Martino Bianchi has enjoyed an incredible career in the off-road motorcycle world, spanning nearly five decades. From his early days as a motocross enthusiast and journalist in Italy to becoming a key figure behind the scenes at major manufacturers like Yamaha, Husqvarna, Honda, and Ducati, Bianchi has seen and experienced it all. His journey has included everything from managing top motocross and enduro teams, overseeing Dakar Rally operations, nurturing young talents like Andrea Adamo, to helping launch Ducati’s ambitious new motocross project. Bianchi offers a fascinating trip through his career, sharing untold stories, valuable insights, and his continued passion for the sport he fell in love with as a teenager.
GateDrop: Martino, let’s go way back. I believe you started out as a journalist as someone who loved the sport. Who did you work for and did you enjoy reporting the sport – I think this would have been back in the 70’s?
Bianchi: Everything started when I got my first motocross bike back in 1975, it was a KTM 125cc and I was a rider for let’s say most of my career. I’m still riding now as a hobby rider and I got my first job as a journalist in 1980 when I started collaborating with Motocross Magazine here in Italy, that was the most important magazine in the whole magazine production in Italy, selling about 60,000 copies per month, an important number at that time.
I joined as a journalist and I was responsible for the 125cc World Motocross Championship as a reporter, which means I worked on both the tests and the photos. I was also the magazine tester, so I handled all the reviews of the motocross and enduro bikes as tester from 1980 until 1987, when I started my first job for a manufacturer.
GateDrop: You then got involved with some teams, I think you’re first role was outside the Motocross paddock, but in 1990 you got a role with the Yamaha team in the Motocross world. How did this opportunity all come about and what exactly was your role?
Bianchi: In 1988, I had the possibility to work as responsible of the racing activity and the PR for BYRD, that means Belgarda Yamaha Racing Division, that was the sole import of Yamaha in Italy.
At that time, Yamaha was involved in Paris-Dakar with two teams, Sonauto team in France and the Belgarda team in Italy, so I joined, and my first Dakar was in 1988, I had in the team riders like Franco Picco, Angelo Signorelli, Marinoni and also Neveu, and I had the possibility to have three Dakar with Yamaha, Chesterfield team in 1988, 1989 and 1990. Then in 1990, I moved to motocross department as BYRD was starting a new project in motocross and I had the possibility to manage the team for 1990 and 1991.
GateDrop: Who were the first riders that you worked with at Yamaha and how did you find working with them?
Bianchi: I had as rider Shaun Kalos in the 90’s on Yamaha 250 and in 1991 Micky Dymond, two times national champion, famous American rider, again in 250cc in the GP’s.
We had support from Yamaha Europe at that time, with special parts and some contingency. I always loved the American style, that’s why I picked two American riders. Shaun Kalos was very young at that age, he was 18 years old, he came over in Europe with his grandfather and I remember he was very talented, he won the first Internazionali d’Italia race in Mantova in front of Alex Puzar and Donny Schmidt in 1990.
Then in the second race, he dislocated his hip in Castiglione del Lago and that was the end of the story for him because it was a very bad injury. In 1991, Micky Dymond was completely different, he was a very talented rider but also with a lot of experience all over the world. I found Micky a really good guy to work with, he didn’t go so well because the best results he had was a fourth overall in GP of France that year and I think he finished 11th overall in the 1991 250cc world championship. So it was a nice story, a nice beginning for my career as a manager and managing riders and Teams.
GateDrop: How did the Motocross world compare to the Enduro/Dakar world that you already had some experience in?
Bianchi: You know motocross and endurance rally are completely different disciplines. I was more used to motocross because I was a motocross rider so I know the needs of a motocross rider. For me the Dakar experience was very important in order to understand how to manage people because the Dakar team is quite a big team with more than 25 team members. It was an experience that elevated my professional level in managing teams and working together with the riders and the whole organization of a complicate race like Dakar.
GateDrop: You then got an opportunity with Husqvarna and I think you were there for 20(!) years. What exactly was your role there – that was a long time at Husqvarna (laughs)…
Bianchi: In 1992 I had the possibility to change work and I started to work with the Cagiva group company, at the time the Cagiva group meant Cagiva, Ducati and Husqvarna and was located on the Varese lake in north of Italy, half an hour from Milano. I started as a PR for all the three brands and racing activity coordinator mainly for Husqvarna. I had the possibility to work together with different teams because I was in charge of all the responsibility, all the teams management and riders so I was the one that acquired the riders and different teams of enduro, motocross and supermoto. The first world title was in 1993 with Jacky Martens, that was the first four stroke win after 25 years of domination of the two stroke and working with Jacky was really nice and interesting.
Then I worked with Chicco Chiodi in 98 and 99, I was the one that took Chicco on board of Husqvarna after his first 125cc title with Yamaha in the De Carli team. Chicco won the 98 and 99 world title for Husky with Team Maddii. Then I decided to move him because he was willing to go to America and I decided to make a team together with Eraldo Ferracci in America to help Chicco on his dream. It was a very interesting project because the year before in 99 Chicco proved to be fast in supercross as he finished in the top five in two races before competing in a world season when he won his third title.
The Husqvarna job was very interesting because as I said I had the opportunity to manage the different disciplines, from Motocross to Enduro and then Supermoto. The enduro Team was managed by Team Azzalin with his historical and winner team manager Fabrizio Azzalin. With Azzalin Husqvarna won many world titles in enduro, not only riders but also manufacturer titles I think more than 50… At that time Husqvarna was one of the best contenders in the enduro scenario together with KTM but also in motocross Husqvarna was very well recognized on those years.
I remember one of the projects that I was pushing was to have Stefan Everts in 2000. It was a really unlucky thing because Stefan broke his arm in the second race he did in February in Beaucaire, so he completely destroyed the preparation and also the world season was a nightmare. But a part of that many memories, good memories of winning championship not only motocross and enduro but also in supermoto as Husqvarna had a very nice range of supermoto bikes for competing at the high level but also for the amateur on the street. From 2002 to 2010 Supermoto was quite popular as discipline and also on the market.
The last five years in Husqvarna from 2007 to 2012 it was under the BMW management as the Castiglioni family that owned the Cagiva, Husqvarna and then MV Agusta sold the possibility to build the bikes under the Husqvarna name to BMW. It was also that time quite interesting even if not so much successful but it was a completely different type of organization under the German squad. One thing that I have to remember is that during all those 20 years working especially for the Castiglioni family so from ‘92 to 2007 we won so many titles and we achieved so very good results especially because of the R&D and the technology coming from a specialized engineer and I have to especially remember, engineer like Ampelio Macchi that was one of the technicians that handled the complete R&D inside Husqvarna.
It’s important to note that during all those years the company’s financial situation was not really healthy and all the success was mainly because of the passion and the effort that all the people was putting inside the company.
When at the beginning of 2013 I came back from my Dakar, my first Dakar race in South America with the Husqvarna team, I had the feeling that Husqvarna was ready to be close in Italy because BMW sold the company to KTM group. In March 2013 I received an offer from HRC Honda to be general manager of the Dakar HRC Team and so I was with HRC from 2013 to 2018. I didn’t win the Dakar during this time but I got a Rally world title in 2013 with Paulo Goncalves and I was the one that signed two riders that then after my time as general manager won three-times Dakar for HRC that are Ricky Brabec (2020-2024) and Kevin Benavides (2021).
GateDrop: You were manager for Andrea Adamo when he was very young. What was he like as a young boy? Now he is very direct, straight and an honest person. Was he always like that?
Bianchi: During the Husqvarna time I found the Husqvarna Off Road School as I’m also a teacher for the Italian Federation. I had the chance to meet almost 5,000 new riders as students from those 10 years. I had the possibility to meet many riders that then became good ones. Like Andrea Adamo that I met when he was seven years old in 2010. I immediately recognized Andrea as a big talent especially for his motivation and his strong attitude. Also the family was very helpful to him and helped him in everything he wanted to do. They moved from Sicily to the north-centre of Italy in Bologna because of Andrea’s big dream.
I managed Andrea during his Husqvarna times in the beginning of this career with the 65cc Husqvarna , then he turned to KTM and then I suggested him when I went to Honda, that he should go to Honda too. He started to be a rider for the EMX150 series from 2015 to 2017 when he became a European champion of the 150 Honda championship. Then in 2018 for him it was a big challenge because he moved from the 150cc to the 250cc four stroke immediately. It was the right choice because he understood well how to ride a four stroke and at that age he was only 14 years old. It was not easy for him to compete with the older guys and that’s why I organized for him to go to America and race the Loretta Lynn in 2018, in order to compete in a class from 14 to 17 year old riders.
GateDrop: I think it would be fair to say that Adamo wasn’t the most talented rider in the world – he came through the EMX150 championship, but he is a very hard worker? You also helped get him to Loretta Lynns in 2018, what was that like?
Bianchi: He won all the qualifying races before going to the final event in Tennessee where he got a 9th and a 10th overall in the different classes. It was a very interesting project thanks to the help of Honda and especially Factory Connection, the owner of Factory Connection “Ziggy” provided us a bike and a mechanic during the whole Loretta Lynn season. I have to say that for sure Andre Adamo at the beginning of his career was not the most talented rider in the field but his character and his willing to achieve his targets was predominant and that’s why he became a champion like it is now.
GateDrop: When he was a young boy, did you expect he’d have gone onto be a world champion? Even though you weren’t working with him then – you must have been very proud and happy for him?
Bianchi: Really willing to win at all times and also the decision he did in his career was the right decision, always helped by the family. I was really happy for him of the achievement he did in his career and I am sure that he will achieve more important results. He is a fighter and a hard worker. He never gives up.
GateDrop: When Ducati announced they were going to come in the Motocross world. You were deeply involved in this project, just what was your role?
Bianchi: Then regarding Ducati, I had a call from the CEO Claudio Domenicali at the end of 2021 and he called me in order to have a help in organizing the racing structure for the new Ducati MX project since the beginning. That’s why I joined Ducati from early 2022. I had a three years agreement, my role was to help the company to go off-road . As you know Ducati did the first step in this world of motocross, last year, starting from zero. I helped them to find the team, find the riders, help with the sponsors acquisition, explore America so all the contacts I had, I opened my agenda, all my contacts and I gave to them.
It was quite an interesting job because I saw the project growth from the very beginning, I was the one that helped them to find the teams and riders and the right connection. At that time especially for the 2024 racing season, many good teams were already engaged.
GateDrop: Ducati have some big names working on the project: Ciabatti, Maddii, Cairoli and Lupino. What was it like working closely with these big names whilst developing a new bike?
Bianchi: I know the Maddii family since many years as I had the possibility to work with the Corrado and Marco Maddii already in the Husqvarna times.
Then also Lupino was one of my riders, that’s why I pushed the company to have Lupino as a test rider from the beginning of the project and it was a very good choice. Then the Cairoli deal came by itself, let’s say, and the collaboration with Ducati was very good since the beginning. Naturally, the project was challenging right from the start, especially because we began with the 450cc. However, things have been progressing well, largely thanks to the excellent work of the test riders in collaboration with Tony, Lupino, Stefano Pezzuto and Antoine Meo. Stefano, an Italian rider, and the multi times enduro champions Antoine Meo has supported the R&D team from the very beginning, alongside the Off Road project’s manager, Ing. Davide Perni and the whole R&D Ducati Staff.
But it was not only the European scenario, the important task for me was also to put them in communication with all the American teams so I had the possibility to introduce Paolo Ciabatti to all the most important American teams and riders. Then we chose the deal with Troy Lee Design as team for the future with the technical collaboration of Factory Connection as I had already the possibility to know the Factory Connection method of work when I was in HRC, when Factory Connection was involved in SX and Nationals with the Geico Honda team, multi times AMA SX and Nationals Champion.
GateDrop: Jeremy Seewer got their first podium in Switzerland, even though you’re no longer with them you must have been delighted to see this? You put plenty of hard work into the project and it is already paying off…
Bianchi: I started to chat with Jeremy since his beginning with the Kawasaki team and it was a long history came to a good partnership. I’m happy that Jeremy achieved his first podium in Switzerland in front of his crowd. I believe that from now on he will be back on his usual standards of performance.
GateDrop: Currently what is it you are doing within Motocross?
Bianchi: Let’s say that currently I’m enjoying to help write some stories for Motocross magazine. The last five years, I started my own team of Minicross. During Covid, I discovered that I would like to help the families and the young talent riders in the minicross so I put together a team of riders from 8 years old to 14 years old in order to transfer my passion and my know-how to families and kids. I achieved last year a third overall in the Loket final of the European championship in 85cc class last year with Edoardo Riganti and his brother Pietro in top 20. His younger brother, won the Italian championship in the 85cc class and all together there are 10 kids racing in different categories in Italy and in the European championship from the 65cc to 125cc. The name of the team is Manetta team that means “wide open”.
GateDrop: What does the future hold for Martino Bianchi, would you be open to joining another team again?
Bianchi: I am working to two new projects that I cannot say at this moment but they are quite interesting and both in the motocross world. You will know and you will notice more about Martino soon.
