which is clear for everybody. It's something we like because it keeps our job very fun and chal - lenging, but also entertaining. It gives the people the confi- Is it easier to sell MV Agusta motorcycles in North America or Europe? It's easier to sell here—and we've seen with our data—espe - cially the limited-edition models. People are really looking for something different. They want to be special. But, in order to sell a comparable model on a standard level, it's easier in Europe because people have a necessity of it. Then, of course, you don't need this price range bike. But, with a little bit of ef - fort, if you really like it, you can do it. Here you don't need a bike whatsoever. You need a car. That was one of the things that troubled me about MV Agusta's is there were so many limited- edition models, especially in the years leading up to when KTM bought MV. It was impossible to keep track of. Has that side of MV been scaled back a little bit? For sure. When we started the acquisition in 2022, we sat down with everybody, and we started to understand what the product line up and the portfolio would be. We still want to offer around 20-25 percent of limited edition in every year production, which I think is a fair number. We had to, as you mentioned, limit the version, but people are still demanding for limited- edition bikes. Can the 25 per - cent can be absorbed as limited editions? Yes. Now, can we do 10 different limited editions? No. That is super clear. I was confused as to why KTM bought MV Augusta. In terms of perception, Ducati is the Italian racing brand, Dovesi knows he's got a job on his hands to bring MV Agusta to the fore of the luxury motorcycle market but the brand's never had a better chance to do so than now with backing of parent company Pierer Mobility AG. PHOTO: RYAN NITZEN "I WANT THE PEOPLE TO CHANGE THE BAD OPINION OF MV AGUSTA FROM THE PAST."