A Moto Guzzi Named Australia

A Moto Guzzi named Australia – Magni Australia

 

 

In 2018 I was travelling in Switzerland when friends I had met previously said I had to meet a guy called Fritz Mosimann, who was the then President of the Italian Motorcycle Club of Switzerland.

Fritz, I was told has a very special Moto Guzzi.  It was special – A Magni Australia and not just a Magni Australia, it was the first – Frame no. AUS 00001

The first Magni Australia that was produced by Arturo Magni in Italy. Its pretty clear how the name Magni came about by what about Australia.

The answer to that question resides in Perth, Australia in the 1980s where the then importer of Moto Guzzi, Ted Stolarski.

My first and only contact with Stolarski’s in Perth was 45 years ago.  I had ridded a Norton Commando Interstate across the Nullabor.  The bike needed servicing before heading up the west coast and everyone recommended Stolarski, they were also a Norton dealer.  It was also my first contact with a Moto Guzzi as they had a V50mk2 demo bike they let me use.  Such a sweet think to ride.

Back to the Magni.  Ted Stolarski was racing Moto Guzzi in Perth.  Tuning the engines and modifying the frames.  Stolarski and Magni collaborated on frame design and the creation of the parallelogram rear swing to address the handling peculiarities of shaft driven motorcycles.

This collaboration produced two race bikes, commonly know as the Magni Australia Prototypes.  These bikes are still in Perth.

The Twin rear shocks show the legacy or the Stolarski Prototypes.  Magni quickly moved to single rear shocks as he mass produced his Magni Australias.

If you look closely at the above pics you can see the parallelogram swing arm.  If you own a CARC bike like me the rear swing arm set up with the torsion bar that is a development of the parallelogram.

I was lucky to meet Fritz he was in his mid 70s then and lived life to the fullest.  He had raced the Magni in BEARS in Europe.  Claiming he had almost beaten Andrew Stroud on the Britten when he won the world championship.  He still raced a Suzuki 750 in hill climb in Switzerland.  (Hill Climb is the only auto racing in Switzerland and they have big hills!)

Stolarski’s was noted for its customer service and they were certainly great to me.  The legacy of that lives on today.  Mario from Thunderbikes in Perth, the most trusted place for parts in Australia, learnt his trade at Stolarski’s.

If you would like to know more about the Magni Australia prototypes and Ted Stolarski, I suggest you have a look at this web site.

https://mgprotos.com/