MV Agusta

[Greybeard]

Honda's seminal CB750 came out 1969, but MV Agusta came out with its MV Agusta 600 Four a few years earlier. The MV was innovative with its four-cylinder powerplant sharing the same architecture as its GP racing machines. It also featured shaft drive, double disk brakes up front built by Campagnolo and tiny little built-in panniers (see them just under the rear seat section?). The rectangular headlight was an acquired taste at best, but boy was the engine itself a sexy beast! MV only built about 125 of these fours, so they are exceedingly rare today. This photo was taken at the Long Beach (CA) Show in 1967. (Cycle News Collection)

[berger]

that MV was shaft drive on purpose so it made it difficult to be converted to chain for racing, i had a fetish on MV's and read two books on them years ago and it was said count Agusta  didn't want privateers racing them after all his successes over the years. also the engines are like swiss watches and need meticulous care if there is the slightest problem. Bill Lomas famous for racing had a stint with MV in the 1950's as well as racing for many more marks and was involved in valve angle development on a bike he raced with the idea being his own to make them more acute . when he stopped racing he opened a bike shop at Clay Cross near Chesterfield , one of his sons runs it now with a small cafe and a few oldy brit bikes on show [ including a not for sale manx ]alongside many showroom condition as in original looking from back in the day, he has pristine kwacker tripples the full family , suzy kettles , honda fours ,dukes and lots more. it is far better for me to go drooling at his stock of bikes than go down the road to cmc and look at plastic space rockets in the show room and 40 to 100 people outside dressed in those stupid full race leathers thinking they are the DOCTOR thankyou for listening have a nice day possible pub monday not been for a while been busy