Franco Acerbis travels to the United States of America and at the race fields he meets Preston Petty, one of the first producers of special plastic parts for off-road bikes. This is one of the most important moments... Franco decides to begin the distribution of the Preston brand in Europe.
The first Acerbis logo is black on white background, with the flag of Italy. After not so much time, the background becomes yellow, almost by accident. The decals for enduro races were indeed yellow with a black border and they were made by cutting a square decal. Franco Acerbis saw in these wasted parts not a loss but an opportunity, that of printing its stickers with the company's logo. That's how the black on yellow logo, now worldwide recognized, was born.
The eighties were legendary years for races on the challenging desert paths and they were also the perfect test bench for the Acerbis larger fuel tanks. The decision to rely on polyethilene for their production proved to be a winning strategy many times: in case of fall, the Acerbis tanks showed an incredible resistance to impacts.
These were the first years when enduro bikes had their number plates applied over the headlight. The Czech motorcycle manufacturer Jawa were the first to incorporate the round headlight inside the front number plate, but the structure was really heavy and not much resistant. Franco Acerbis loved bikes, but he was also carefully following the world of car rallies. He saw Michélle Mouton winning on her glorious Audi Quattro, which was different from the other cars also because of its rectangular headlights. He then understood that his new headlight would have been rectangular and tied to the fork using rubber bands, so that it would be lighter and more practical. The Acerbis headlight made its debut to the Six Days of Enduro of 1981, on the Elba Island. The Elba headlight was born.
The first Acerbis American branch opened at Santee (CA). Southern California was in fact the meeting place of many off-road companies.
The Full Flex, the first chest protector that bends on itself, entered the catalogue. During the same year, ACERBIS and Ricky Johnson began a collaboration that ultimately led to a great friendship.
1991 was the year of the Rally Brush, the first type of closed handguards entirely made of plastics. The Rally Brush were thoroughly tested and approved by all riders during the Nevada Rally. Acerbis established the export department soon after, for the management of 5-6 European distributors. Today it works with 86 countries worldwide.
Here is the first complete clothing line, which premiered at Intermot (Germany): jacket, jersey and pants in a mix of green, purple and yellow. The testimonial was Mr. Tallon Vohland, who is still currently part of the Acerbis world. The Acerbis salesmen began an around the world journey of 24 days, to show everyone the new collection.
Acronym of Acerbis Racing System, ARS was a very innovative chest protector, which could protect maximum protection to shoulders, hips, chest and back. ARS chest protector astonished for its ergonomy and for the comfort of it being worn without removing the helmet.
The first Acerbis motocross boots were the Mx Sphere, with their very recognizable chromed front plaque and the replaceable straps.
The American Johnny Campbell entered the Dakar thanks to his victory of the Nevada Rally with the complete Acerbis clothing gear and the whole moto kitted.
Stefan Everts, Acerbis top athlete, wins its tenth title, thus becoming the most winning motocross rider in the history of motocross.
In 2005 Acerbis focuses on the development and production of technical sportswear. One year later, it publishes the first catalogue, with apparel and protections specifically designed for goalkeepers. 2008 is the establishment of the Acerbis Football division, renamed Acerbis Sport from 2016.
ith the growing need of Acerbis' Northern Europe market, Acerbis saw the urgency to create a production pole at the centre of Europe. For this task, Czech Republic has always had a strategic logistic position. Therefore, Acerbis opened a great OEM production facility at Moravany.
Acerbis UK was established. The new company was involved from the very first moment in the distribution of after-market components on the British island, with a stronger focus on logistics and the satisfaction of the ever-growing customer requests.
The new seat ensured high resistance to wear and tearings. In particular, the shape made it performant during every riding moment. In 2017, the X-SEAT received the mention of honour for the 'Compasso D'Oro', as a product of excellence in its category.
From the will to increase the Acerbis gamma originated the Acerbis Dual-Road line. The first products were the jacket and Jet helmet, perfectly matched with a minimal 'tricolore' graphics. 2011 was also the beginning of the collaboration between Dorna and Acerbis. Acerbis becomes Technical Sponsor of the World Superbike Championship, for an ever more presence in the world of two wheels.
Clothing. Accessories. Protections. Acerbis developed a catalogue entirely dedicated to MTB to satisfy the requests coming from the market.