We meet entrepreneur Werner Ricciolini at the Laverda Museum in Breganze, in the province of Vicenza. He decided to build and open the Laverda Motorcycle Museum in 2022. The museum is surprising, with many models in iconic colours such as burgundy, green, orange and cream, immersing us in the years when they first became vehicles used daily by thousands of people and then rose to the pinnacle of world motorcycling. The historic motorcycle manufacturer was initially based in Breganze, in the province of Vicenza, in a small annex near the main building, which was expanded over time. About ten years later it moved to its permanent home on the outskirts of the town, now occupied by Renzo Rosso’s Diesel company. It was Francesco Laverda, fresh from graduating in physics, who, in the post-war years, had the intuition to design and build the first motorcycle, only five of which were built until 1950, when series production of the 75 model began. It was an overwhelming success, even on the most important racetracks, thanks to its reliable and innovative mechanics. Massimo and his brother Piero, Francesco’s sons, took up the baton and continued to innovate the company, designing state-of-the-art motorcycles with elegant and recognisable lines. An inexhaustible passion that led Laverda to win many national and international competitions. The rest is history. Massimo and Piero Laverda, manufacturers and testers, together with the legendary rider Augusto Brettoni, managed to improve the performance of the motorcycle and win over enthusiasts all over the world until, in the second half of the 1980s, Japanese competition and the global crisis in the motorcycle market led to a significant economic and financial downturn for the company, which, after several changes of ownership, was acquired by the Aprilia Group in 2000 and then by the Piaggio Group in 2004. Today the prototypes and bikes can be admired in the evocative Laverda Motorcycle Museum in Breganze and in the Moma in New York.

It is said that in Breganze time was marked by the church bells and the engines of the Laverda motorcycles being tested. This memory is still alive. Is this where your passion for the world of motorcycling began?
My passion for motorcycling began with the first races I watched on television as a child. Those were the days of Eddie Lawson, Freddie Spencer and Marco Lucchinelli. I was fascinated by the sport and this incredible mechanical vehicle. Later, being born in the area, I became fascinated by Laverda motorcycles, especially the 3-cylinder models that used to race through the village.

What fascinated you about Laverda bikes?
Initially it was the bikes of the 1970s and 1980s, which had a strong sporting component and were racing bikes. As I grew up and became involved in the industrial life of our area, I was struck by the history of the brand, a history that began here, made up of challenges, successes, ambition and great will.

When did you decide to preserve an iconic and technological heritage that was ahead of its time, and when did the idea of creating a museum come about? What makes it unique?
The project was born out of a friendship with a well-known Dutch collector who, over the years, had dedicated himself to collecting as many examples as possible. Cor Dees, who was seriously ill at the time, was looking for someone to continue the work he had been doing for many years, and when we talked about my desire to take over his collection and bring it to Breganze, he was enthusiastic. From that moment on, we started working on the transfer to Italy, and I set out to find a suitable location for the museum. It took five years to get everything ready, overcoming various problems and vicissitudes, but in 2022 the museum was finally inaugurated in the heart of Breganze, just a few metres from where the history of the Laverda brand began. The Laverda Motorcycle Museum is unique, with over 100 exhibits, including all the production models, prototypes, racing bikes and one-offs. The project has been a success thanks to a group of enthusiastic volunteers and former Moto Laverda employees who still give their time every day to run the museum. Without them none of this would have been possible.

Laverda motorcycles have enthusiasts and nostalgics all over the world. You must get a lot of visitors to the museum…
Every year we have many visitors from all over the world. In 2024, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the company’s foundation, the Moto Club Laverda Breganze organised a big rally that welcomed hundreds of participants and over 25 Laverda clubs from all over Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia, as well as former riders such as Marco Lucchinelli, Augusti Brettoni, Roberto Gallina, Nico Cereghini and others. The passion for the brand is still very much alive around the world.

Which model has stolen your heart?
Definitely the Laverda 750 SFC, launched in 1971 and designed for racing, it was the bike to beat in the early 1970s and just over 500 were produced between 1971 and 1975. Today it has become a cult object and collector’s item. We have six original examples in the museum, three of which belonged to riders who raced and won in those years.

You are a dynamic and forward-looking entrepreneur. What are your plans for the future?
The Laverda Motorcycle Museum is definitely a social project rather than a business venture. As for the rest, I have always worked in the metalworking industry, which I still do, while also pursuing other business projects in real estate, tourism and beverages.