The 2010 Aermacchi meeting was a really great success: on Sunday 5th September an astonishing number of people and Aermacchi bikes arrived at the historical factory at the Schiranna (Varese) where the Italian well known aircraft company built beautiful motorcycles after the World War 2 and where now are built the fantastic and fast MV Agusta F4 and Brutale.
The MV company, recently re-acquired from the Americans of H-D by the Castiglioni family, gently opened again the factory for the Aermacchisti coming for the Raduno held by the Registro Storico Aermacchi. People from all Italy, but also from Switzerland, France, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Cecz Republic and Nederland attendend the day for a a really crowded show in front of the historical buildings. The “orange” group was the foreign biggest: following the president Jaap de Jong, a full life rider on Aermacchi and founder, in 1985, of the first international club dedicated to the Aermacchi company, they made some 1.200 km riding on their Ala Verde to arrive in Varese just to participate to this event. You call this pure passion for Aermacchi.
The day was dedicated to Gianfranco Bonera former Amf-Harley-Davidson and then MV Agusta works driver: he was surprised to meet so many bikes and so many fans that cheered him requesting autographs and photograps. At 65 Gianfranco Bonera is still fit and well prepared for historical events and classic revivals: at present he still races with a 3 cilynder Triumph and also with the magic works MV Agustas of the Seventies.
On Sunday, into the factory that faces the Varese lake and the Monte Rosa Alps in a wonderful and unique landscape for an industrial site, Bonera reunited himself with all the men and technicians that have run with great success in the past the Reparto Corse Aermacchi (then Amf-HD). Also Gilberto Milani, works Aermacchi rider together Angelo Tenconi and Gian Pio Ottone, were ther with all the racing dept men. An enthusiast from Turin, Leo Ferrero, too racing pilot in his young years, exposed his Aletta Oro 125 with a special though dedicated to Bonera: “Thank-you Gianfranco, you made me so great and famous”. This is why Bonera made his first race in Monza while he was 25 year old riding an Aermacchi Aletta Oro 125 that he bought without his family was informed. And he won the wet race, opening an interesting and fast career even if he arrived late at bikes after a winning young career on cycling. Bonera was then awarded by the Memorial Piero Pogliana, a trophy that remembers one of the founders of the Registro Storico Aermacchi.
The day included a 43 km ride on the beautiful roads in the neighbourghs of Varese: some 250 bikes were on the road for this nice moment, then all the group went back to the factory where the old and historical Aermacchis were exposed next to the 2010 MV Agusta fine and fast production. After the lunch at the Mariuccia restaurant, another interesting moment was in the afternoon when Angelo Tenconi, the seven times European champion on hillclimbs (on Aermacchi, too) said: “and now let hear the Oro’s concert”. And after a while the wonderful music from the exausts of many Ala Oro 350 and from the 2 strokes Amf-HD twins went back on the air of the Schiranna factory. And people coming there had the impression to be magically sent back some 40 years: but this was not a dream, but real. The magic of Aermacchi, the fastest single in the whole world.
Enrico Minazzi
Articoli:
La Gazzetta dello Sport 20/09/2010 – La Prealpina 29/08/2010 – La Prealpina 04/09/2010
La Prealpina 060/09/2010 – La Provincia 02/09/2010 – La Provincia 06/09/2010
