A few months ago I was reading an old thread about a Magni being offered for sale by Motorworks this one :-
Marmite..Magni..Airhead..
- Thread starter Bucephalus
- Start date
It received some unflattering comments and views on its looks, which is fair enough, however this comment I must challenge :- £8,000 for an ugly bike that is probably, far less of a sorted bike than many in this pub build and far superior mechanically too.
Arturo Magni was Giocomo Agostini’s lead team mechanic for many years and worked closely with Mike Hailwood on the Black Art of chassis design, and tuning geometry for a particular purpose like the TT also to a personal riders style, and for the time the bikes were very innovative, Magni knew his stuff, and had that unique intuitive understanding of how each element of his design worked in tandem with each other to achieve a more effective whole machine..
Herein lays a problem he created in the U.K. in that being a very busy man in his professional life so he created a viable business supplying the ‘Magni Kit’ which 90% of the Magni Airheads still around were originally built from, sometimes using substandard parts, combined with a variety shed construction skills by the enthusiast who wanted something different.
My friends Magni Airhead is a rare complete Factory Magni, Magni race strength wheels (no Lester wheels on this example) Magni developed forks, in fact Magni everything other than the BMW engine and clocks; the alloy 25 litre tank is a thing of beauty that is shaped not to look bulky..
It’s hard to appreciate that there is a side panel that stretches from the rear wheel, along the side and wraps around the front of the bike behind the fairing, personally I think it’s lovely..
Arturo Magni was Giocomo Agostini’s lead team mechanic for many years and worked closely with Mike Hailwood on the Black Art of chassis design, and tuning geometry for a particular purpose like the TT also to a personal riders style, and for the time the bikes were very innovative, Magni knew his stuff, and had that unique intuitive understanding of how each element of his design worked in tandem with each other to achieve a more effective whole machine..
Herein lays a problem he created in the U.K. in that being a very busy man in his professional life so he created a viable business supplying the ‘Magni Kit’ which 90% of the Magni Airheads still around were originally built from, sometimes using substandard parts, combined with a variety shed construction skills by the enthusiast who wanted something different.
My friends Magni Airhead is a rare complete Factory Magni, Magni race strength wheels (no Lester wheels on this example) Magni developed forks, in fact Magni everything other than the BMW engine and clocks; the alloy 25 litre tank is a thing of beauty that is shaped not to look bulky..
It’s hard to appreciate that there is a side panel that stretches from the rear wheel, along the side and wraps around the front of the bike behind the fairing, personally I think it’s lovely..
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‘Arturo loved BMW Airheads’ stated Ago when we spoke to him a few years ago now, Arturo only reverted to Moto Guzzi apparently due to BMW concentrating all production and development on three and four cylinder bricks, and would not guarantee future engine supply, and at this point the Magni Kits were mostly sent overseas for enthusiasts to use donor bikes.
You might note Ago’s autograph on his photo on the collage from when we met him..
A family friend has the reg No AGO 750 on his MV 750, he also got the tank signed by the man himself
Edit... I've just checked and that number is not on the government check site, how strange as I was standing next to the bike two weeks ago... need to investigate further.
Edit... I've just checked and that number is not on the government check site, how strange as I was standing next to the bike two weeks ago... need to investigate further.
Never seen a Magni BMW but do remember the Magni Guzzis,had a look around one a few years ago in Parliament Square in the Isle of Man,lovely bike
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