Whether you’re a Justin Bieber fan or not, you probably know that the wee lad turned 19 last week and his dear ol’dad gifted him with a custom motorcycle – but not just any motorcycle. The Biebs was given an F3 675 MV Agusta – an Italian beauty that has only been available in North America for the past couple of years.
MV Agusta has a lengthy history beginning in aeronautics back in1907 sending its aircraft into the skies over the first world war. By 1927 change was in the air and the company began to produce motorcycles due to overwhelming demand in Italy for individual mobility. This venture would be interrupted by the second world war and would delay the birth of the first MV Agusta to 1945.
The company would experience growing pains over the next few decades but would eventually become an official motorcycle manufacturer in 1978. By 2007, the company had its sights set on worldwide expansion for high performance motorcycles and with temporary financial assistance from Harley-Davidson, MV Agusta became “the crown jewel of Italian motorcycles.”
The company has flown somewhat under the radar since crossing the pond late 2010 when it inked a deal with Motovan Corporation to be the exclusive importer. During the first year, only the ‘serious consumer’ could get their hands on a bike as sales were strictly online. Even as we enter the 2013 season, there are a total of 12 Canadian dealers, four of which are in the West.
Naturally, when Jeremy Bieber decided to buy one for his superstar son, the company jumped at the chance to accommodate his request. Justin Bieber attached to any company is a marketing dream but for a company looking to raise their profile in a new market, it is a gift. But Bieber isn’t the first high profile bike from the Canadian brand to come forward.
With financial backing from five separate companies and then collaborating with Lucent AC – “a group of talented individuals that share a passion for design, function, engineering and light” – a 2012 F4 RR MV Agusta was customized into a LIVESTRONG edition to show support for a foundation whose work was paramount to the clouds that were then forming over them at that time.
The intended plan for this one-of-a-kind Livestrong F4 is that it will be auctioned off at the MotoGP event held at the Circuit of the Americas in the foundation’s headquarters of Austin, Texas next month. Proceeds of the auction will go to the foundation to continue their work assisting families dealing with cancer – #myfightmatters.
Lucent AC also collaborated on the Bieber bike, or rather, the batmobile. In a statement, it is said that Justin’s favourite superhero is Batman – the theme of the 2013 MV Agusta F3 675. The bike is matte black (similar to the 848 Ducati the Biebs was recently photographed on LA’s 405 riding), with blue illuminated Batman symbol, fender and Justin’s initials on specially machined and meticulously crafted parts.
The official word on the batmobile is that the bike was 100% purchased and paid for by Jeremy Bieber despite the natural speculation of a trade for publicity. However, Justin wont’ be photographed riding this model any time soon as the bike currently stands in The Museum (www.themuseum.ca) in Kitchener, Ontario outside Justin’s hometown, for the next few weeks.
As for the six models representing the 2013 lineup of MV Agusta motorcycles, visit www.mvagustacanada.com for photos and for a list of Canadian dealers.
