Benzina Magazine #17 - latest issue

Well, who thought wI’d make it to issue 17? Some sort of ultimate, and indeed it is: this is the ultimate - as in final - edition of Benzina. I’ve loved the travel and the stories, but in the 9 years I’ve published Benzina I’ve gone from someone who rode a huge variety of Italian motorcycles in a huge variety of ways (including four Moto Giros) to someone who hardly rides at all. I also struggle to come up with new stories of an Italian bent, and feel there’s something of a schism opening up, with Ducati fans especially seeming to only really want to read about their favoured marque. And I don’t blame them, I just thing that well - especially from the Taglioni era -is running dry.
So a huge thank you to all who have bought and contributed to Benzina. It feels like talking to friends more than readers, and it’s also been an immense privilege. I hope you all feel this edition is worthy of the back catalogue. What it will be replaced with is detailed on page 99 - and a free upgrade to those who’ve ordered Benzina 18 unless they’d prefer a refund Greg
Page number/Contents
04 Dept. of curiosities 1: Ducati refitting Triumph cars for the Italian market
06 Dept. of curiosities 2: The 500 Galbusera - a two-stroke V8. In 1938
12 Dept. of curiosities 3: The Major 350, winner of the 2018 Concorso Villa d’Este
14 25 years ago, Claudio Castigioni rebooted MV Agusta V2.0
20 A streetbike named desire: MV Agusta’s F4 RR Corsacorta
26 Model MV Agusta: Perfect quarter scale 500 triple by Glen English
36 Itom: Just 50cc you say? Enough to lap the TT course at almost 60mph
40 The first lady: Beryl Swain, perhaps the first lady in a world championship race
50 Mototemporada: Sixties street racing at Italian seaside resorts
64 Pantah: Tony Rutter, Pat Slinn and Steve Wynne on winning big in 1981
82 Rising from the ashes: Dealer visit to the Ducati factory in 1991
96 Spag bol: because Brits will never ask for ragù alla bolognese
98 In the end: there’s no ending, just a place where you leave the story
99 The Road: the next Big Thing