A New Chapter For MV Agusta USA + Video

Reader responses to MO’s MV Agusta reviews typically involve a few common themes: Some note how beautiful the bikes are. Others comment on the performance. Many mention both of these points, followed by grief because their nearest MV dealer is several hundred miles away. For these readers, and surely others like them, it’s this lack of dealer support that keeps them from pulling the trigger on an MV Agusta.

Don’t think Varese hasn’t heard your plight. The company is well aware how big a market the U.S. is, and it’s also well aware how much it is underrepresented. Several steps have been put into place to solve this issue, a significant one being the appointment of Helen Vasilevski to run the point as CEO of MV Agusta USA. Motorcycle.com recently had the chance to chat with Vasilevski about the past, present and future of the MV brand in America, and you can watch our interview in the video below.

Vasilevski understands her job is to put butts in seats. A powersports industry veteran of over 20 years (including a stint at Ducati), she knows she’ll have to foster a brand image in order to create a community in the U.S. around MV. To help in her quest, MV has a whopping 19 models for 2015. Two models – the Stradale and Turismo Veloce – signal an entry into the touring market, an arena MV has never ventured into before. “In order to build the brand, especially in the U.S., MV needed to expand outside the four-cylinder family and the supersports,” she said.

Equally as important, she’s tackling this quest by facing the biggest challenge head on: bolstering the dealer network. “For 2015 specifically, we need to build better infrastructure,” she says, “even though we have been in U.S. market for over 25 years.” In fact, during this interview, her phone was constantly lighting up, the people on the other end usually representatives from regions Vasilevski is trying to cover.