page 17 2013 Tommi Ahvala Feature Interview
Tommi on the 1994 Fantic with Woody Hole as minder at the Spanish round
2013 Tommi Ahvala Interview WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Was it an improvement over the Aprilia?
Yes, it was an improvement over the Aprilia. It was a little bit more moderate and normal and the suspension was the way it was supposed to be. Not in terms of quality but the frame and suspension done everything else worked pretty good.
Had you ever been to the Fantic factory prior to this?
No. I wasn’t a very welcome guest after what happened in 88 ha ha ha ha they didn’t like me too much. It took a while.
Yes, it was an improvement over the Aprilia. It was a little bit more moderate and normal and the suspension was the way it was supposed to be. Not in terms of quality but the frame and suspension done everything else worked pretty good.
Had you ever been to the Fantic factory prior to this?
No. I wasn’t a very welcome guest after what happened in 88 ha ha ha ha they didn’t like me too much. It took a while.
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Fabio, Tommi's mechanic
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What were Fantic like to ride for?
It was ok. Who was the boss of the company? Dario Agrati he was the owner. Fabio who was Jordi’s mechanic at Beta was my mechanic there. They signed him at the same time when they signed me to be my mechanic and turn the racing team. It was really small team. He was one of those old trials guys that wanted to do everything himself so he developed the bike and tested the bike himself and he had one or two guys working there with him at the racing department but it was really small. Did he operate from the factory or his home? Kind of both. If there was some test that the factory didn’t approve with, they would do it from his summer cottage and do the modifications there. He’d do there the things that he didn’t want other people to know, perhaps if they didn’t work for different reasons. If something worked he would bring it up with me and we’d go from there. Most of the time he would be at the factory. |
What was the Fantic factory like?
It was pretty impressive and if you walked they had their own test track outside for mopeds. Huge production line. It was the first modern factory in Europe when it opened and the first with a moving production line.
It was pretty impressive and if you walked they had their own test track outside for mopeds. Huge production line. It was the first modern factory in Europe when it opened and the first with a moving production line.
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It had a huge warehouse for the bikes that were getting delivered but it was far away from the glory days and it wasn’t anywhere near. The buildings still there but it was only 20 per cent occupied.
The Fantic factory, Barzaga, Italy - circa 1980
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Were you on a more limited budget at Fantic?
Yes, but I don’t think the money was really an issue there. We still had a pretty good bike and in trials luckily it’s more down to the rider and persons around you who work on the bike. Fabio worked really hard on the bike. He was a little stubborn but I guess most of us are. He had good ideas and was always trying things and brought a lot of experience from Jordi, at Beta.
Yes, but I don’t think the money was really an issue there. We still had a pretty good bike and in trials luckily it’s more down to the rider and persons around you who work on the bike. Fabio worked really hard on the bike. He was a little stubborn but I guess most of us are. He had good ideas and was always trying things and brought a lot of experience from Jordi, at Beta.
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He lived nearby the factory. They signed me up to a really good contract so I had money to hire my own mechanics and minders more than mechanics so I didn’t have any problems like that.
Did you arrange your own sponsors? Yes, I still had some of my old sponsors but it was mainly Fantic who were paying ….whenever they were paying!! ha ha ha ha |
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1994 Italy
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English British Championship rider Woody Hole as minder in Czech
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Did Aprilia pay you in your last year?
Yes, I never had a problem. They were always on time.
No one got paid at Fantic for their last year did they?
Agrati, we always joke and say that Agrati would have the names of the riders in his house. The kitchen would be paid by Miglio, the bathroom Amos and living room me ha ha ha ha ha with the money he owned me he could have done this out real nice. Ha ha ha ha that whole house was paid by us.
Yes, I never had a problem. They were always on time.
No one got paid at Fantic for their last year did they?
Agrati, we always joke and say that Agrati would have the names of the riders in his house. The kitchen would be paid by Miglio, the bathroom Amos and living room me ha ha ha ha ha with the money he owned me he could have done this out real nice. Ha ha ha ha that whole house was paid by us.
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Fantic owner and former Garelli Boss Dr Mario Agrati with his wife Marina Sala in the car
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Was Agrati a character?
Ohhh, I could tell you so many stories ha ha ha ha is the most two faced person I have ever met. He is just a trickster guy. I just remember this one occasion Jon Pons was riding for Fantic as well and I was in Agratis office and he had this larger lady secretary. She would walk ten steps and she would be breathing real heavy. I was talking with Agrati and she came into the office out of breath “Mr Agrati , Jon Pons is here”. Agrati said “What the fuck does that shit face want from me again”. Jon walked in immediately and Agrati immediately said “Arrgghh Jon, very nice to see you “ ha ha ha ha. So that just shows how this guy just talked really bad about everybody behind their back. |
Was he a pretty tough businessman ?
He was pretty bad. If you went back to him as your salary had not been paid he would say, “You must have given me the wrong account number, we have already sent the money so there is nothing we can do”. We’d have to figure stuff like that out all of the time. Luckily I already knew how he was as I had been warned and we calculated that we were going to miss the last 6 months of our cheques as he wouldn’t pay us so we got it all in the 6 month before ha ha ha. Miglio, Michaud, they all got stung by him. Diego was the only one that got paid by him. And I think it’s because his father had connections. I think that’s the reason why he was the only one that got paid.
I remember one more thing that happened with Agrati. You have to remember that he wasnt to good to most of the riders and so some of the riders he'd been not so good to would return the favour. He used to come to some of World trials and ride around on his scooter. One time he fell off the moped and was lying in a bush scratched up. The riders knew he was ok and it was half having a bit of fun but they just left him there and pretended they didnt see him ha ha ha . It was getting their own back.
Another time at a trial we had the motor home parked right down a short wooden jeti leading out over the water .Agrati was buzzing around on his scooter and when he parked it up facing the jeti , we loosened his brakes and stuck his throttle wide open . You should have seen him fly ha ha ha ha . He was ok and just managed top avoid going it . It was such a laugh ha ha ha ha .
He was pretty bad. If you went back to him as your salary had not been paid he would say, “You must have given me the wrong account number, we have already sent the money so there is nothing we can do”. We’d have to figure stuff like that out all of the time. Luckily I already knew how he was as I had been warned and we calculated that we were going to miss the last 6 months of our cheques as he wouldn’t pay us so we got it all in the 6 month before ha ha ha. Miglio, Michaud, they all got stung by him. Diego was the only one that got paid by him. And I think it’s because his father had connections. I think that’s the reason why he was the only one that got paid.
I remember one more thing that happened with Agrati. You have to remember that he wasnt to good to most of the riders and so some of the riders he'd been not so good to would return the favour. He used to come to some of World trials and ride around on his scooter. One time he fell off the moped and was lying in a bush scratched up. The riders knew he was ok and it was half having a bit of fun but they just left him there and pretended they didnt see him ha ha ha . It was getting their own back.
Another time at a trial we had the motor home parked right down a short wooden jeti leading out over the water .Agrati was buzzing around on his scooter and when he parked it up facing the jeti , we loosened his brakes and stuck his throttle wide open . You should have seen him fly ha ha ha ha . He was ok and just managed top avoid going it . It was such a laugh ha ha ha ha .
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1994 Ireland
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1994 poster of Tommi
2013 Tommi Ahvala Interview WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
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