Eight decades OF AGGRESSION

MV Agusta celebrates its 80th anniversary this year and to mark the occasion, it is introducing the limited edition Ottantesimo range.

- ADAM 'CHAD' CHILD

For those of us who might not be MV aficionados, back in 1945 the Agusta family was a key player in the Italian aviation industry, but after World War II, it was not permitted to produce planes and instead turned its passion for speed towards manufacturing motorcycles. The first MV98 was officially launched at the end of 1945. Hence the 80-year anniversary.

During the 1950s and '60s, the family focused on producing highly desirable bikes rather than just basic transportation. Boosted by racing success, the MV name became synonymous with exotica and speed, with the likes of Franco Bertoni, Cecil Sandford, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Gianfranco Bonera, Phil Reed, and obviously Giacomo Agostini among the factory's star-studded cast of riders. The Agostini/MV partnership was particularly epic, claiming no fewer than 13 world titles, 18 Italian Championships, and 10 Isle of Man TT wins. From Mugello to Douglas, it's a rider/bike partnership still regarded by many race fans as the greatest of them all.

Today, MV Agusta continues to produce high-end bikes in northern Italy. Despite multiple changes of ownership and having to navigate some choppy financial waters, the factory has not only survived but, at times, truly thrived. Now, fully independent again after a two-year association with the troubled KTM group, MV is throwing a party in the shape of the Ottantesimo range, which celebrates eight decades of arguably the most Italian of all the Italian manufacturers. We travelled to the factory in Verese, Lombardy, to throw a leg over the very special MV Brutale 800 RR Ottantesimo.

Where better to celebrate MV's anniversary than at their home in northern Italy on the shore of Lake Varese, just half an hour north of Milan. This is a stunning location, which in recent years has been the playground for hard-riding MV test riders. Just think of the bikes that have been developed at this stunning location, and you know the roads must be good.