Harley-Davidson will name the investment bank to handle the sale of its Italian motorbike unit MV Agusta next week, launching the sale process for the Italian company, MV Agusta's Managing Director Enrico D'Onofrio said on Monday.

Harley-Davidson decided in October to sell MV Agusta to focus on its core brand only 14 months after buying the Italian company for 70 million euros.

There's a lot of interest, strategic investors, financial investors. There is a process of selection (for the buyer), he said on the sidelines of a new motorbike presentation.

Next week the name of the investment bank to handle the sale should be revealed by Harley Davidson, he added.

MV Agusta Chairman, and the company's former owner, Claudio Castiglioni said it makes sense for Harley-Davidson to talk to him about the sale of the company because of his very strong links to MV Agusta and its workforce.

The links are good and we can do it quickly, he said, referring to a sale of the company.

Castiglioni declined to say if he would buy the company on his own and said a serious group could do it.

(Reporting by Nigel Tutt; editing by Carol Bishopric)

Launch Sale