Financial strain and restructuring woes: MV Agusta issues statement on its future

Sep 14, 2026

In January 2025, KTM sold its majority stake in MV Agusta back to the marque’s previous owner, the Sardarov family’s Art of Mobility S.A. While the 10-month partnership was shorter than some Tinder relationships, MV still hasn’t fully recovered from the union.

That’s not just by third-hand accounts. The Italian OEM recently confirmed as much in an official statement.

In early September, numerous (and sometimes conflicting) reports claimed the Varese factory fell under a long-term production halt. Word of limited dealership inventory, broken supply chains, faltering financial stability, and investor-courting measures followed, stoking fears among the MV faithful. So much so that the company was forced to address the reports directly.

A partially assembled motorcycle on MV Agusta's production line. — Even with the rumor mill churning, MV maintains “the strength of the brand and customer interest across its key international markets.” Per the brand, it recorded 2,166 global retail registrations in the first half of 2026. That’s a 3.4% year-over-year increase. It also reports growth in Italy (+28.8%), France (+42.3%), and the United States (+24.2%). MV Agusta photo.

According to MV’s release, the split from KTM “resulted in a significant transition phase.” Nearly two years later, the firm is still taking steps to restore its “autonomy, processes, and the conditions necessary for its regular operations, and the building of its future.” Though MV issued the statement to combat misinformation, it isn’t outright dismissing the rumors. In some cases, it’s actually validating them.

During this recovery process, Art of Mobility has conducted what it calls “discussions regarding potential developments in MV Agusta’s shareholding structure.” I’m not fluent in lawyer-speak, but that sounds a lot like Art of Mobility accepting bids from potential partners/buyers. Those assumptions are only supported when MV's provided statement deemed certain proposals as “not viable,” while also acknowledging that “other parties and scenarios remain under evaluation.”

MV Agusta employees posing for a group picture at the Varese factory. — MV Agusta has also entered Italy’s Composizione Negoziata della Crisi (translates to Negotiated Settlement of the Crisis), a federal program that helps companies at risk of insolvency. Under the framework, a Chamber of Commerce-appointed mediator would help MV Agusta negotiate a restructuring and recovery plan within a 180-day window. If you ask me, it sounds mighty similar to Austria’s self-administration process, which KTM entered back in 2024. MV Agusta photo.

MV wasn’t reluctant to cast accusations either, noting that the “rumors, interpretations, and reports unsupported by objective evidence” seemingly originated from “parties that, in various capacities, have participated in or expressed an interest in these [shareholding] discussions.” Such assertions may tread into the sensational, but they also illustrate the precarious nature of MV’s position. The Italian boutique brand sorely needs investment support, but in doing so, it also has to uphold its “strength of demand” as well as its “industrial and commercial value.”

It’s easy to reduce the situation down to negotiations gone sour; to backroom bargaining spilling into the public eye. Meanwhile, the Art of Mobility assures the motorcycling masses that any “significant development regarding [MV Agusta’s] corporate structure” will be disseminated “through its official channels.”

MV may have jumped the KTM ship in early 2025, but that doesn’t mean its future is guaranteed. Given the brand's prepared statement, not by a long shot.