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Back to the 70s with Speedy Working Motors

In the 1970s, Italian motorcycle brand Speedy Working Motors was best known for its racing machines. Now, SWM is back – with a number of tastefully retro-styled road bikes…

Scrambler, café racer, naked bike

Speedy Working Motors was founded in 1971 by two like-minded endurance racers, who began producing enduro and motocross bikes and later ventured into trials machines. By the 1980s, SWM had built a solid reputation for itself – but in 1984, the unusually named brand went bust. Now, SWM is set to return: at the EICMA motorcycle show in November, plans for its resurrection were revealed, with financial backing coming from a Chinese company. Ampelio Macchi, an engineer whose resume shows stints with Aprilia, Cagiva and Husqvarna, will pioneer the comeback. A range of bikes has been revealed that slot neatly into the current custom scene, including the Silver Vase lightweight scrambler, the ‘naked’ Gran Turismo 440, and the Gran Milano 440 – an Italian take on the British café racer phenomenon. The bikes will be built in Lombardy, and reportedly use engines from neighbouring Husqvarna.

Further information on Speedy Working Motors can be found at swm-motorcycles.it.

You can find numerous classic motorcycles for sale in the Classic Driver Market.