Total domination of MotoGP, a range of new sporting motorcycles that are the envy of the industry and a passionate supporter base like no other, Ducati are the current kings of the two-wheeled world. But it is easy to forget that there was a time when they weren’t even the top dog in Italy, because, for a considerable period, MV Agusta reigned over the world. Led by the appropriately named Count Domenico Agusta, his passion for racing was only rivalled by that of Enzo Ferrari, both producing and selling motorcycles almost exclusively to fund their racing efforts. And the rewards were evident, the MV Agusta racing program had a run of domination like no other has ever enjoyed, and the resulting racer for the road would become a legend. The MV Agusta 750 S is one of the most stunningly beautiful and technically advanced road bikes of all time, and these days, they’re worth a fortune.
From the initial introduction of the 750 S to the public, it was love at first sight, and these days you’ll need at least US$150,000 if you wish to buy one. Built from 1970 to 1975, this example is easily the most sought after, the twin drum braked model from 1972 and is offered for sale by the connoisseur of all that is cool, Peter Boggia from New York City’s Moto Borgotaro. In the past, we’ve been lucky enough to show off the highly collectable Ducati motorcycles from Peter’s collection, offered to the world’s leading buyers. The green-frame Ducati 750SS is always the top pick amongst the rich and the rest of us, but before it even existed, the MV was king.
To truly understand just what a dominant force MV Agusta was in racing, you have to go back to the late ’50s. The Marque won a total of 38 individual riders World Championships and 37 manufacturers World Championships over the twenty-five-year period between 1952 and 1976. During that period they won 270 World Championship races, which resulted in 17 consecutive 500cc champions led by a string of absolute riding legends – including Carlo Ubbiali, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini and Phil Read. And they also had the best race engineers of the period, Arturo Magni and Piero Remo, who were even ahead of the team of wizards at Honda.
From small capacity twin-cam engines to the dominant triples of the ’60s and later the four-cylinder weapons of the ’70s, they were the chief designers behind them all, and the ultimate incarnation for the road from their racing experience would be delivered in this, the 750S! But it was a long time coming, first, the company showed off their 500cc four-cylinder to the world, however, it would never see production. Then a 600cc machine emerged in 1967 and to stop their rivals turning them into race bikes, the 26 built for the road featured a shaft drive and a hefty 221kg mass. Peak power arrived at an incredible 9000rpm, and this might still have been the ’60s, but the road machine featured twin front disc brakes.
Sadly, the 600 was one hell of an ugly bike, and despite it being marketed as the Ferrari of the two-wheeled world, it sold less than 150 examples in its five-year run. But dealers across Italy wanted a machine that would truly deliver the promise of winning on Sunday, selling on Monday, and the Count would relax some of his rules. But he kept the shaft-drive just in case and the 750 S was shown at the 1969 Milan Show. Only nine examples were made in the first year and sold in 1970, before Count Agusta died and his brother took over, relaxing just a little and upping the number produced to 56 for the year 1971. It was still a small production run motorcycle, the engine dictated that, but 583 would be built across six years.
So, what was it about the engine that made it so great and yet so time-consuming to produce? Well, just like its GP siblings, the engine crankcases and cylinder heads were sand-cast, and on the inside things would get even more complex. The crank was made up of nice pieces and ran in six bearing blocks on ball bearings. It was all held together in a separate cylinder block sub-assembly that bolted to the main engine casing. At the centre of it all, a matched set of three straight-cut gears ran between the interior cylinders and spun the double overhead camshafts. The transmission too was driven from the engine and ran off helical gears just like the race bikes.
In an age before the internet and easy international phone calls, this caused the initial international dealer to believe the first MV Agusta 750 S he received had a busted motor. That dealer was Aussie hard man of racing Bob Jane, and with the press on hand to watch, his mechanics filled it up with oil and cranked it over. It started, but all those straight-cut gears inside the engine made them think it was either broken or had no oil pressure. A quick call to the nearest Ferrari dealership had them assured this was just how an Italian race engine sounded, and Jane would arrange for the great Giacomo Agostini to visit Australia to help sell the bikes. A wise marketing decision given the MV sold for between $50-80k in today’s money, depending on the spec.
The chassis had also been significantly improved over the earlier 600 model and massive 230mm Grimeca double drum brakes on the front replaced the ineffective mechanical discs. The suspension included a 35mm Ceriani front fork and a pair of Sebac shock absorbers, while the wheels were 18-inch from Borrani. Then there were the looks, the engine was stunning to look at and the sculpted shoulders of the tank were equally muscular as they were beautiful.
The four pipes screamed a glorious sound and the colour scheme was Italian drama at its finest, right down to the race-inspired red leather seat. Leading motorcycle historian Ian Falloon enthuses, “No other motorcycle engine can replicate the sound and experience of a four-cylinder MV howling.” And it’s easy then to see why the well-to-do are climbing over each other to buy this highly original example of a true Italian legend.
