Among European manufacturers, the Spanish stand out for stable motorcycle production, which began at the start of the last century. Despite the difficulties Spain faced during this period- constant political struggle, civil war, and economic recessions- the country spawned more than 80 brands in this field. Given the Spaniards’ great love for this mode of transportation, almost everyone used motorcycles, regardless of gender or age; machinery production was a particularly developed business on the Iberian Peninsula. Studying the history of motorcycle production, one can get the impression that the process itself was a favorite of the Spaniards. After all, even during periods of declining production, they continued to produce and license foreign brands such as Ducati, Moto Guzzi, and other prominent representatives of the Italian motorcycle industry.
One of the most ardent defenders of domestic motorcycle production was Franco, who pursued a strict anti-import policy and developed his industry and small businesses. After the civil war, demand for cheap, economical machinery surged, and motorcycle sales peaked. This period can be called the golden age of the Spanish motorcycle industry. Leaders in this era included Montesa, Ossa, and Derbi. Many of these companies’ models gained international recognition and were exported to Europe and the USA.
In the 60s and 70s, Spanish small-displacement sports models became permanent leaders in Grand Prix racing. Meanwhile, off-roaders, enduros, and trials bikes saw strong demand abroad. However, Franco’s death in 1975 opened the domestic market to imported manufacturers, making it impossible for many domestic brands to compete with multinationals. Today, only a few local manufacturers remain in Spain. Naturally, the once-largest brand, Ossa, remains, struggling to hold its place in the domestic market. Bultaco and Montesa survive through foreign investment and cooperation with Honda.
However, despite the sharp drop in production and the closure of almost all national factories in the area, the Spanish motorcycle business is experiencing a renaissance. Many small businesses have sprung up and suddenly attracted interest from large international trading firms and direct customers abroad. Such companies include Gas Gas, which made a sensation in the States, Beta Motorcycles, and Sherco. Rieju and Derbi continue to fight for the European market.
Alfer
In 1980, at the end of the last century, Francisco Almirall, a famous motorcycle racer, founded his brand to manufacture and sell motorcycles. He named his company Alfer and designed and assembled the machinery himself. The business thrived in a market dominated by foreign corporations. This was because the designer understood the urgent requirements athletes imposed on their off-road sports “horses.”
The brand has changed its logo several times, most recently presenting a modern, original version. It is characterized by modern digital execution, high visual quality, and brevity. The color palette used is typical of the founder’s sportswear: dark yellow-green for the stripe on the leg of the letter “A” in the brand name and the word MOTOCICLETAS underneath it, slanted to the right, and dark purple for the Alfer name itself. The main text is set in a custom, graphically crafted font with symmetrical rounding on the outer corners of the first and last letters to symbolize the motorcycle’s streamlined body. The last letter has no sideline, opening up the previous one and forming the negative-space symmetry of the three letters “FER.” The letter “A” has an elongated left leg, which provides visual unity to the composition and unites all the words into a single whole.
Bultaco
Francesc Xavier Bulto founded the company in 1958, after working at Montesa and another leading Spanish brand, Mince, founded in 1944. The brand was originally headquartered in Adriana de Besos near Barcelona, Spain. Until the late 1960s, the brand specialized in single-cylinder models. But the only two-cylinder variant he created, the Bultaco Pursang, became the king of Spanish motorcycles. The company was closed in 1983. In 2014, they attempted to revive it under the Derbi brand. But since the company’s closure, no new original products under this brand have appeared.
The newest Bultaco logo is a bright round emblem in several colors: bright yellow and red, with contrasting black and white. The emblem is based on a wheel symbol, depicting several circles of different sizes inscribed within one another. The upper circle is made in yellow. A thin, contrasting black contour separates it from the wide red circle. A black circle with white dashes follows, symbolizing the motorcycle wheel and its disc. A thick white contour separates it from the central black circle. On the circumference of the red sector, the brand name is printed in large, bold yellow letters that follow the circle’s contour. At the bottom, a transparent yellow ribbon with a black border bears the inscription CEMOTO. Above the ribbon is REG TRADE MARK in black thin lowercase letters. And below it is the inscription MADE IN SPAIN. The accent element of the logo is the central image of the stylized “excellent” sign, conveyed graphically by a clenched fist with the thumb raised, a lightning bolt clasped in it, the lower part of which protrudes.
Cofersa
For 12 years, the Spanish motorcycle business has been represented by the Cofersa brand, founded in 1954 by José Mercader, who has produced auxiliary motorcycle engines since 1953, initially creating Construcciones Ferrusola SA in Madrid, Spain. The launch of the first complete motorcycle in 1954 was the birth of a new brand. The peculiarity of the entire Cofersa line was the use of a licensed power plant from the local assembly, Hispano-Villiers, which provided high equipment reliability. One of the company’s product features was its mandatory attention to riders’ comfort. Thus, in 1959, the Helix model appeared, designed for stamping and featuring a protective grille on the rear fenders. This ensured a comfortable ride for women in skirts so that they wouldn’t get caught in the rear wheel.
The brand’s emblem conveyed pretentiousness, elegance, and aristocracy. Red and gold colors made it visually rich and especially attractive. The heraldic element reinforced its aristocratic claims: a golden chimera standing on its hind legs and leaning on a golden letter “C” turned to face the first letter of the brand name. The emblem has a round shape. It is filled with bright red. The outer contour is gold, with an edge accent that highlights the central section. On the upper part of the outer circle, the brand name is handwritten in gold. The country of manufacture is written below in lowercase. To the right and left of the central circle are “ears” of gold cubes, giving the composition the visual impression of a boxer’s belt.
Derbi
Derbi Nacional Motor is a Spanish motorcycle brand that began operations in 1922. Simeo Rabasa y Singla opened the first workshop in the village of Molet, near Barcelona. Two-wheeled vehicles were repaired there. By 1949, the company had grown rapidly and become a major motorcycle retailer. Most sales were of small-displacement products. The company produced scooters, motorcycles, and mopeds. In the early 1980s, it became part of the Italian motorcycle holding company Piaggio & Co. SpA, which focused on youth products, small sport motorcycles, and affordable scooters.
The brand logo is simple and laconic. It consists of a text element: the company name in bold white lowercase Sequel 100 Black 75 font by OGJ Type Design, on a bright red background, and it’s easy to read and looks good on any background. The attractive, eye-catching rectangular logo features a wide gray accent stripe along the right edge. It draws the eye to the logo, directing it directly to the most important element: the brand name. It uses a visual lure by adding a “tail” at the top of the negative space in the center of the letter “D,” which draws the viewer’s attention to a prominent feature of the motorcycle’s external shape: its front fairing protruding above the motorcycle body.
Gas Gas
The brand was founded in 1974. The first motorcycles rolled off the assembly line in 1985. Successful models drove strong demand and spurred further development. In 1989, the brand chose its production direction and began producing light motorcycles, cross, and enduro models. In 2002, it released its first ATV. After the Spanish bank departed from the auctioneers in 2015, the brand neared bankruptcy. An alliance with Black Toro Capital improved the situation somewhat, but problems returned in 2018. A year later, KTM AG acquired it; while preserving Gas Gas’s main directions and developments, it plans to make significant changes to the production vector.
The brand chose a stylized iG” as its mark. The graphic image is designed so you can see the first two letters of the name in one symbol. The capital letter “G” includes the lowercase letter “g,” which forms the inner tail of the large letter. The full name “GASGAS” appears under the sign in lowercase, with a traditional auto-moto slant to the right, symbolizing speed and forward movement. All elements of the logo are in bright red, which has become the company’s corporate color and is used on most models of its equipment.
Gimson
In 1930, Pierre Gimbernat-et-Batl founded the company, which was first licensed by the French firm Automoto to sell bicycles and motorcycles in the province of Girona. As a well-known Spanish watchmaker, Gimbernat moved to Figueres to expand his retail space, opened a store and service shop, began repairing and selling watches, and added Automoto products. To differentiate himself, he created his own brand and named his company Gimson. This name was an abbreviation of “Gimbernat and Sons.” The accumulated experience allowed, already in the mid-50s of the last century, to begin production of mopeds, having received an order to equip the patrol police of Spain, which included a rifle mount. The founder’s premature death led to the brand’s closure in 1982. Benetti acquired all rights to the brand.
Beyond its original product design and advanced technical features, the brand was remembered for its distinctive logo. The graphic design closely resembled emblems used by beer brands. It was based on a text composition of the company’s name. The brand name sits in a half-arc in a specially designed, hand-drawn font. The text is composed so the first letter, “G,” has an upper element that smoothly and symmetrically arcs over the whole text, visually uniting all the letters into a single whole. The original execution of the letter “I” as the number “1” symbolizes the brand’s importance in its field. The color palette, golden letters, and a black-red border make the logo attractive and memorable.
Lube
The name Lube, a Spanish motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1947, echoes the modern brand of a lubricant manufacturer. This is a common situation in global business. Founded by Luis Bejarano Morga, the motorcycle brand produced equipment in great demand. However, the company’s management decided to change the powertrain by installing the German NSU Motorenwerke engine, which made the Condor a bestseller. Despite this success and sales of over 1000 units per year, the company closed in 1967.
Finding Lube motorcycles today is quite difficult. But the emblem of the once-successful brand has remained in the minds of motorcycle enthusiasts. A horizontal rhombus sits in the foreground, with a five-pointed star partially hidden behind it. Three prismatic rays protrude from behind it. The star is silver, with shadow effects that create volume. The rhombus has a gold border and an opalescent green inner surface. The brand name is printed in silver, with an artistic lowercase design reminiscent of Dharma’s A 500 system.
Montesa
Montesa was founded in 1944 in Barcelona, Spain, by two men with a common passion, Pedro Permanyer Puyhaner and Francisco Javier Bulto, and has an unusual history. Initially, the founders tuned military cargo transport, carrying shells. But a year later, after World War II, the brand refocused on lightweight, inexpensive motorcycles in high demand. Five years later, it began producing sports models for circuit racing. In the 60s, it began producing sports off-road vehicles. The entry of foreign manufacturers in the 80s caused a crisis, leading Honda to sell a controlling stake.
Despite this, motorcycle production continued under the old brand, which also retained its round emblem in bright yellow and red corporate colors. The emblem turned out colorful and eye-catching. The gold outer contour edging and inner hexagonal shape add contrast and draw attention. At the same time, this option softens the overall composition. The circle’s field is filled with yellow, and the central figure’s inner part is red. In the center, a white serif letter “m” is created, which, after the sale, gained a break in the middle leg, symbolizing the loss of independence. The brand name on the white rectangular plate with a gold border is blackened.
Ossa
Spanish industrialist Manuel Giro founded a motorcycle manufacturing company in Barcelona, Spain, in 1924 and named it OSSA. He derived the name from Orpheo Sincronic Sociedad Anonima, his own company that produced movie equipment. Refocusing on racing cars, road bikes, and off-roaders, Giraud shortened the family company name to an abbreviation of the previous one, preserving the brand’s history. Famed racer Mick Andrew won a championship title on OSSA machines. However, after he left for Yamaha and the company failed to merge with Bultaco in 1982, it lost scale and became a small production facility. In 2010, the brand was bought out, beginning a second life.
Today, the brand’s logo is a circle with a dark yellow rim, consisting of two circles: a large white one. The smaller one, with a thinner border in the same shade, has a black inner space. The central element is a symbolic floral miracle: a four-leaf clover, a symbol of luck and success. The symbol has a dark yellow outline and is iright light green. Above the central circle, the brand name is inscribed in black lowercase letters. In some variants and when applied directly to motorcycle bodies, the dark yellow color is changed to gold.
Rieju
Luis Riera Carré and Jaime Juanola Farres founded one of the country’s most famous motorcycle brands in 1934. They made the name from the initials of the founding friends. Initially, Rieju produced bike accessories. The company, located in Figueres in the Spanish region of Catalonia, curtailed its development during the Civil War. But in 1947, it produced its first motorcycle. In 1959, it launched the Jaca lightweight motorcycle. Small, economical, and inexpensive, it would become a sales hit for several years. In 1964, it partnered with the Italian firm Minarelli, which installed its engines, resulting in a moped model that could reach 43 mph, with a legal speed limit of 24. Today, Rieju is Spain’s leading manufacturer.
The company will design its logo in a bright, catchy red. It will be rich and attractive, reflecting leadership, perseverance, and dynamism, and fully aligned with the brand philosophy. The logo’s main symbol will be the letter “R”, the first letter of the name, enclosed in an oval with a variable contour; below the symbol, the custom-designed inscription “Ordin Ordin” by Robert Corseansch appears in lowercase. All the letters’ sharp corners are rounded in the font, except for the letter “I,” which follows the streamlined shapes of the brand’s models. The letter “I” symbolizes the stability of the motorcycle suspension, stopping the eye and drawing attention to the emblem’s overall composition.
Sangles
Spanish motorcycle manufacturer Sanglas was founded in 1942 by brothers Javier and Martin Sanglas, just after the Civil War. The company quickly demonstrated its products’ advantages by combining the best of German and British motorcycle technology, providing significant gains in reliability, functionality, and durability. The brand’s most significant model was the 400T, which the company produced until it closed in 1989.
The company logo is the brand name in a handcrafted font, with uppercase and lowercase letters and a nonstandard “S” design resembling the side silhouette of a motorcycle handlebar. Traditionally, it was placed on the side of the fuel tank. The emblem includes a stylized image of the top of the horizontally positioned fuel tank, made in two colors, light green and white, with a gray outline. A smooth, sloping curve crosses it, a graphic representation of the letter “S” in a bright, attractive greenish-yellow shade.
Sbay
In Sotogrande, on Spain’s picturesque southern coast, motorcycle company Sbay Motor was founded in 2009. The brand’s mission is to produce exclusive vehicles defined by maneuverability, power, individuality, and unique driving sensations. Sbay customizes each model individually. Customers work with the brand throughout the process. Production uses modern high-tech materials, such as carbon fiber and super-strong, super-light metal alloys. Components come only from global manufacturers such as Ohlins, Brembo, and Rizoma.
For its emblem, the brand chose a modern version of the design, stylized as a late 19th- and early 20th-century signboard. A regular ellipse passes through a rectangular plate, extending beyond the figure. On its edges are shown fasteners. Executed in contrasting black and white, it highlights its history. Though made with modern technology, it remains easy to read in all versions. The top arch bears the founding date. At the bottom, the name reads “MOTOR COMPANY.” The name itself is written in large, lowercase letters on the center plate: Sbay. To enhance the sense of antiquity, the letters look as if assembled from planks.
Sherco
Marc Tessier founded the Sherco brand in 1998 and immediately sought to expand its product range. Today, the company has two branches in Western Europe: the main factory in Spain, where it produces trials bikes, and one in France, which specializes in enduro and supermotards. Having established its niche in this market, the brand offers more than 100 motorcycle models in 50 countries worldwide.
The brand’s logo features a modern, simple, and memorable design. In both digital and print formats, it stands out, especially thanks to its original color palette. The text is in bright signal yellow, and the background is in rich, deep blue. Together, they make the composition stand out and feel especially attractive. The brand name is set in the italicized lowercase font Miedinger Bold from Canada Type, with serifs and a flattened point. Each letter has a black outline that clarifies the text by strictly separating it from the background. The right slant traditionally conveys speed, movement, and acceleration, reflecting a desire to move forward in one’s development.
Volta
After years in automotive industrial design, Marc Barcelo sought to bring his ideas to life as the automotive and motorcycle industries changed. To develop an environmentally friendly two-wheeled vehicle for urban riding, he founded Volta Motorbikes in 2010. In 2012, the designer unveiled the creation, featuring high technical specifications and a unique, attractive design. The model was released in three versions: City, Sport, and MyVolta, which immediately won over motorists with its appearance and performance.
The brand’s emblem and logo are based on its name. The custom name font, in black uppercase, has a flat bottom on each letter. This visual emphasizes each letter’s placement on a single flat surface. The right slant symbolizes movement and speed, as well as a drive for development and leadership. The logo’s accent is the letter “o,” with a space in the upper part where a bright signal-yellow accent symbol is introduced, shaped as a unit that speaks to the brand’s superiority over others. This letter also became the brand’s main standalone sign, effectively distinguishing it in digital identification.