The Italian company Moto Guzzi actually did start out making farm machinery. Their trademark 90-degree v-twin with a longitudinal crank was originally designed to power some sort 3-wheeled vehicle, I think.
I had a 1985 or 6 (can't remember given it was almost 20 yrs ago) lemans sport 1000. It was a seriously fast moving bike. Not very nimble but it made up for it with it's ability to launch from the apex of a corner and be at full speed by the time you were standing straight up. I also loved the motor design of them.
And Maserati originally made machine tools (lathes & mills), Lamborgini made farm machinery as well. Like great presidents, great machinery is prone to humble beginnings.
BTW, the large alloy drum brakes on '67 to '72 HD's, both the Sporty and Electra-Glide, were Italian designed. HD did a lot with the Italians in the 60's including the consideration of collaborating on a four cyl. like the Honda Four years before Honda. What a lot of Harley greatness was flushed down the AMF toilet. The CEO's at GM should be reading Harley history right now. It just might save their butt?
Nope. Guzzi started out in 1921 building motorcycle - beating BMW by two years - making them Europe's oldest bike builder.
The 3-wheel vehicle was a prototype built for the Italian military and never went into production. The v-twin motor it had shared little with the v-twins that showed up in bikes in '65.
I know whence I speak.