Fantic Motor
 | |
| Founded | 1968 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Mario Agrati and Henry Keppel-Hesselink |
| Headquarters | Italy |
| Products | motorcycles |
| Website | http://www.fanticmotor.it/ |
Fantic Motor is an Italian manufacturer of motorcycles. The company began in 1968, manufacturing and exporting enduro motorcycles, mini-bikes and go-karts. Today they continue in the same genre, though the names have changed to dual-sport and motard (supermoto), and they have not returned to the US market.
Fantic began exporting to the United Kingdom in 1972, as part of a wave of manufacturers who took advantage of "sixteener laws," legislation that forbade sixteen-year-old motorcyclists from riding motorcycles up to 250 cc, as they had been used to. As a result, European and Japananese manufacturers exported their sporty and lightweight below-50cc engines, which had been common in Europe, to England also. Fantic produced a "sensational chopper moped" and a TI ("Tourismo Internazionale)," both of which became very popular quickly,[1] with the reputation of being some of the fastest mopeds on the market, going as fast as 70 mph.[2]
In the 1980s, Fantic enjoyed success in the Observed trials world championships, taking three titles as well as seven wins at the prestigious Scottish Six Days Trial.
See also
Notes
- ↑ Skelton, Richard (2007). Funky Mopeds!: The 1970s Sports Moped Phenomenon. MBI Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84584-078-5. P. 5-10.
- ↑ De Burton, Simon (25 January 2002). "Twist 'n' go; Power wasn't their best feature but sports mopeds had Seventies style in abundance". The Evening Standard.