ACERBIS TURNS 50 WITH AN EYE ON THE FUTURE
Where it
all began
The story
of Acerbis, which celebrates 50 years of activity this year, began with a trip
to the United States by Franco Acerbis, during which he met Preston
Petty. He was one of the first plastics manufacturers specialised in off-road
motorbikes, with whom he signed an agreement for distribution in Europe. It was
a period of great development for motorcycles: Italian brands abound, while the
off-road world is the absolute novelty. From the presence on the racing fields
and the passion for off-road motorbikes of the Acerbis founder comes the
intuition destined to change the course of history: metal replacement.
He began to build fibreglass accessories, such as mudguards and air
filter housings, with attention to both design and technique, to replace the
original components. He was soon noticed by motorcycle manufacturers who began
to entrust Acerbis with the development of some of their components.
The next
step
The
production of accessories soon led to the creation of its own commercial brand,
Acerbis Plastica Italia (1975): this involved reinventing products
already present on motorbikes, improving them both in terms of function and
design. We speak initially of fuel tanks, square headlamps with a mask attached
to the fork (Elba), cult products still sought after today by enthusiasts all
over the world.
New
locations stablished
In 1983 Acerbis
USA was founded in Southern California, the land of reference for off-road
racing and the company's first American subsidiary. Today, production is
divided between the Italian and US plants and the one in Moravany (Czech
Republic), inaugurated in 2007 due to its strategic location for the
production and distribution of OEM material to European manufacturers. In 2008,
the UK facility was opened in Milton Keynes.
Acerbis
today
Today,
Acerbis has a family of 450 employees, producing much more than 'just' motorbike
components or accessories. The current managing director is Guido Acerbis,
son of the founder, Franco. Over the years, all articles concerning technical
clothing for motorcyclists have been added, as well as protections, helmets,
and boots. And that's not all. For the last 20 years the range has expanded to
include technical equipment for athletes participating in various disciplines,
such as football, basketball, volleyball, rugby, and many others. This is also
a constantly evolving sector, as evidenced by the new additions of a line of
clothing and equipment for paddle, and a line entirely dedicated to MTB. One of
the most innovative projects today is the nylon strut for electric bikes. A metal
replacement process, exactly as it all began 50 years ago.
Philosophy
Soul
& Passion is
our motto: our world is always governed by the competitive spirit and the
search for the best performance possible. At Acerbis, we work with passion
and focus all our energies so that our products help fulfil the expectations of
whoever chooses us, whether they are professional athletes, amateurs, enthusiasts,
or brand lovers. It is in the details that the difference is truly made. We are
aware that our strengths reside in our exceptional ability to create products
that strike a perfect harmony between design and industrialization,
facilitating the production of excellent products on a large scale. Furthermore,
our company is commercially prepared for a global, omnichannel approach: we
cater to manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and individual consumers via
e-commerce.
The
world of professionals
Our passion
for sport is reflected in the various sponsorships that see us among the key
players at world level, an important showcase platform and the best possible
field in which to test the effectiveness of new products. We started back in
the seventies with Alessandro Gritti, although the first major
sponsorship agreement for the company dates back to 1986, when Acerbis signed a
contract with Ricky Johnson. It began as a partnership and developed into
a solid and lasting friendship. Other highlights include agreements with Team
Rinaldi or Stefan Everts in the 2000s, which led to several world
championships; in 2006 Everts won his tenth world title, becoming the most
successful rider in the history of motocross. Today, in addition to the well-established
partnerships with Infront Moto Racing (MXGP), Dorna (WSBK), Prime Stadium (Enduro
Gp), the name of Andrea Verona, multiple times Enduro World Champion,
stands out. It would be impossible to mention here all the champions that
worked with us, whom we thank and remember with affection.
The first agreement
with a professional football team dates back to the 2013/14 season with the Elche
F.C., playing in the Spanish LaLiga.
Celebrations
We conceived
some special ideas and unique events to celebrate our 50th anniversary. The
first of many anniversary events took place on the weekend of the fourth MXGP
race of the season, at Arco di Trento, and coincided with the 13th AMA SX race
in Atlanta. For these special occasions, our team bikes were equipped with the Linear
series gold handguards, which were launched worldwide in a limited edition
on April 17th.
Also, during
the MXGP race weekend in Spain on May 6th and 7th, our
teams dressed their bikes in a special gold colour scheme that ignited a
lot of interest among fans and industry insiders. The riders also wore special
clothing dedicated to the 50th anniversary.
On June 10th, Acerbis will set off on a unique journey with AC50, a visionary project involving several Acerbis departments that will lead the company to a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS®. How? By using Acerbis' rotational technology to build an oversized fuel tank that will allow to cover the distance from Albino (Italy) to Cape North (Norway) on a single full tank, thus achieving a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® as the greatest distance covered by an ICE proto vehicle without refuelling.
In the picture, Guido and Franco Acerbis with the AC50 vehicle.