Western brands partnering with Chinese companies is all the rage right now in the motorcycle industry, and the latest to follow this trend is MV Agusta.

Announcing today that MV Agusta will build 350cc to 500cc motorcycles with the help of the Loncin Motor Company, the Italian marque is gearing up to release a four-model family of small displacement machines.

The Italian-designed Chinese-built bikes are supposedly coming to MV Agusta dealers by the end of 2021, and they are expected to be premium offerings for the small-displacement category.

The partnership between MV Agusta and Loncin doesn’t stop there though, as the Italian company’s design firm, the Castiglioni Research Center (CRC) will also design 800cc models for Loncin’s premium brand, Voge.

“This strategic alliance is an important step to consolidate our vision for the future of MV Agusta,” said MV Agusta CEO Timur Sardarov. “Our target is to reaffirm our leadership in the production of upper-premium motorcycles, while also enlarging our customer base by offering a broader range of products without compromising our distinctive design and performance.

“We are looking forward to grow with the right partner sand the right products, making sure that our clients enjoy the larger choice of models, all of which share the same DNA and MV Agusta pedigree.”

This mutually beneficial partnership sees both motorcycle companies leveraging the strengths of each other to bring new products to their core customers, though we are sure it will cause some controversy with the MV Agusta faithful.

There has been much debate about what markets and segments MV Agusta would focus its business around, especially after the company’s financial restructuring.

Today’s announcement seems to change MV Agusta’s focus from fewer models and a smaller volume of high-margin machines, to a brand that encompasses more than just the traditional sport bike categories.

Of course, seeing is believing, and it will be interesting to glimpse what fruits the MV Agusta / Loncin partnership grows for the motorcycle industry.

Source: MV Agusta.