Motorcycle was producing over 500 bikes. Other British firms were Royal Enfield, Norton and Birmingham Small Arms Company who began motorbike production in 1899, 1902 and 1910, respectively. Indian began production in 1901 and Harley-Davidson was established two years later. By the outbreak of World War I, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world was Indian, producing over 20,000 bikes per year. During the First World War, motorbike production was greatly ramped up for the war effort to supply effective communications with front line troops. Messengers on horses were replaced with despatch riders on motorcycles carrying messages, performing reconnaissance and acting
Mondial (motorcycle manufacturer) Count Pierluigi Boselli, owner of the Mondial brand and descendant of the original founders, and Cesare Galli, holder of Pelpi international Italy, started to lay the foundation of a project to revive the company, sketching out the first designs that would in time become the first motorcycle. Cesare Galli was formerly the Technical Director at Fantic Motor, the successful Italian offroad brand. Galli worked there until Fantic shut down in 1996 (it has since been restarted successfully), after winning a hat-trick of World Trials Championships with his designs, as well as successive World and Italian Enduro titles. Galli took over