ClassicMotorcycleMechanicsJune2020

(Jacob Rumans) #1

side below theoutput shaft isarelativelychunky
dynamo with two pulleys and twodrive belts.One
set supplies12 volts for the electrical system with
the otherpair, operated viaahandlebar switch and
solenoid, running the dynamo asastarter motor
–the engine’scompetition ancestry means there was
never anyprovisionfor akickstarter.Whils tanMV
four-cylinder motor might looksomethinglike alate
70s or early 80sUniversal Japanese Motorcycle, it’s
anythingbut.Toa ll intents andpurposes it’s
effectivelyalate1950s/early1960s racing engine
adapted for road use.
So what we haveinf ront of us isathinking man’s
MV Agusta fourbenefitting from the considered
upgradesofArturo Magni,who had spentmostofhis
life workingonMV’slegendary race machinesalong
with the roadbikesthat theoretically helped balance
the profit andloss sheets. Knowing this,I’m
expectingsomething morethan alittle specialand
first impressions don’t disappoint. Throwingaleg
over the bikeand settlinginto th eracing seat
confirms that this isunquestionablyarider ’s
machine; thepeopl ewho designedandbuilt this
bike were motorcyclists themselves.The adjustable
clip-on barsare low,but not uncomfortably so; the
pegs are aft of theswingarmpivot,but toohigh.


Immediate impressions count andeverythingsof ar
is positive. The twin gauges are BritishSmiths
Instruments in origin and boughtintoreplacethe
notoriously unreliable Italianunit spreviouslyused.
Goneare th efrankly naff‘cheap and nasty’ pressed
metal switches thatwere OEMfitmentonthe
previous 750S. Our testbike runs Aprilia controls
thatbear more thanapassing resemblancetothe
NipponDenso units upon which theymay or may not
be based. And all of this increased expense was set
against the factthateven as MV wasstruggling to
justifymotorcycle production, the bean counters
really onlywantedtobebotheredwit hthe

Red side-stand
is anicetouch!

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