Gianfranco Bonera is coming to the Grand Meeting 2026
Some careers begin with the ring of a telephone. For Gianfranco Bonera, it was a call from Renzo Pasolini in May 1973 that was to change his life.
Some careers begin with the ring of a telephone. For Gianfranco Bonera, it was a call from Renzo Pasolini in May 1973 that was to change his life.
What followed was one of the most fascinating stories in 1970s motorbike racing.
Runner-up in the World Championship, MV Agusta works rider and Agostini’s successor
Gianfranco Bonera was born in 1945 in Porpetto, a small town near Udine in north-eastern Italy. It was there that the ambitious Italian began his sporting career, initially in cycle racing. When his family moved to the vicinity of Monza, it was inevitable that he would become involved in motor racing. At the age of 26, he entered the world of motorcycle racing relatively late – and quickly made up for lost time: in 1972, he simply won every single race in the Italian Junior 500cc Championship.
This did not go unnoticed. Having made a name for himself with an impressive victory at Misano in 1973, by 1974 he was already riding the MV Agusta 500 – as the successor to none other than Giacomo Agostini, who had moved to Yamaha. It was a great honour. And Bonera did not disappoint. 1974 was to be his most successful year: he won the Grand Prix des Nations at Imola, led the World Championship standings at times – and ultimately finished as runner-up in the 500cc class behind his MV Agusta team-mate Phil Read. A World Championship title that was within his grasp that year.
In 1976, Bonera moved up to the 250cc class to join the Harley-Davidson works team on Aermacchi machines, with whom he promptly won the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona and finished the season in third place in the World Championship. This was further proof of his versatility and fighting spirit – qualities that made him popular with fans and colleagues alike. Four years later, Gianfranco Bonera hung up his helmet – and subsequently devoted himself to his specialist motorcycle shop in Cinisello Balsamo, near Milan. However, his passion for motorcycling has never left him.
Today, Gianfranco Bonera turns 80 – and will be attending the Grand Meeting 2026 at Rittergut Birkhof from 31 July to 2 August. A living witness to the golden age of MV Agusta, a rival and companion of Agostini, a man with stories that are not to be missed.
