Thegooccmv AGUSTAFOUR
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CYCLE ROAD IMPRESSION THEGOOccMV AGUSTAFOUR By building a version of his fabulous dohc racing engine into a touring frame, Count Agusta has created a unique, weird and wonderful collectors dream. otorcycle collectors, .take heart. and he has placed variously in U.S. M Here is one that will really add nationals (AMA) and in AAMRR races. class to your flock. The MV four, after He's raced the TT at the Isle of Man nearly thirty years on the international and built drag bikes and sold motor- racing scene, is now available in lim- cycles in Philadelphia and generally ited numbers as a 600cc touring mount. kept his thumb in many motorcycle It's big and it's unique and it's very, pots. Ed reported he's set up his own very sophisticated in a classic sort of motorcycle engineering firm, one of way. The price you pay for a machine whose activities will be to import and with one of the world's most famous sell the MV four. His U.S. price $2889.02. engines is just shy of three grand-not So we leaped into our van one 20° very much for a collector's item. morning and sped to Philadelphia, justly CYCLEMagazine has been trying to fired up over riding the world's second lay its hands on the MV four ever since living production-line four-cylinder we heard it was going into production. motorcycle (second to the Munch Mam- That is, since we heard last. The MV moth). After meeting Big Ed and star- four, it seems, has been dangled before ing dumbly at the monstrous machine, the enthusiast's eye numerous times we headed for a nearby proving ground. throughout the last twenty years, usually Ed followed our van, riding the MV. at the big European cycle shows, and Above the roar of our own in-cab V-8 always accompanied by much ballyhoo, engine, we could only hear the whine and oohing and aahing by an impressed of the MV's double overhead cam mech- public. Only l<jter and with many re- anism. Nice sound: sor'! of like a jet, grets would Count Agusta disclose that .and not a whisper of exhaust note. his showpiece was not yet to be. When At the test site, Ed LaBelle admitted it was shown again the Spring of 1967, he hadn't received any paperwork with cycle enthusiasts were beginning to his three thou investment. Valves, tim- exhibit a certain wolf-wolf condition- ing, lubricants, etc. were serviced more ing. But they stared and they wished, or less as an experienced motorcycle and our European correspondent sent man judged correct. We asked Ed what the word. he had been using as a shift point. "Oh, Then to the surprise of everyone, MV about three thousand." he said. This cranked out 20 of the things and began brought a visible wince from several giving people rides. In Italy you can staff members, for we had all already buy one for something over two grand run it up handily to over 8000. The and you get a free week at the factory engine hardly makes any sounds at to learn how to ride and service the all, except for the valve gear, but it thing. A single unit somehow got to feels good above 6000. Riding the MV4 England where it was won in a contest is sort of like riding a heavy motorcycle by truckdriver Ernie Arundell. Mean- with an in-line Chevrolet six installed. while in the U.S. various alleged MV It's smooth. The engine just hums and liscensees kept promising the new four the power comes on and it goes. for test and then going out of business. Features to fascinate the afficianado Finally one fine January day, our abound on the MV. The four cylinders editorial phones began their familiar sit in line, crosswise to the fore-and-aft jangle and who should it be but Big Ed axis of the bike. A gear arm between LaBelle from Philadelphia, offering us the center two cylinders drives the dohc the MV four for test. Big Ed has been mechanism and the five-speed transmis- a name in an enormous variety of U.S. sion. An enclosed shaft drive carries and Canadian racing for many years. power to the rear wheel. Starting is He was Canadian National Road Rac- provided by a Mirelli starter motor, driv- ing Champ (500cc) for several years, en by the enormous 12-volt 18 ah bat- APRIL 1968 49 MV AGUSTA 4 Continued tery. When not acting as a starter, this only two tiny (24mm) carburetors, de- besides the fixed (shaft) drive ratio, that unit becomes a 12v, 135 watt, dc dynamo spite intake valves for each cylinder of nobody's likely to go racing with his to recharge the battery, drive the igni- 30mm diameter. Little carburetors, 600cc prize. The engine smacks of the tion coil, power the light, turn signals, a heavy flywheel, fixed gearing all sug- racetrack where it was bred, but all etc. Up front there are mechanical disc gest an engine for gentle touring use, else is for the highway. The MY four brakes and a two-tone in-town or open- Yet the engine revs comfortably to well is a specialty bike and that specialty is road horn. There is also a great rectan- over 8000, has those big valves, and a luxury touring alone. gular headlight that would easily illu- modern, oversquare 58 x 56 bore-stroke Despite its bad case of the uglies, the- minate the Houston Astrodome. ratio. One must conclude that Count MY does what it's made for very well. A look at the technical characteris- Agusta wanted to produce an Ul1tam- That great bulbous gastank is a horror tics of the engine reveals a sharp con- perable engine, but just couldn't help (and doesn't hold much gas) and the trast with its performance as fitted to 'making one that twangs the mainstrings headlight-cum-control module has equal- this luxury tourer. Displacing 36 cubic of a tuner's imagination. Four 30mm ly absurd bulk, The two-level seat is inches, it generates 50 bhp at 8200 carburetors, improved cam timing, a comfortable, but awkward-looking and rpm, or almost one-and-a-half bhp per tuned exhaust, a hot cam, compression .two rear outboard snuff-tins are too cubic inch. In terms of tune, that puts ratio in the twelves (up from 9.3) and large for tools and too small for any- it on the hot end between a conventional you'd get an easy 70 bhp, thing else. You collectors will love this tourer and a real spdrts scorcher. What But the Count laid on a frame and machine, but your eye may take its is surprising is that the engine wears suspension so ugly and unmanageable, time getting used to the Count's notion LU 0<: I f- LU ::J ...J '0 Q:: « I Q:: LU (]) LU >= I "- « Q:: CJ a f- a I "- 50 CYCLE of style. All of which you forget im- pedal, or one up and four down with Luckily, you don't want to stop ab- mediately when you get aboard. the toe. Like most transmissions, this ruptly either, for the brakes aren't up Staring down at the tank and head- one takes a little getting used to. In a to it. That front twin-disc unit is clean, light nacelle makes you think you're few sequences you get it very positively light, and handsome, but it doesn't work on something BIG. In point of fact, and find clutch operation suitably smooth. very well. Grabbing a handful of brake however, the MY weighs 484 pounds, Ease open the throttle, ease out the lever produces a funny shuddering in more by 40 than a BMW, but less by clutch and you're off and running. There the front end and the bike slows down. over a hundred than a Harley 74, less is no other feeling like it. You just move You don't have to worry about lock- even than an electric-start Sportster. out, change gears whenever you feel ing her up. Like a disc brake should, Which is what you set about while you're like it, and keep humming along. Al- this one has a very graduated feel and sitting there. The MY has no provision most makes you want to start humming no inclination toward snatchiness. We for kickstarts, so you push the button yourself. Power is very, very steady and don't know whether the shuddering is and the engine fires up straight-away. that heavy flywheel keeps the rear tire typical or unique to this one unit. Ed Bump starting a machine of this size from screaming if you yank open the told us there was a "rough spot" on one is no snap, but you can do it. Blipping throttle. But the MY is just too damn of the discs that he hadn't gotten around the throttle produces a hum from some- majestic for any of that throttle yank- to removing. In any case, mechanical where, that whine of valve noise, and ing. Even if you're shifting at 8000, you as opposed to hydraulic calipers present the tach is up to four thousand. want it to be smooth, don't want any- the problem of getting enough pressure Gear operation is by right-foot rocker thing uncomfortably abrupt. Continued on page 86 APRIL1968 51 we cha~ge it when you buy it! Hap Jones moto,rcycle batteries are the new dry charged type.