The idea behind might sound a bit foolish: to recover an old historic Italian motorcycle brand and turn it into a global symbol of Made-in-Italy excellence with custom-built luxury e-bikes. That’s exactly what a young man called Filippo Beltrami has done, betting on the popularity of a historic brand and taking advantage of the growth of the luxury e-bike market.
After Carbon, the first model with an oversized, stylish and at the same time aggressive design, the new Moto Parilla has launched Trilix, a folding electric bike that has a more traditional look but is still unique in its kind.
“Carbon is an e-bike with a unique design. It was created by combining the worlds of bikes and motorbikes. This model has been constantly updated and improved, with the new version being released in 2021,” co-founder Filippo Beltrami tells Domus. “We assemble every Carbon bike by hand in our workshop. We pay close attention to every detail and allow our customers to customise their bike to their liking”.
Trilix, on the other hand, is the perfect city e-bike, Beltrami adds, and is perfect for urban areas: “It was inspired by the concept of the ‘Graziella’ bike, but its design recalls the world of motorbikes, thanks also to its characteristic trellis frame. Its strengths are its great manoeuvrability, its autonomy, the possibility of using it in different contexts, and the fact that it can be folded, making it the perfect bike to bring with you on outings”.
Why did you choose Moto Parilla for your e-bikes?
I chose Moto Parilla because it reflected exactly what I wanted from my products. This historical company made classy motorbikes with extreme care, attention to detail and craftsmanship, just like we do and want to continue doing.
How did you get to the final design of the Carbon, starting from the brand’s historical style?
Carbon stemmed from the idea of making an e-bike that was like no other, the perfect combination of the world of motorbikes and bicycles. We were inspired by the soft and harmonious lines of the first Moto Parilla motorbikes, further accentuating their dynamism and uniqueness.
Why did you choose the bespoke and extreme customisation approach as a strategy for creating and distributing your e-bikes?
We aim to bring made-in-Italy products abroad again, focusing on the quality and maximum functionality of our products. Taylor-made production allows us to satisfy every of our customers’ needs, so that we can create a vehicle that is totally customised for them. This is certainly the most important thing for us.
Is this a temporary business model until you can expand the production, or do you plan to keep working like this in the future?
Since our company is very new and we are constantly coming up with new ideas, we can’t say where we will be in the future and what we will be doing.
Are some e-bikers as design-conscious as they are performance-conscious?
Our vehicles are created by developing aesthetics based on functionality. When it comes to Carbon, most of our customers love design more than they are looking for the best technology and rideability. With Trilix, on the other hand, we have noticed that our customers are looking for a high-quality bike that is extremely performing and also is a unique design product.
What are the most popular customisations?
Our products can be customized in every possible way. However, we also offer ‘standard’ models that have been very successful over the last year. In any case, the ‘Elegance’ version is our greatest customisation, as it features several different painting techniques combining an opalescent white with a deep blue carbon texture.
Are you working on other models?
We are developing a new range of electric products. We are studying very unique, innovative composite materials. We are working on a new vehicle, which will have cutting-edge stylistic and technical features and which will allow Moto Parilla to enter the off-road sector and many others.