A visit to the Malossi Racing Headquarters.
By Sean Hendley
A few weeks ago, I flew into Bologna, Italy, a place where speed isn’t just part of the culture… It is the culture! You can feel it in the air. It’s home to Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati… and one of the best known go-fast brands in the small capacity world… Malossi.
I’d been invited to visit their headquarters just outside Bologna by Dominic Ramos of Malossi Racing SA. The facility is a gleaming, ultra-modern complex surrounded by manicured, park-like grounds that feel more like a high-end tech campus than an engineering facility. What I found there was a mix of history, obsession, and innovation, a living, breathing example of why Italian engineering still leads the world when it comes to going fast.
The Malossi story started way back in the 1930s when Armando Malossi, a gifted Italian engineer, began designing and producing carburettors and performance parts for the early generation of Italian motorcycles. His philosophy was simple, if something can be made better, faster, and more precise, it should be.
Over the decades, that mindset built a reputation. Today, Malossi remains a family run company, still fiercely Italian and still based in Bologna. The business is now managed by Armando’s granddaughter Alessandra Malossi, who oversees the company’s global operations, while her brother Andrea Malossi heads up design, research and development. Andrea is an engineer through and through – passionate, creative, and deeply technical, while Alessandra keeps the company running with calm precision. Together, they’ve managed to keep Malossi both deeply traditional and impressively modern, preserving the family ethos while pushing the brand into the future.
You can’t talk about Malossi without talking about racing, because that’s where everything they make is tested, tortured and perfected. Their long running Malossi Trophy series has become one of Italy’s most exciting and fiercely competitive one make championships. Think dozens of screaming 70cc scooters elbow to elbow around legendary circuits like Misano, Mugello and Vallelunga, proper racing, and absolutely Balls to the Wall. If we could only get that going here… Man that’d be cool! And Dominic Ramos, who is also Italjet South Africa, is actually thinking along those lines…. quite seriuosly.
That series doubles as Malossi’s real-world test lab. Every variator, piston, clutch and ECU they develop spends time in this crucible of competition before it’s ever boxed for sale. It’s the reason why Malossi parts have such a solid reputation. Grassroots motorsport done the Italian way, loud, passionate, and beautifully engineered.
The Malossi facility itself is nothing short of breathtaking. Clean, quiet, efficient and immaculately organised. It’s a long way from the oily workshops most of us picture when we think of tuning houses. Walking through the production areas, I saw pistons, barrels, and cylinder heads, which are cast off site, being machined to insane tolerances by robotic arms and the most modern multi axis milling machines that glide and pivot in perfect synchrony.
The machines are hypnotic, pure mechanical ballet. But what really impressed me was how Malossi balances this precision automation with human expertise. There’s one senior technician whose sole responsibility is to hand-match pistons to barrels and heads. No sensors, no software, just decades of experience and feel. He listens, weighs, and checks clearances by instinct, ensuring every engine kit that leaves the factory has that last touch of craftsmanship.
That’s Malossi in a nutshell. A balance between technology and tradition.
From the production floor, we moved into the warehouse. The logistics side of Malossi is every bit as impressive as their engineering. Every part is scanned, logged, and tracked using cutting-edge warehouse software. Robotic pickers assist with orders, while humans perform final checks before the boxes are sealed with Malossi’s distinctive branded security tape, a clever anti counterfeit measure that also doubles as a badge of authenticity. It’s quick, precise, and brutally efficient, the kind of setup that ensures dealers and distributors around the world get what they need on time, every time.
Then came the good part, a sneak peek inside the R&D lab. Before entering, we were politely asked to put our phones and cameras away. “No photos, please,” came the polite but firm request and the moment I stepped in, I understood why. The room buzzed with energy. Dynos screamed as engines were tested under punishing conditions. Engineers hovered over computer screens, analysing torque curves, thermal loads, and combustion patterns. Test rigs thrashed prototypes to destruction, feeding back data that would later inform new designs.
Tucked in one corner, some very intriguing projects hinted at what’s coming next, including developments for electric scooters and hybrid systems. Malossi isn’t stuck in the past; they’re building the future of small capacity performance, whatever form it takes. Over the years, Malossi has worked closely with brands like Italjet, Piaggio, Derbi, and a number of boutique tuning houses. They also partner with engineering schools and universities, mentoring students and helping shape the next generation of Italian engineers.
It’s this spirit of shared knowledge that keeps them at the cutting edge. Malossi might have been born in the carburettor era, but their eyes are firmly on the horizon. The R&D team is working with AI-assisted tuning, exploring new lightweight materials, and even dabbling in electric performance upgrades. The company’s goal hasn’t changed since the 1930s, they still make engines perform better, more efficiently, and with a touch of that unmistakable Italian flair.
As I left the Malossi grounds, the faint whine of a dyno echoed in the distance. It felt symbolic, a sound that’s been part of this place for generations and will be for many more to come. What struck me most wasn’t just the technology or the cleanliness or the automation, it was the people. Every person I met, from management to machinists, was completely invested in what they do. Malossi isn’t just an engineering company; it’s a family business built on passion, precision, and pride. And after seeing how they operate up close, it’s easy to understand why their parts have become the gold standard in small capacity performance worldwide. Because in Bologna, speed isn’t just manufactured…It’s hand crafted.
Back home, there’s good news for local riders and tuners, Malossi products are now available through Malossi South Africa. Dominic Ramos, who runs Malossi SA has made it his mission to give South African enthusiasts access to the same level of service and performance that we saw in Bologna. Dominic has undertaken to keep all fast-moving Malossi items in stock, with delivery anywhere in South Africa within 24 hours, depending on your location. Pricing is basically whatever Malossi advertises it for plus whatever shipping and taxes cost, and the stock is 100% genuine Malossi.
For more information or to order, contact:
Tel: 072 202 4171 – Malossi South Africa
Mail: info@malossi.co.za
