WEST Australian lovers of Italian bikes are counting down to the 2016 Moto Italiane Ovest, now just two weeks away.
Staged every second year by the Ducati Owners Club of Western Australia, the event brings some wonderful Italian bikes out for a day in the sunshine. (Well, hopefully.)
Apart from the ‘big two’ Italians, Ducati and Moto Guzzi, you can expect to see examples of Italy’s other iconic, desirable and collectable machines from such famous marques as Aprilia, Gilera, MV Agusta, Laverda, Benelli, Aermacchi, Moto Morini and Motobi.
The 2014 Ovest attracted more than 200 bikes and 600-odd spectators.
The event has been running since 2004, showcasing some lovely old and not-so-old Italian bikes, ranging from the beautiful 1939 Moto Guzzi Egretta & 1946 Gilera Saturno to rare and wonderful Ducati green frames, Laverda 750 SFC and MV Agusta 750S, as well as current models from the Italian manufacturers.
The Moto Italiane Ovest 2016 will be held at Mussel Pool in Whiteman Park, Perth, from 10am to 3pm on Sunday 16 October.
CAPTION: Have you ever met someone who just can’t stop smiling? This is Steve Poole and behind him is his 2008 Desmosedici RR. The Desmosedici is a Grand Prix replica in the true sense of the term, boasting a 989cc V-four motor that delivers a touch over 197hp at 13,800 revs. Britain’s motorcyclenews.com described the bike as “the best handling road bike ever built”, saying it made Yamaha’s R1 seem “soft and cuddly” in comparison. They’d get no argument from Steve, who describes the bike as “vicious” to ride. “The clutch is dry and grabby, the pipes burn your arse, the brakes try to throw you over the handlebars, and the engine starts to overheat at anything less than 60kmh,” he told us. “But it’s kinda fun.” We bet it is. We were too polite to ask Steve how much he paid for his perfect slice of Italian exotica when he became it’s second owner late last year, but motorcyclenews.com tells us they were 40,000 British pounds when new. Gulp. You can expect to see Steve and his bike at the Ovest too. You can expect to be shot dead if you touch it.
*NOTE: The Bike Shed Times is an enthusiastic sponsor of this event.
One thought on “Latin bike lovers set for Moto Italiane Ovest 2016”
Moto Guzzi Owners Group of WA will be there again, in full support of this wonderful event.
We don’t show for prizes, as majority of our machines are ridden & generally high mileage, both aesthetically and on the odometer.
It’s always a pleasure to showcase these ridden bikes to the public and show that these were an Italian engineering masterpiece that has stood the test of time.
Moto Guzzi Owners Group of WA will be there again, in full support of this wonderful event.
We don’t show for prizes, as majority of our machines are ridden & generally high mileage, both aesthetically and on the odometer.
It’s always a pleasure to showcase these ridden bikes to the public and show that these were an Italian engineering masterpiece that has stood the test of time.