Motorcycling: For The Executive Rider - A Connoisseur's Collection
May 15, 2003
Webster’s collection tells the story of a 30-year span of time that was flush with optimism and innovation and that emphasized form over function. The post–World War II Italian economic miracle showered bounties on Ducati, MV Agusta, Moto Guzzi, Laverda, and other motorcycle makers, providing them with the means to experiment with shapely fiberglass tanks and other aesthetic innovations. Because of the booming economy, there was no shortage of customers for the pricey motorcycles that they produced. “They could afford to buy motorcycles with a gas tank that was more expensive to fabricate, but also more beautiful,” says Falco. “Italians were less conservative. They were much more open to the designer’s flights of fancy, especially during that period.”
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Guy Webster found the seat of his 1964 Moto Morini Corsarino SS in a swap meet in Rimini, Italy. (Click image to enlarge)Webster, a former rock ’n’ roll photographer whose portfolio includes album covers for the Doors and the Rolling Stones, gained firsthand knowledge of the Italian mind-set in the early 1970s, when he moved to Florence, Italy. He lived next to a Moto Morini dealer, watching the 50cc machines conquer the spindly roads of Italy and the peppery tempers of its native drivers. Soon, Webster was in love.
Unlike the English and American motorcycle companies of that period, which designed motorcycles that were sturdy but bore an industrial appearance, their Italian counterparts imbued their machines with a unique style and grace. “Beautiful design is anthropomorphic: It has human qualities, with a heart, legs, and sinews,” says Webster. “Italians understood sex better than any other country. They put sex into their bikes.”
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