Fantic Motor

Founded	1968; 57 years ago (1968)
Founder	Mario Agrati Henry Keppel-Hesselink
Headquarters	Casier , Italy
Products	motorcycles
Parent	VeNetWork
Subsidiaries	Motori Minarelli Bottecchia
Website	http://www.fanticmotor.it/

Fantic Motor is an Italianmotorcycle manufacturer founded in 1968 by Mario Agrati and Henry Keppel-Hesselink.

Fantic Motor began in 1968 by manufacturing and exportingenduro motorcycles, mini-bikes and go-karts. Today they continue in the same genre, with the descriptions changed to the modern categories ofdual-sport andmotard. In 2016 they returned to the US market asFantic USA Inc.In 2015 Fantic launched new models of electric bikes, called theFat Bike.^[1] and has now a complete line of eMTB and commuter electric bikes.

Fantic began exporting to theUnited Kingdom in 1972, as part of a wave of manufacturers who took advantage of "sixteener laws", legislation that forbade sixteen-year-old motorcyclists from riding motorcycles up to 250 cc, as they had been used to. As a result, European and Japanese manufacturers exported their sporty and lightweight below-50cc engines, which had been common in Europe, to England also. Fantic produced a "sensational chopper moped" and a TI ("Tourismo Internazionale)," both of which became very popular quickly,^[2] with the reputation of being some of the fastest mopeds on the market, going as fast as 70 mph.^[3]

From the 1970s until the early 1980s, Fantic produced a series of 50cc mopeds called Fantic Motor Lei.^[4]The Fantic Motor motorcycles were first imported into the U.K. in 1972 by Barron Eurotrade Ltd whose headquarters were based at 51 High Street Hornchurch, Essex. The idea of forming the company and importing the Fantic came about because one of the founders saw the 50cc 'Chopper' model publicised in an American motorcycle magazine that his brother in law sent him from the States.The U.K. market of learner riders had several other makes of what were classed as Mopeds, (Motor and Pedals), but the Fantic T.I. quickly gained popularity with the rapid growth of a dealer network. The six speed gearbox was a strong selling point, and the perky ItalianMinarelli 49cc engine proved to be very reliable. Stories of the T.I. model reaching 70 mph were an exaggeration, as only just over 50-55 mph could be achieved, and in the right conditions. The 125cc Chopper model could top 80 mph, as Terence Shea found when the model was first demonstrated to him at the Fantic factory in Barzago, Italy. He test rode the new 125cc chopper model, reaching a top speed 130 km/h (81 mph).The chopper model was the original inspiration which the new U.K. importer saw as very special and distinct for a niche market, and fame grew.Part of the original marketing and advertising included a Fantic 125cc chopper model being given to comedian Dick Emery. There were many photos of Dick Emery with Terry Shea and Frank Harris of the U.K. importer, and one was blown up very large which showed Terence Shea standing next to the 'bike with his hand on the handlebars with Dick Emery sitting on it.Another popular model was the 125cc Caballero was for on/off-road, which was for a different sector of the market.The market for these types of Mopeds only lasted a handful of years.The official U.K. importers glossy studio photograph of the 125cc Chopper model was taken in London, and Terence Shea and Frank Harris of the Barron Eurotrade importer was taken from Hornchurch to London on a trailer towed by car. There was confusion in central London as to which turn to take at one particular junction on the way to the studio, which resulted in the trailer having to be unhooked and physically turned around in the narrow road and extremely busy area for the correct journey to the studio to be continued, much to the amusement of onlookers.

In the 1980s, Fantic enjoyed success in theObserved trialsworld championships, taking three titles as well as seven wins at the prestigiousScottish Six Days Trial.

In October 2020, Fantic boughtMinarelli fromYamaha.^[5]

In the2005 season, Fantic competed in the 250cc championship with a team called Scuderia Fantic Motor GP.

Fantic Motor is a new entry in the2005 250cc world championship,Arnaud Vincent be a rider.^[6]

(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position; races initalics indicate fastest lap)

Season	Class	Team	Motorcycle	Tyre	No.	Rider	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pos.	Point
2005	250cc	Scuderia Fantic Motor GP	Yamaha-Suter 250[7]	D	20	Gabriele Ferro	SPA DNQ	POR 13	CHN	FRA DNQ	ITA DNQ	CAT 21	NED DNQ	GBR 18	GER DNQ	CZE DNQ	JPN DNQ	MAL DNQ	QAT DNQ	AUS DNQ	TUR DNQ	VAL DNQ	NC	0
					21	Arnaud Vincent	SPA Ret	POR Ret	CHN	FRA DNQ	ITA Ret	CAT Ret	NED 24	GBR Ret	GER Ret	CZE 18	JPN Ret	MAL Ret	QAT Ret	AUS Ret	TUR Ret	VAL Ret	NC	0

In the2023 season, Fantic Motor competes in the Moto2 world championship but is the main sponsor of theVR46 Racing Team with its two riders,Celestino Vietti andBorja Gómez.^[8]

Year	Class	Team name	Motorcycle	No.	Riders	Races	Wins	Podiums	Poles	F. laps	Points	Pos.
2023	Moto2	Fantic Racing	Kalex Moto2	13	Celestino Vietti	17	1	2	2	1	116	10th
				72	Borja Gómez	13	0	0	0	0	0	30th
				9	Mattia Casadei	7	0	0	0	0	0	40th
				43	Lorenzo Baldassarri	1	0	0	0	0	0	45th
2024	Moto2	Fantic Racing	Kalex Moto2	20	Xavier Cardelús	18	0	0	0	0	0	31st
				44	Arón Canet	19	4	8	6	6	234	2nd
				31	Roberto García	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
						1
2025	Moto2	Fantic Racing Lino Sonego	Kalex Moto2	7	Barry Baltus	21	0	7	1	2	232*	3rd*
				44	Arón Canet	21	1	6	1	0	226*	4th*
		Fantic Racing Redemption		54	Mattia Pasini	2	0	0	0	0	0*	36th*

(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position; races initalics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Motorcycle	Tyres	Riders	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	Points	RC	Points	TC	Points	MC
2023	Kalex Moto2	D		POR	ARG	AME	SPA	FRA	ITA	GER	NED	GBR	AUT	CAT	RSM	IND	JPN	INA	AUS	THA	MAL	QAT	VAL
			Celestino Vietti	11	13	9	Ret	4	5	10	10	12	1	10	2	DNS			Ret	Ret	Ret	6	Ret			116	10th	116	10th	462.5	1st
			Borja Gómez	17	21	20	19	23	17	DNS	Ret	Ret	16	20	18	16	24									0	27th
			Mattia Casadei														26	24	Ret	21	21	26	25			0	40th
			Lorenzo Baldassarri															23								0	42nd
2024	Kalex Moto2	P		QAT	POR	AME	SPA	FRA	CAT	ITA	NED	GER	GBR	AUT	ARA	RSM	EMI	INA	JPN	AUS	THA	MAL	SLD
			Xavier Cardelús	23	Ret	26	17	21	16	23	DNS		Ret	26	22	27	23	Ret	25	20	20	21	23			0	31st	234	7th	437	1st
			Arón Canet	10	1	9	DNS	6	Ret	6	Ret	Ret	2	4	Ret	2	2	1	16	2	1	8	1			234	2nd
			Roberto García									Ret											Ret			0	NC
2025	Kalex Moto2	P		THA	ARG	AME	QAT	SPA	FRA	GBR	ARA	ITA	NED	GER	CZE	AUT	HUN	CAT	RSM	JPN	INA	AUS	MAL	POR	VAL
			Barry Baltus	6	12	7	6	2	2	Ret	3	11	Ret	2	2	7	12	10	2	7	4	6	3	5		232*	3rd*	458*	1st*	498*	1st*
			Arón Canet	2	4	4	1	8	3	4	6	3	2	7	Ret	10	6	Ret	7	15	3	9	15	4		226*	4th*
			Mattia Pasini												Ret	22										0*	36th*

* Season still in progress.

• XM 50: Enduro/Motard (Performance or Competition)
• XMF 125: Enduro/Motard (Performance or Competition)

• 125 cc 4T: Scrambler or Flat track
• 500 cc 4T: Scrambler, Flat track or Rally
• 700 cc 4T: Scrambler

• Issimo
• Issimo City

• Fantic XE 125 2t: Enduro
• Fantic XE 300 2t: Enduro
• Fantic XEF 250 4t Enduro
• Fantic XEF 310 4t: Enduro
• Fantic XEF 450 4t: Enduro
• Fantic XX 125 2t: Motocross
• Fantic XX 250 2t: Motocross
• Fantic XX 250 4t: Motocross
• Fantic XX 450 4t: Motocross

• Fantic XEF Rally 450 4t
• Fantic XEF Rally Factory 450 4t

• Fantic Stealth 125
• Fantic Stealth 500
• Fantic Imola 125
• Fantic Imola 500

• List of Italian companies
• List of motorcycle manufacturers

• Fantic Motor 2009 range
• Fantic Motor, Italy
• Fantic Motor, Portugal

• Italian brands
• Motorcycle manufacturers of Italy
• Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1968
• Italian companies established in 1968
• Companies based in Veneto

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• Articles with permanently dead external links
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• Use dmy dates from October 2020