Keeway has acquired Morbidelli through MBP Moto, MBP which stands for “Moto Bologna Passioni”. MBP Moto will now be called Morbidelli MBP following this new acquisition.
The acquisition has been in the works since the end of 2022, when the logos and names of Morbidelli MBP and Morbidelli MBP Pesaro were registered in Hong Kong by Powerlink, a company connected to the Qianjiang Motorcycle group that owns Keeway, as well as Benelli, another historic Italian brand.
Although the original Morbidelli brand was created by Giancarlo Morbidelli in Pesaro, the new Morbidelli MBP, as the name MBP suggests, will continue to be headquartered in Bologna. There, the Morbidelli Style Center and a new Research and Development Center will be built “to explore new technologies and materials, improve design, performance, and bring the excellence of Italian motorcycling to the world, in the name of Giancarlo Morbidelli’s heritage and passion,” Morbidelli MBP states.
The range of the new brand will consist of scooters between 125cc and 500cc and motorcycles between 125cc and 1,000cc. An electric range is expected to be revealed in 2025, and Morbidelli MBP is targeting the markets of the US, Europe, and China. The current MBP range includes motorcycles such as the C1002V cruiser and the M502N naked.
The original Morbidelli’s fame came mainly from racing. It started in the World Motorcycle Championship in 1969, in the 50cc class, and went on to compete in the World Championships of 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, and 500cc throughout the 1970s. Morbidelli won four titles between 1975 and 1977, three in the 125cc class and one, in 1977, in the 250cc class. Racing activities ceased in 1982.
