MV Agusta 500 Racers
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The MV Agusta 500cc road racers were motorcycles that the manufacturer
MV Agusta MV Agusta (, full name: MV AGUSTA Motor S.p.A., original name: Meccanica Verghera Agusta or MV) is an Italian high end motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded by Domenico Agusta, Count Domenico Agusta on 19 January 1945 as one of the branches of ...
built and which were used to compete in 500cc
Grand Prix motorcycle racing Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on Road racing, road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held sin ...
series between 1950 and 1976. 18 500cc world championship titles were achieved with these machines ridden by
John Surtees John Norman Surtees (11 February 1934 – 10 March 2017) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from to , and Formula One from to . Surtees was a seven-time Grand Prix motorcycl ...
,
Gary Hocking Gary Stuart Hocking Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, MBE (30 September 1937 – 21 December 1962) was a Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesian former professional motorcycle road racing, road and car racer. He ...
,
Mike Hailwood Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from to , and Formula One between and . Nicknamed "the Bike", Hailwood was ...
,
Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini (; born 16 June 1942) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and racing team manager. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1963 to 1977, most prominently as a member of ...
and
Phil Read Phillip William Read, (1 January 1939 – 6 October 2022) was an English professional motorcycle racer. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1961 to 1976. Read is notable for being the first competitor to win world championship ...
between 1958 and 1974.


History

Piero Remor Piero Remor (Porto Venere, Italy, 1896 - Rome, 1964) was an Italian engineer and motorcycle constructor, best known for his work for the Gilera and MV Agusta brands. MAS boot Piero Remor studied at the Sapienza University of Rome, with, among oth ...
had developed racing engines for the
Gilera Gilera is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded in Arcore in 1909 by Giuseppe Gilera (1887–1971). In 1969, the company was purchased by Piaggio. History Giuseppe Gilera founded his self-named motorcycle company in 1909 (aged 22) near M ...
brand before
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. In addition to a
supercharged In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. It is a form of forced induction that is mechanically powered (usually by ...
500cc four cylinder engine, he also built a 250cc four cylinder. After the war, he based a new 500cc machine on the pre-war designs. The new racer was tested for the first time in 1948. This Gilera 500 4C did not perform well, but Remor refused to make changes and put the blame on the riders. In 1949 he was fired by Giuseppe Gilera.
Piero Taruffi Piero Taruffi ("Pierino Antonio Alberto Taruffi") (12 October 1906 – 12 January 1988) was an Italian racing driver, motorcycle road racer, motorsport executive and engineer, who competed in Formula One from to . Taruffi won the 1952 Swiss Gr ...
became responsible for the development of the Gilera, which became the most successful racing engine in the 1950s. Piero Remor was hired by Count Domenico Agusta to develop racing engines for MV Agusta. Remor brought rider
Arciso Artesiani Arciso Artesiani (21 January 1922 – 16 March 2005) was an Italian professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Born in Marzabotto, Emilia-Romagna, Artesiani competed from 1949 to 1951 riding a 500cc motorcycle for MV Agusta. In 1949, Art ...
to MV Agusta and first developed the
MV Agusta 125 Bialbero The MV Agusta 125 Bialbero was a 125 cc factory racer from the Italian brand MV Agusta, which was used between 1950 and 1960. The machine won 34 GPs, 6 rider's championships and one manufacturer's championship. The machine also won 4 Italian Champ ...
. This was necessary because MV Agusta only had a 125 cc
two-stroke A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes of the piston, one up and one down, in one revolution of the crankshaft in contrast to a four-stroke engine which re ...
that couldn't compete with Mondial and
Moto Morini Moto Morini is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded by Alfonso Morini in Bologna, in 1937. Earlier, Morini had also manufactured motorcycles together with Mario Mazzetti under the name MM. Moto Morini came under Cagiva control in 1987, the ...
in this class. On 1 May 1950, engineer
Arturo Magni Arturo Magni (Usmate Velate, 24 September 1925 - Samarate, 2 December 2015) was an Italians, Italian engineer racing team manager and entrepreneur. Early life Arturo Magni was born in Usmate Velate, near Milan in the Lombardy Regions of Italy, r ...
also came to MV Agusta and became responsible for the further development of the racing engine. Magni had previously worked with Remor at Gilera from 1947.


MV Agusta 500 4C 1950–1966

Remor also provided MV Agusta with a new 500cc four-cylinder, the MV Agusta 500 4C (ilindri) (also known as the ''MV Agusta 500 Bialbero Corsa''). From drawing board to test track it only took 15 weeks, but that was not surprising because the engine was almost identical to that of the Gilera 500 4C. MV Agusta and Gilera participated with almost the same motorcycles in the 1950 World Championship, something that Gilera were not happy with. Count Domenico Agusta never released technical data of his machines and personnel, technical staff and riders were forbidden to divulge anything about the machines. Because a number of newer machines were later sold through auctions, data is known about these, but the machines from the early years sometimes remain a mystery. For example, there are different estimates of the engine configuration in 1950. The most logical theory is that the MV Agusta 500 4C had a bore and
stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
of 52 × 58 mm (492.7 cc), identical to that of the Gilera 500 4C and the
MV Agusta 125 Bialbero The MV Agusta 125 Bialbero was a 125 cc factory racer from the Italian brand MV Agusta, which was used between 1950 and 1960. The machine won 34 GPs, 6 rider's championships and one manufacturer's championship. The machine also won 4 Italian Champ ...
, but occasionally bore and stroke of 54 × 54 mm (494.7 cc) are reported. The dimensions were changed in 1952 to 53 × 56 mm (494.2 cc). The shape of the combustion space was different from that of the Gilera, where a roof-shaped chamber was used to mount large
valves A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings, ...
. The valve angle was not less than 96°. As a result, high
piston A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors, hydraulic cylinders and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder (engine), cylinder a ...
domes were needed to achieve the correct compression ratio. However, those high domes on the pistons hindered the gas flow and the ignition had to be very early to burn all the gases. With the first MV Agusta engines, the valve angles were smaller and a 45° angle between them. These machines also had valve diameters of 34 mm (inlet valve) and 32 mm (exhaust valve). Remor filled the machine with experimental technology, but some things were clearly not favourable for performance. The
girder fork A motorcycle fork connects a motorcycle's front wheel and axle to its frame, typically via a yoke, also known as a triple clamp, or triple tree, which consists of an upper yoke joined to a lower yoke via a steering stem, a shaft that runs throug ...
was still quite logical, as the
telescopic fork A telescopic fork is a form of motorcycle front suspension whose use is so common that it is virtually universal. The telescopic fork uses fork tubes and sliders which contain the springs and Shock absorber, dampers. The main advantages of the ...
was not yet in vogue in
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. However, the machine only had two
carburetor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor or carburetter) is a device used by a gasoline internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the Ventu ...
s, each of which had to feed two
cylinders A cylinder () has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infinite ...
via Y-shaped
manifolds In mathematics, a manifold is a topological space that locally resembles Euclidean space near each point. More precisely, an n-dimensional manifold, or ''n-manifold'' for short, is a topological space with the property that each point has a n ...
. They used
shaft drive A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power, torque, and rotation, usually used to connect ...
, eliminating the possibility of
chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A ...
lube getting on the rear tyre, but torque reactions on the opening and closing of the throttle. In addition, the adjustment of the gearing was very difficult. With a chain drive it was easy to replace the
sprocket A sprocket, sprocket-wheel or chainwheel is a profiled wheel A wheel is a rotating component (typically circular in shape) that is intended to turn on an axle Bearing (mechanical), bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the whe ...
s. The drivers had to use two pedals to shift: upshift on one side and downshift on the other. A parallelogram fork was used at the rear, which would have been useful to keep chain tension constant, but was not an advantage with shaft drive. The fork was equipped with torsion suspension and friction dampers. The
frame A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...
was a double cradle, of which the front part was made from tubing and the rear pressed sheet metal. The machine underwent many changes in early 1951. at the
Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907 Isle of Man TT, 1907. The event begins on the UK Spring Bank Holiday at the e ...
There were now four carburettors, telescopic forks at the front and hydraulic shock absorbers at the rear. For the 1952 season, Remor changed the powertrain: the machine got chain drive and chrome molybdenum
Earles fork A motorcycle fork connects a motorcycle's front wheel and axle to its frame, typically via a yoke, also known as a triple clamp, or triple tree, which consists of an upper yoke joined to a lower yoke via a steering stem, a shaft that runs throug ...
s at the insistence of rider Les Graham. After Piero Remor's departure at the end of 1953, Arturo Magni had overall responsibility for the machines. He turned out to be an excellent frame builder, but technical development was slow. John Surtees however, had experience the
Featherbed frame The featherbed frame was a motorcycle frame invented by the McCandless brothers and offered to the Great Britain, British Norton motorcycle company to improve the performance of their racing motorcycles in 1950. It was considered revolutionary ...
from Norton and, just like
Geoff Duke Geoffrey Ernest Duke (29 March 1923 – 1 May 2015), born in St. Helens, Lancashire, was a British multiple motorcycle Grand Prix road racing world champion. He raced several brands of motorcycle: Norton, Gilera, BMW, NSU and Benelli. Af ...
at Gilera, he also convinced Arturo Magni to "Nortonize" the frame. Moreover, he refused to ride with the Earles front fork and the MV Agusta received a telescopic fork with external
coil spring A tension coil spring A coil spring is a mechanical device that typically is used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces. It is made of an elastic material formed into the ...
s. The MV Agusta 500 delivered around 65 hp at 10,500 rpm in 1956, making the engine powerful enough to match the Gilera and about 15 hp more powerful than a
Norton Manx The Norton Manx or Manx Norton is a British racing motorcycle that was made from 1947 to 1962 by Norton Motors Ltd. Norton had contested every Isle of Man TT race from the inaugural 1907 event through into the 1970s, a feat unrivalled by any ...
. At the end of its development in 1966, the two-valve four-cylinder MV Agusta delivered 70 hp at 11,000 rpm.


Technical data 1950–1966


Timeline 1950–1966

;1950 In 1950 the MV Agusta team did not undertake the long journeys to the
Ulster Grand Prix The Ulster Grand Prix is a defunct motorcycle racing, motorcycle road racing, road race which took place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. Due to the races having the fastest aver ...
and the
Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907 Isle of Man TT, 1907. The event begins on the UK Spring Bank Holiday at the e ...
. In the
Belgian Grand Prix The Belgian Grand Prix (; ; ) is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The first national race of Belgium was held in 1925 at the Spa region's race course, an area of the country that had been associated ...
, Artesiani was fifth, in the
Dutch TT The Dutch Tourist Trophy, also known as the ''TT Assen'', and also sometimes known as the Dutch Motorcycle Grand Prix, is an annual Dutch motorsport event established in 1925 for road racing motorcycles held on the TT Circuit Assen, also known ...
he dropped out, in the
Swiss Grand Prix The Swiss Grand Prix (, , ) was the premier auto race of Switzerland. In its later years it was a Formula One race. History Bremgarten (1934–1939, 1947–1954) Grand Prix motor racing came to Switzerland in 1934, to the Bremgarten circuit, ...
he was twelfth and in the Nations Grand Prix at
Monza Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...
he was third. Artesiani was eighth in the
world championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
. For a motorcycle that was developed so quickly, that was an excellent start. In Assen, a machine was also made available to
Reg Armstrong Harold Reginald Armstrong (1 September 1928 – 24 November 1979) was an Irish professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was born in Dublin to Frederick and Margery Armstrong, grew up in Rathfarnham and raced for the AJS, Velocette, ...
, but he had to change a
spark plug A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...
and was only ninth. However, when the machines did not appear in Ulster in spite of their registration, Armstrong quit.
Guido Leoni Guido Leoni (July 14, 1915 - May 6, 1951) was an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He won the 1951 125cc Spanish Grand Prix riding for the Mondial factory racing team. One month later, while competing in a race in Ferrara Ferrara (; ...
replaced him at the Nations Grand Prix and finished twelfth. ;1951 In November 1950, former world champion Les Graham came over from
AJS A. J. Stevens & Co. Ltd was a British automobile and motorcycle manufacturer in operation from 1909 to 1931. The company was founded by Joe Stevens in Wolverhampton, England. After the firm was sold, the name continued to be used by Matchless, ...
. He immediately began to propose changes to the machine. Some were also used, but 1951 was not a successful year for MV Agusta. Graham dropped out in the
Senior TT The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the wiktionary:blue ribbon, blue r ...
and the Grand Prix of Switzerland, where
Carlo Bandirola Carlo Bandirola (25 September 1915 – 21 September 1981) was an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He had his best years in 1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the larges ...
(who had moved from Gilera) was fourth. That was the best result of the entire year. ;1952 In 1952 it went better with the MV Agustas. Carlo Bandirola finished third in the opening race in
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, while Graham dropped out when his machine didn't want to start after a pit stop. Graham was second in the
Senior TT The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the wiktionary:blue ribbon, blue r ...
. He had even been in the lead, but took it a little too quietly in the final round, so that Reg Armstrong won with a Norton Manx (Grastrong couldn't have known that Armstrong was faster due to the staggered start). In the TT of Assen and the
Belgian Grand Prix The Belgian Grand Prix (; ; ) is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The first national race of Belgium was held in 1925 at the Spa region's race course, an area of the country that had been associated ...
, Graham dropped out, but in the GP of Germany, Graham finished fourth despite a pit stop.
Bill Lomas William Lomas (8 March 1928 – 14 August 2007) was an English Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing, road racer. He was a two-time List of Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champions by year, World Champion and a two ...
joined Les Graham an MV Agusta in the
Ulster Grand Prix The Ulster Grand Prix is a defunct motorcycle racing, motorcycle road racing, road race which took place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. Due to the races having the fastest aver ...
. Graham had to stop the race when the tread of his rear tire disappeared, but Lomas finished third. In the last two GPs MV Agusta won: Graham won the
Grand Prix des Nations The Grand Prix des Nations was an individual time trial (against the clock) for both professional and amateur racing cyclists. Held annually in Cannes, France, it was instituted in 1932 and often regarded as the unofficial time trial championship ...
and the GP of Spain, but second places from
Umberto Masetti Umberto Masetti (4 May 1926 – 28 May 2006) was an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1949 to 1958, most prominently as a member of the Gilera factory ...
were enough to bring the world title to Gilera. ;1953 The victories in the last races of 1952 gave hope for the new season, but in the opening race, the
Senior TT The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the wiktionary:blue ribbon, blue r ...
, Les Graham was killed at the foot of
Bray Hill Bray Hill ( Lowland Scots: ''Brae'' a slope) is a road in the Isle of Man. It was formerly a country lane known as the ''Great Hill'' during the time of the ownership of the Duke of Atholl, and was previously known as ''Siberia'', originally ...
when he tried to stay with Geoff Duke (Gilera). At the age of 43, Graham had become a father figure for many drivers and he was a personal friend of Domenico Agusta. Agusta was very concerned about the accident and ordered an extensive investigation into possible causes and withdrew the team from World Championship races. The team contested the final race in Spain where Carlo Bandirola came in second. ;1954 In the
1954 Isle of Man TT Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the he ...
,
Dickie Dale Richard H. Dale (25 April 1927 – 30 April 1961), known as Dickie Dale, was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer born in Wyberton near Boston, Lincolnshire, England. In 1945, he was drafted into the RAF and served as a flight mechanic, and ...
and
Bill Lomas William Lomas (8 March 1928 – 14 August 2007) was an English Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing, road racer. He was a two-time List of Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champions by year, World Champion and a two ...
started the race on MVs. Dale finished 7th whilst Lomas dropped out after three laps. Dale didn't score a single podium until Spain, when the world title had already been decided and the other teams did not appear, he won, while
Nello Pagani Cirillo Pagani (11 October 1911 – 19 October 2003), nicknamed "Nello", was an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver. He was born in Milan, Lombardy, and died in Bresso. He was known for his long career, spanning f ...
was third on the other MV Agusta. ;1955 Before the start of the 1955 season, Count Agusta contracted the young rider Ray Amm, winner of the Senior TT of 1954. Amm, however, would never ride a Grand Prix for MV Agusta. At Easter the team rode the Coppa d'Oro Shell Race at the Imola Circuit. In pursuit of
Ken Kavanagh Thomas Kenrick Kavanagh (12 December 1923 – 26 November 2019) was an Australian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racing driver. In 1952, Kavanagh became the first Australian to win a motorcycle Grand Prix race when he won the 350cc Ul ...
on a
Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi () is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer and the oldest European manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production. Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its historic role in Italy's motorcyclin ...
, Ray Amm lost control of his MV Agusta 350 4C at the Rivazza corner. He crashed on the slippery track and died in hospital from his injuries. Umberto Masetti came over from Gilera to support Carlo Bandirola. In
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
Bandirola came second and Masetti third. Masetti won the last race of the season at
Monza Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...
. ;1956 MV Agusta signed John Surtees for 1956. The 22-year-old Surtees had received a factory machine from Norton manager Joe Craig in 1955 on which he defeated reigning champion Duke at
Silverstone Silverstone is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. The village is about south-southwest of Towcester and northeast of Brackley, both accessed via the A43 road, A43 main ...
and at
Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in West Kingsdown, Kent, England, United Kingdom. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently hosts ...
. Norton stopped racing activities after 1955, so Surtees signed with MV, where he soon earned the nickname ''figlio del vento'' (son of the wind). Without opposition from factory Nortons and, in the first half of the season, the Gileras, Surtees won the first three GPs. Surtees broke his arm in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
and couldn't compete for the rest of the season. His 3 wins were enough to win the first world title for MV Agusta. ;1957 In 1957 expectations were high. It looked like being an exciting season as Gilera was again at full strength with riders like Geoff Duke,
Libero Liberati Libero Liberati (20 September 1926 – 5 March 1962) was an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1952 to 1959, most prominently as a member of the Gilera ...
and Bob McIntyre, while MV Agusta fielded Surtees and Terry Shepherd (Umberto Masetti also raced at Monza). In Germany, Surtees dropped out, while Shepherd only finished fifth. Surtees made a mistake with the Senior TT. He did not trust the weather and decided to drive without the crosswind sensitive dustbin fairing. McIntyre gambled on good weather and did use the streamliner. That worked: he became the first driver in history to average the magical "ton" (100 miles per hour) on the circuit and finished two minutes ahead of Surtees. Liberati had already won in Germany but had not gone to the Isle of Man. In the remainder of the season, however, Gilera put all the weight behind Liberati, who finished second in Assen but then won two more GPs.Libero Liberati career statistics at MotoGP.com
/ref> Liberati also won in Belgium, but he was disqualified and Surtees was declared the winner. Surtees didn't finish on three occasions in 1957 and had to settle for third place in the
championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
. ;1958 At the end of 1957 the major Italian brands Gilera, FB Mondial, Moto Guzzi and MV Agusta announced that they would end racing activities. The high costs were not in proportion to sales and the sport had become far too expensive. Count Agusta however reversed this decision. The lack of competitors (
BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...
, NSU and Norton had already stopped in previous years) meant that the development of the six-cylinder engine was no longer necessary and that MV Agusta could win world titles without major opposition. MV Agusta won eight world titles that season: individual and constructor titles in the 125, 250, 350 and 500cc classes. John Surtees won six of the seven 500cc GPs (he did not race in the seventh, the
Swedish Grand Prix The Swedish Grand Prix () was a round of the Formula One World Championship from 1973 to 1978. It took place at the Scandinavian Raceway in Anderstorp ( Gislaved Municipality), about from Jönköping, in Småland, Sweden. The first race to hold ...
). ;1959 In 1959 things went even better, Surtees won in the 500 and 350cc classes in all rounds of the
championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
. In the 500cc class, his teammate Remo Venturi was second in the final rankings.Remo Venturi career statistics at MotoGP.com
/ref> ;1960 Surtees and Remo Venturi were the riders for MV in the 1960 championship, except for the
Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907 Isle of Man TT, 1907. The event begins on the UK Spring Bank Holiday at the e ...
, where
John Hartle John Hartle (22 December 1933 – 31 August 1968) was an English professional road racer who competed in national, international and Grand Prix motorcycle events. Motorcycling career Born in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, Hartle began ra ...
rode Venturi's machine because of his knowledge of the circuit. Surtees won all competitions again, except the Assen TT where he dropped out and Remo Venturi won, and the
Ulster Grand Prix The Ulster Grand Prix is a defunct motorcycle racing, motorcycle road racing, road race which took place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. Due to the races having the fastest aver ...
. MV again became world champion in all solo classes, but at the end of the season John Surtees retired from motorcycles to pursue his career as a
Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
driver. ;1961 Gary Hocking had ridden for MV Agusta in the 125, 250 and 350cc classes in 1960 and was chosen to replace John Surtees in the 500cc class in 1961. However, he officially rode as a privateer with MV Agusta, and "MV PRIVAT" was displayed on the fairing. He won the first two GPs (Germany and France) but dropped out in the
Senior TT The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the wiktionary:blue ribbon, blue r ...
when his throttle stuck, and even after a pit stop could not be resolved. He then won in Assen, Belgium and
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
. Count Agusta invited Mike Hailwood to ride for MV from the Grand Prix of Nations. However, Hailwood was not about to play second fiddle and in the fierce battle with Hocking, the latter fell and Mike Hailwood won. In Sweden, Hocking and Hailwood came first and second. The team did not travel to the Grand Prix of Argentina. Hocking became
world champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
and Hailwood finished second. ;1962 Hocking was not comfortable with MV Agusta following the rivalry with Hailwood, especially when Hailwood got a contract for 1962. At the
Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...
, Hocking finished second in the Junior TT and won the Senior TT. The death of his friend
Tom Phillis Thomas Edward Phillis (9 April 1934 – 6 June 1962) was an Australian professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He won the 1961 125cc motorcycle road racing World Championship and was the first person to lap the Isle of Man TT mountain ...
following a crash in the Junior TT, caused Hocking to retire of motorcycle racing. Hailwood won all other round (except
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
and Argentina, where MV didn't enter) and became 500 cc
world champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
. ;1963 In 1963 Hailwood was supreme on the MV Agusta. The outdated British single-cylinder bikes from Norton and
Matchless Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models were produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc Four-stroke cy ...
could not compete with the Italian machines. Yet a new "old" competitor joined the fray. Geoff Duke had convinced Gilera to make the six - year old Gilera 500 4C available to his Scuderia Duke team, and with that John Hartle won the Assen TT after Hailwood had dropped out. Hailwood won the rest of the races that
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
and the World Championship, Hartle came third. ;1964 The 1964 world road racing championship went smoothly for MV Agusta. When Hailwood won the first six GPs, the title was safe and MV did not go to the Ulster Grand Prix and the Grand Prix of Finland. MV Agusta of course couldn't stay away in Monza and Hailwood also won there. ;1965 In 1964 Count Agusta had his eye on a young Italian: Giacomo Agostini had performed well with
Moto Morini Moto Morini is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded by Alfonso Morini in Bologna, in 1937. Earlier, Morini had also manufactured motorcycles together with Mario Mazzetti under the name MM. Moto Morini came under Cagiva control in 1987, the ...
and was signed for the MV Agusta team. He was clearly not able to cope with Hailwood, who won almost all GPs and often lapped the entire field except Agostini. MV Agusta, however, sent Agostini to Finland because he still had a chance to win the 350cc title and the leader in the championship,
Jim Redman James Albert Redman, (born 8 November 1931) is a Rhodesian former professional Motorcycle racing, motorcycle racer. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1959 to 1966. Redman is notable for being a six-time Grand Prix road racing w ...
(
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
) could not start due to a broken collarbone. Ago also started in the Finnish 500cc race which he won. ;1966 The four cylinder machine was used for the first round of the championship in
West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
only, the new three cylinder bike was used for the rest of the season.


MV Agusta 500 3C 1966–1973

The three-cylinder machine was first raced at the 1966 Dutch TT. The machine was based on the MV Agusta 350 3C that had been used in the previous season (1965). Count Agusta had wanted a 350 cc three-cylinder because he was impressed by the three-cylinder two-stroke
DKW DKW (''Dampfkraftwagen'', – the same initials later also used for ''Des Knaben Wunsch'', ; ''Das Kleine Wunder'', and ''Deutsche Kinderwagen'', ) was a German car- and motorcycle-marque. DKW was one of the four companies that formed Auto U ...
RM 350. Arturo Magni and designer Mario Rossi tried to dissuade him, but the count insisted. He even suggested adding an extra cylinder to the
MV Agusta 250 Bicilindrica The MV Agusta 250 Bicilindrica was a 250 cc factory racing motorcycle manufactured by the Italian brand MV Agusta from 1957 to 1961. With this machine 11 GPs, 2 Driver Championships and 2 manufacturers World Championships were won. History MV Ag ...
. When the three-cylinder engine seemed ready, Count Agusta was displeased because there were only two valves per cylinder. Within a week the technicians converted the engine to
four valves per cylinder A multi-valve or multivalve four-stroke internal combustion engine is one where each cylinder has ''more than two'' valves – more than the minimum required of one of each, for the purposes of air and fuel intake, and venting exhaust gases. Mul ...
and that immediately yielded an extra 6 horsepower. In 1966 a version with the engine enlarged to 420 cc was produced for the 500 cc class. The engine stood out due to the large oil pan and the oil cooler in the streamlined fairing to prevent the engine from overheating. The 420 cc machine was replaced in 1967 by a fully-fledged 500 cc machine. The three-cylinder was replaced in 1973 by a new four-cylinder.


Technical data 1966–1973


Timeline 1966–1973

;1966 With Hailwood and
Jim Redman James Albert Redman, (born 8 November 1931) is a Rhodesian former professional Motorcycle racing, motorcycle racer. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1959 to 1966. Redman is notable for being a six-time Grand Prix road racing w ...
on the Honda RC181s, MV Agusta had a strong opposition for the first time since 1958. Due to falls and setbacks, Hailwood was able to finish until the fifth Grand Prix, Czechoslovakia GP, grabbing his first points. Redman broke an arm at the TT in Assen and was eliminated. In that race, Agostini started with the new machine, the three-cylinder MV Agusta 500 3C, which at that time was no more than an MV Agusta 350 3C bored out to 420 cc. In the GDR both Hailwood and Agostini dropped out. Agostini destroyed his new three-cylinder in a crash and then had to fall back on the old MV Agusta 500 4C. Three races before the end of the season Redman, Hailwood and Agostini could still become world champions. Hailwood won two, but in Monza his mechanics had to build him a machine from two broken Hondas, and there was no time to find a good set-up. Hailwood crashed out and Agostini became world 500 cc champion. ;1967 The machine was increased to a full 500 cc for the 1967 season. Prior to Monza, the penultimate race, Agostini and Hailwood had won four races each. Agostini won in Monza, leaving him needing to score one point in the Grand Prix of Canada to win the world title. He became second behind Hailwood in Canada and won the champion. ;1968 For
1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
, Honda pulled out of Grand Prix racing, but paid Hailwood £50,000 not to ride for another team. MV's opposition came from small teams that made their own motorcycles, such as
Paton Paton may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Paton (surname) * Gonzalo Basile (born 1974), Argentine boxer nicknamed "El Paton" * Paton Price (1916–1982), American actor, director, and acting coach Places * Hundred of Paton, one of the Hundreds in ...
and Linto, or improved British single-cylinders, such as
Seeley Seeley may refer to: __NOTOC__ People and fictional characters * Seeley (surname) * Seeley Booth, a fictional character in the American television series ''Bones'' * Seeley G. Mudd (1895-1968), American physician, professor and philanthropist * See ...
''Motor Cycle'', 1 September 1966, p.274 ''Lower and Lighter'' by David Dixon. Accessed 2013-06-14 and Rickman Métisse. Agostini had no problems with the opposition and won all the 500cc Grands Prix and became world champion again. ;1969 The
1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...
season started well for Giacomo Agostini. In the first races he lapped the entire field (even after a bad start and a fall in the Grand Prix of Spain) or won by a huge margin. The
Snaefell Mountain Course The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' or ''Snaefell Mountain Course'' or ''Elmo’s Mountain Course'' is a street and Road racing, public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''T ...
was 60 kilometers long and Ago was taking it easy, but his 9 minutes lead would equate to 2 to 3 laps on an average circuit. At the 14-kilometer Circuit Spa-Francorchamps, only
Percy Tait Percy Tait (9 October 1929 – 17 November 2019) was an English professional motorcycle road racer and senior road tester for Triumph motorcycles, where he was estimated to have covered over a million miles of road testing. He later became a ...
(
Triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...
) stayed in the same lap. Count Agusta had his own lodge at
Monza Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...
, but the Grand Prix was moved to
Imola Imola (; or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical region Romagna ...
. The count did not like that and the team boycotted the race. The team also did not go to the Grand Prix of the Adriatic Sea. ;1970 In
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
the
two-stroke engine A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a Thermodynamic power cycle, power cycle with two strokes of the piston, one up and one down, in one revolution of the crankshaft in contrast to a f ...
s were clearly on the rise, with racing versions of the
Kawasaki H1 Mach III The Kawasaki H1 Mach III was a two-stroke 500 cc sport bike made by Kawasaki from 1969 through to 1975. History By mid-1960s, the US had become the largest motorcycle market. American riders were demanding bikes with more horsepower and hig ...
and overbored Yamaha TR2's. The Yamahas, however, only about 351 cc, while the Kawasakis consumed a lot of fuel and often had to refuel during the race. Agostini won ten Grands Prix and his new teammate,
Angelo Bergamonti Angelo Bergamonti (18 March 1939 - 4 April 1971) was an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing, road racer. Bergamonti was born in Gussola. His best year was in 1970 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, 1970 when ...
, the eleventh. ;1971 The 1971 season started sadly for MV Agusta, when Angelo Bergamonti was killed in a crash during the spring race in
Riccione Riccione (; ) is a (municipality) in the Province of Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. Riccione is centred on the Rio Melo, a minor river that flows into the Adriatic Sea. In the decades following the construction of the Bologna–Ancona r ...
. Agostini won the first eight GPs in 1971. The
Senior TT The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the wiktionary:blue ribbon, blue r ...
earned him his 75th GP win and in the
GDR East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally vie ...
he won his 80th, setting a new record. MV did not go to the
Ulster Grand Prix The Ulster Grand Prix is a defunct motorcycle racing, motorcycle road racing, road race which took place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. Due to the races having the fastest aver ...
. In Monza, Ago's three-cylinder engine broke for the first time, but
Alberto Pagani Alberto Pagani (29 August 1938 – 11 September 2017) was an Italian professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. His best year was in 1972 when he finished second in the 500cc world championship, behind his MV Agusta teammate, Giacomo Agosti ...
, now riding a second MV Agusta, won the race. MV Agusta did not compete the Spanish Grand Prix again. ;1972 Alberto Pagani, the son of former rider
Nello Pagani Cirillo Pagani (11 October 1911 – 19 October 2003), nicknamed "Nello", was an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver. He was born in Milan, Lombardy, and died in Bresso. He was known for his long career, spanning f ...
, was given a full-time ride alongside Agostini in 1972. Alberto had to settle for second place to Agostini for the entire season except in the Grand Prix of Yugoslavia, where Agostini dropped out. When
Gilberto Parlotti Gilberto Parlotti (17 September 1940 – 9 June 1972) was an Italian professional motorcycle racer competing in the FIM World Championship between 1969 and 1972. He competed for the Benelli, Derbi, Morbidelli and Tomos factories. Parlot ...
, a personal friend of Giacomo Agostini, crashed and died during the Lightweight 125 cc TT, the course was considered too dangerous for international competition by many riders. The MV Agusta team decided never to compete at the Isle of Man again. In October 1972, the Italian brands Aermacchi-Harley-Davidson, Benelli,
Ducati Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A () is an Italian motorcycle manufacturing company headquartered in Bologna, Italy. History Barely a month after the official liberation of Italy in 1944, SIATA announced its intention to sell this engine, called ...
,
Morbidelli Morbidelli was an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded by Giancarlo Morbidelli in Pesaro. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the company was particularly successful in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The team won the 125 cc world champi ...
, Moto Villa and MV Agusta petitioned to remove the Isle of Man TT from the World Championship calendar. The Italian federation distanced itself from this, and it was not discussed at the 1972 FIM congress, but many top riders never participated at the
Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907 Isle of Man TT, 1907. The event begins on the UK Spring Bank Holiday at the e ...
again.


MV Agusta 500 4C 1973–1976

A new four-cylinder MV Agusta debuted in 1973. Initially the engine was only 430 cc, being an over-bored 350 cc machine. In 1974 the engine capacity was brought up to 497 cc. Compared to the old four-cylinder, the power of 92 hp was a considerable improvement. At the start the engine still had a valve angle of 45°, but this was reduced to 42° and then in 1975 to 35°. The engine weighed only 55 kg and was 38 cm wide, compared to the old four-cylinder which weighed 70 kg and was 45 cm wide. In the latest version,
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
combustion chambers were used which did not deform at high temperatures. The machine received cast wheels and disc brakes and a completely closed double cradle frame that was constructed from chrome molybdenum tubes. The highest specified power was 102 hp at 14,000 rpm, but a problem for MV Agusta was the noise requirement introduced the FIM in 1976. To meet to the noise limit of 113
dB(A) A-weighting is a form of frequency weighting and the most commonly used of a family of curves defined in the International standard IEC 61672:2003 and various national standards relating to the measurement of sound pressure level. A-weighti ...
, silencers had to be fitted which reduced power. With muffled exhausts, the machine in its final version delivered 98 hp at 14,000 rpm.


Technical data 1973-1976


Timeline 1973–1976

;1973 The new four-cylinder was introduced in
1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
, but the machine was unreliable, so that the three-cylinder machine was often used. It was a difficult year for MV Agusta and especially so for Giacomo Agostini. They had attracted Phil Read as "second driver", but he did not accept that role. Moreover, the four-cylinder two-stroke Yamaha TZ 500 appeared, with which
Jarno Saarinen Jarno Karl Keimo Saarinen (11 December 1945 – 20 May 1973) was a Finnish professional Motorcycle racer. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1968 to 1971 as Yamaha privateer, before receiving the Yamaha ...
won the first two GPs. Agostini still trusted the three-cylinder, but in the first race he was beaten by Read on the four-cylinder. In the GP of Germany, Read won after Saarinen, Kanaya (both Yamaha) and Agostini had dropped out. After the fatal accident in Monza, where Saarinen and
Renzo Pasolini Renzo Pasolini (18 July 1938 – 20 May 1973), nicknamed "Paso", was an Italian professional motorcycle road racer. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1964 to 1972. Although he never won a world champ ...
died, the 500 cc race was cancelled and Yamaha withdrew for the remainder of the season. As agreed, the top riders stayed away from the
Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907 Isle of Man TT, 1907. The event begins on the UK Spring Bank Holiday at the e ...
, meaning the next race would be in Yugoslavia. However, due to a controversial decision by team leader Magni, the MV drivers were not allowed to drive. He was not convinced of the safety of the track, which was approved by a delegation of four drivers, including Agostini. In the TT of Assen, Agostini dropped out again and Read won. Agostini won in Belgium and Czechoslovakia, but Read still had a comfortable lead in points and Ago was behind
Kim Newcombe Kim Newcombe (2 January 1944 – 14 August 1973), was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from New Zealand. Biography Born in Nelson, Newcombe grew up in Auckland, then moved to Australia (first Brisbane, then Melbourne) in 1963, and subsequen ...
and
Jack Findlay Cyril John Findlay (5 February 1935 – 19 May 2007) was an Australian professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is noted for having one of the longest racing careers in Grand Prix history spanning 20 years, as well as one of five ri ...
in the rankings. Read became the world champion at the Grand Prix of Sweden. He had driven the new four-cylinder for most of the season. ;1974 The four-cylinder was a now a considerable improvement on the three-cylinder, but in
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
there was much more competition. Yamaha now had the updated YZR 500 factory racer, but a whole fleet of TZ 500 production racers also appeared. In addition,
Barry Sheene Barry Steven Frank Sheene (11 September 1950 – 10 March 2003) was a British professional motorcycle racer and television sports presenter. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing between and , most prominently as a member of the Su ...
, Paul Smart and Jack Findlay launched the new Suzuki RG 500. Agostini had switched to Yamaha. Franco Bonera, Gianfranco Bonera partnered Phil Read at MV Agusta. Bonera, however, was primarily responsible for winning the Italian championship title. MV Agusta stopped the 350cc class early in the season, allowing them to concentrate fully on the 500cc class. In the season opening French GP, for the first time in years, there was a battle between three brands, which was won by Phil Read after Agostini dropped out. The top drivers boycott the Grand Prix of Germany. In Assen, three brands were on the first row: Yamaha (Teuvo Länsivuori and Giacomo Agostini), MV Agusta (Phil Read) and Suzuki (Barry Sheene). Agostini won this race, but in Belgium he was again second behind Read. There he drove the new YZR 500, but the MV Agusta was also new and finally had a fully-fledged 500cc engine. Due to falls in Sweden, Agostini and Sheene lost their chance for the world title. Phil Read came second there, but his win at the Grand Prix of Finland clinched the world title for MV Agusta again. Bonera finished second in the final ranking of the world championship. ;1975 Although they had obtained the first two places in the previous year's world championship, the opposition for the MV Agustas was becoming stronger. The FIM had committed to long races. The two-stroke machines had to make fuel stops or mount larger, heavier tanks which favored the MV Agusta four-stroke. Read was not at all satisfied with the handling of the four-cylinder engine and Gianfranco Bonera broke a leg during the preseason and had to be replaced by Armando Toracca. Giacomo Agostini, sought rapprochement with the MV team, but was still employed by Yamaha. Toracca disliked "second driver" status and forced Read to fight for third place in the opening race, causing them to lose a lot of time to Agostini and Kanaya with their Yamahas. In Austria, Read was only third behind Kanaya and Länsivuori (Suzuki). On the Hockenheim circuit, pure speed was important and as a result Read was able to compete with Agostini, but Agostini won. In Imola, Read had no chance against Agostini and in Assen he was only third. In Belgium, another speed circuit, Read won. Moreover, Agostini dropped out, as did the now fit Bonera and Barry Sheene. Read became second behind Sheene in Sweden but dropped out in Finland. As a result, the world title battle was still open at the start of the last GP (Czechoslovakia). Agostini had to make a fuel stop and Read won the race, but Agostini's second place was enough for him to clinch the world title. ;1976 In 1976, Agostini returned to MV Agusta, but not with a usual factory contract. The MV Agustas were delivered to the "Marlboro-Api Racing Team", but with support of the entire team of factory engineers supporting at races. The FIM introduced the new noise standard of 113 dB(A) and the MV struggled to meet it. Agostini used a Suzuki RG 500 after the second race. Only in the last race of the season in Germany did the MV Agusta appear again, now equipped with lighter pistons and a lighter crankshaft. Agostini won the race with it in difficult conditions. Nevertheless, MV Agusta announced at the end of the year that it would stop road racing.


Prototypes


MV Agusta 500 6C 1957–1958

The four-cylinder MV Agusta was noncompetitive against the Gileras in 1957 and in practice for the last race of 1957, Monza, Nello Pagani appeared with a completely new machine: a six-cylinder in-line engine. MV Agusta built the engine in response to the Moto Guzzi V8, Moto Guzzi Otto Cilindri. The machine provided enough power, but this did not outweigh the additional weight. Pagani did not start the machine in the race. John Hartle raced the machine at Monza the following year but retired. When Moto Guzzi and Gilera withdrew from the road race, further development of the six-cylinder engine was no longer necessary. Only one of the MV Agusta 500 6C was built. The air-cooled six-cylinder engine still had double overhead camshafts and a double cradle frame, the lower tubes of which could be dismantled for easy removal of the engine. It delivered around 75 hp at 15,000 rpm and weighed 145 kg.


MV Agusta 500 4C Boxer 1975–1976

In 1975 Arturo Magni started working on a completely new engine together with engineers Mazza and Bocchi. Bocchi came from Ferrari and constructed a Flat-four engine, four-cylinder boxer engine with water cooling. The engine did not go beyond the prototype stage and was never tested on a circuit. The cylinder sizes (bore and stroke) were the same as those of the in-line engine and the engine immediately delivered a corresponding power of 106 to 108 hp (without noise reduction). It was a transverse engine, with two cylinders at the front and two at the rear. In 1977 the motorcycle was photographed in a frame, but this motorcycle was certainly not roadworthy.


Technical data prototypes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * {{MV Agusta MV Agusta motorcycles, 500 racers Grand Prix motorcycles Motorcycles introduced in 1950