MV Agusta (for Mike/Gizmo)

weeveetwin

weeveetwin

New member
Here's the bike I was talking to you about Mike. It's an early seventies MV750Sport (SS) with drum brakes front and back.

This bike was originally delivered to the German MV Agusta concessionaires in 1972 (Hansen/Baden-baden, I expect?). It's 'as supplied' and fitted with an elongated 'works' tank and shortened seat. (It was raced by the concessionaires in the early seventies, apparently). Full fairing comes with it, and so too does a half type fairing supplied by the Kays.

SS spec. is a little different to the original Sport models, but this bike's full spec. seems to be shrouded in mystery. Carbs are 27mm!! - which is 3mm up on the original Sport carbs, and larger even than those fitted to the 850/America etc. Only the last of the Boxer/Monza models were fitted with these carbs - so lest it's tuned to the hilt, I'd have thought these to be a bit over the top. (However, the present owner says the engine/fuelling is spot-on, and it sounds totally awesome. Dave Kay claims it's the fastest '750 Sport' he's ever ridden/worked on. Hmm!)

I've e-mailed a chap who makes one-off alloy tanks/seat units, for a quote in order to have the original items recreated. No answer as yet. I've already sourced a polished alloy front mudguard, and 'original looking' chrome indicators which I'd wish to fit (CEV Laverda type I think).

I've yet to view the bike, but I'm hopeful it's what I want. If not, there's a few MVs up for auction at this year's Stafford Show on the 29th April.

Sorry for the poor picture quality. Probably from a camera 'phone.

Steve










ps. Here's the tank place I've e-mailed. Maybe the one you mean? http://www.thetankshop.com/

I'll probably give him the tank it's currently sporting, and just get him to copy it - but make it a few inches shorter! At the moment, the stretch across its top is too far for me.

pps. The 'original' SS 750 was supposedly a one-off from the factory, but it's spawned a few 'copies' over the years. Lies and damned lies I suspect.
 
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Thats lovely Steve, I wasn't aware of the differences between a Sport and an SS, it'll be interesting to see it if you do go for it. post more piccies as soon as you can :)

There's a place up in Dumfries does alloy tanks but you'll need a pattern to copy from.

i mightmake it to Stafford this year provided work doesn't intervene!
 
Mike,

Viewed the bike today (at last) so here's a few better photos (they're quite large, so may be slow to load).

What a lovely thing it is! It's 35yrs old, and in better nick than me :eek:. And what a roar from those pipes! It almost makes my Ducati sound quiet.

Turns out it's a well known bike amongst the MV 'set', and was kept by its previous (MV club member) owner for 27 yrs. Comes with a host of original parts, inc. handbooks/manual/literature, full and half fairings, spare shaft drive housing - even a spare frame would you believe! The fitted SS1 (27mm) carbs are as rare as hens' teeth, and are said (by the Kays) to be worth over £2,000 on their own :eek:.

History, receipts for work etc., and every MOT sheet for the last two decades is there. (MOT certs. show under 1,000km covered each year) - and the last service (inc. valves etc., by Dave Kay) was completed only 600mls ago.

I'm still pondering the likelihood of my of sourcing an original steel tank (the tank-maker guy in Dumfries obviously doesn't need the work!) - but the Kays' have said they can manufacture an alloy replica, so maybe that's the way to go.

I'm now wondering just where I'll put it if I buy. (I only sold my 888 Strada 'cause I didn't have the space..! :o)

 
Beautiful Steve, you have to find space for it :)

I'd have to pop over and see it if you do buy it, I can count on one hand the number I've seen on the road.
 
weeveetwin said:
I'm now wondering just where I'll put it if I buy. (I only sold my 888 Strada 'cause I didn't have the spaceQUOTE]

...In yer lounge mate!! What a stunner, beautiful simply beautiful.
I have a friend who has one of these and yes the sound from the pipes is amazing as is the mechanical noice from the motor itself.

...don't make 'em like that anymore.... :)
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Gizmo said:
Beautiful Steve, you have to find space for it :)

I'd have to pop over and see it if you do buy it, I can count on one hand the number I've seen on the road.
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No need Mike, I'd ride it up to Hartside every now and then..!

Feels a bit strange to sit astride it. It's quite small, but it's a very long stretch to the 'bars - and it's well heavy compared to modern tackle. Twin leading shoe front brake lacks initial 'bite' too I can tell you - and that's only rolling it along the drive!

Won't tick-over either with those carbs fitted - it has to be 'blipped' the whole time (..hmm! As if I'd need an excuse :rolleyes:)

I'll decide over the next few days whether to buy.

Ed. If I had a lounge like yours, I'd probably do just that. It would look REAL nice parked next to your ProjectImola..!
 
Sod some where to put it , Just buy it then worry about it . If it sounds anything like Mike Cecchini's 912 MV it's worth buying for the noise alone :D
 
weeveetwin said:
... Here's the tank place I've e-mailed. Maybe the one you mean? http://www.thetankshop.com/
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A mate of mine tried to get this guy to make a tank for him a couple of years ago. He insisted that he had to have the bike there to make a tank that would fit. A date was agreed and the job was supposed to take a fortnight. A trailer was borrowed, the bike taken down to Dumfries and left with the guy. 3 months later he still hadn't started on it!
The bike was duly collected and the tank guy told to forget it.

Very nice MV by the way. :)
 
Not sure how the heck you would get hold of him but there is a chap in York called Barry I think, I met him at Croft last year when he was with Felix on the shakedown run of Felix's racebike which Barry had built from scratch from Felix's drawings - his tank was a work of art, in fact the whole bike was and a really nice guy aswell - I will try and get an e-mail to Felix, although I have not seen him post anywhere for months !
 
Derek said:
A mate of mine tried to get this guy to make a tank for him a couple of years ago. He insisted that he had to have the bike there to make a tank that would fit. A date was agreed and the job was supposed to take a fortnight. A trailer was borrowed, the bike taken down to Dumfries and left with the guy. 3 months later he still hadn't started on it!
The bike was duly collected and the tank guy told to forget it.

Very nice MV by the way. :)
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I have spoken to him and was told the same. However he said he would do it in 2 days on basis I was there whilst it happened. I think that perhaps that is partly to ensure he actually does it to a schedule. I am getting to the point where I will have to speak to him again so it may be interesting to see what the story is now. Any other names of people who can do this will be of interest.
 
Well, the dastardly deed is done. Price agreed, and the bike is soon to be mine. Yay!

However, it's not the first time I've attempted to prise an MV from the collective hands of what I now believe to be a 'closed shop' of owners in the UK - so I'll put the celebrations on ice. I'll only believe it's really mine when I see it sitting alongside my 888 in the garage!

All the same, I aim to start making preparations for its collection, so I need to find a transport company which can do the job. Can anyone on here help? (or recommend a company I could trust?) The pick-up would be from an address in Salford (Manchester), and its delivery would be to an address in Sunderland (Tyne & Wear).

Cheers
Steve
 
weeveetwin said:
Well, the dastardly deed is done. Price agreed, and the bike is soon to be mine. Yay!

However, it's not the first time I've attempted to prise an MV from the collective hands of what I now believe to be a 'closed shop' of owners in the UK - so I'll put the celebrations on ice. I'll only believe it's really mine when I see it sitting alongside my 888 in the garage!

All the same, I aim to start making preparations for its collection, so I need to find a transport company which can do the job. Can anyone on here help? (or recommend a company I could trust?) The pick-up would be from an address in Salford (Manchester), and its delivery would be to an address in Sunderland (Tyne & Wear).

Cheers
Steve
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Not specialist bike transportation, however it may be worth giving Shaun (BDG) a PM, tell him what you want and I am sure he would recommend someone ?
 
Thanks for that Ian, I'll keep it as plan B.

I've finally managed to trace the details of the guy who collected my 888 Strada when I sold it though (and he did a grand job by all accounts), so I've asked him for a first quote. (He's fully insured/bike specific etc).

Cheers
Steve
 
let me know when you get it home Steve, we'll have a run over with the camera. don't know if you've seen any of Christopher Marshalls work but he's done a real nice line drawing of an MV 500, we've got it framed on our dining room wall

mvcopyright.jpeg
 
Some nice prints there Mike. He looks to be a talented artist.

I've a couple of MV photos on my walls too. I've got this one in a 3ft frame: It's Phil Read riding his own machine during the classic bike parade (I'm not sure where it was taken).

I'm not sure either when I'll have the 750 home. The seller is away for the next two weeks, so it'll be some time shortly after that. I've got its collection/delivery sorted now, so it's finding somewhere to put it that's next on the agenda. Looks like the RC will be going into warehouse storage again. (Damn! It really sucks sometimes living in a flat!!)

I'll post here again when I've got it.

Steve
 
Well, after a mere twenty years of trying, I finally do have an MV in my garage. :)

Not ridden her yet, but just pushing her around the drive has damn near given me a hernia. What a heavy old beast! Did we really once ride bikes as unwieldy as this..?? Engine's a snorter though. Sounds like it's crushing rocks! (..and the 'silencer' :lol2: end-caps look to be removable too. Just loosen a couple of self-tappers, I think. Heaven knows how it would sound without them!)

Registration document tells me it's a 750SS, so too does the UK MV Owners' Club valuation slip (they've known the bike for 34yrs) - but the existence of ANY 750SS MVs is hard to prove conclusively. Some say only one was ever built - some say they were sold in very limited numbers in early 1972 (although I've also read of the existence of three similar spec. bikes in the USA. Hmm! Maybe I'll never know :confused:)

SORN at the moment, since I aim to get the fairing sprayed/fitted before I use it. The fairing's red/white at the moment (as original), but I quite like the red/silver colours of the race bikes. Take a look at the photo-shopped image, and tell me what you think. Is the red/silver & full insignia a bit OTT?

 
weeveetwin said:
Take a look at the photo-shopped image, and tell me what you think. Is the red/silver & full insignia a bit OTT
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I am no MV expert and have no clue as to what may or may not be original etc, but assuming you are not going to screw up the "originality" of the bike I would go with the full monty. (sorry if that was a Laverda reference!)
Absolute stunning bike you should be pleased!
 
It looks lovely Steve. Not sure on the fairing, I've always preferred the big MV logo and think the F4 looks better with it on. For most people MV colours are red/silver few would know the production bikes got red/white. Original is very hard to define now you've got the Kays doing replicas, i can't see red/silver big logo being an issue, any MV entusiast would just want to see the bike on the road, maybe different if you plan on classic showing it at an MV owners do :)

I found an F4 yesterday, it would mean selling the Monty and 999 to get it though :(
 
Gizmo said:
I found an F4 yesterday, it would mean selling the Monty and 999 to get it though :(
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I expect it's only a matter of time before you do buy an F4 Mike - whatever the consequence. Once the seed of lust is planted in the brain, it's hard to ignore. It's always a shame when we need to sell, but bikes are only mechanical objects after all, and they'll all one day rust and turn to dust. And let's be honest, once they're gone from our lives they're very soon forgotten. Our allegiance quickly changes.

Now that I've bought this wee beastie, I've scratched every itch I've ever had with regard to bikes. So far as I'm concerned, there's not another bike I'd like. Period.

The day will come when each of my bikes will be sold. If not sooner, then it'll be later. And the day after I've 'popped my cloggs' and gone to the great bikers' cafe in the sky, someone else will own them whether I like it or not. Good luck to 'em, that's what I say! Enjoy them whilst you've got them, eh? - then pass 'em on to the next guy!

You've gotta go with your heart sometimes. At least by doing so you'll never look back and wonder.
 
rough translation

Here splendid MV the AGUSTA 750S!!!

The model is with drum brakes.

One exclusive maximoto that it came realized in first years Seventy in
order to celebrate the shocking victories of Agostini in the
motomondiale.

Draft of a piece of pregio for true connoisseurs and collectors.

In perfect state of conservation. Never damaged. Any test.

Which will be supplied with the motion also numerous pieces of
reciprocation:

- pistons cylinders and series packings head

- carburetors

- adhesive it originates them for tank

- it careens originates them 750 type MV AGUSTA S America

hmm, maybe my translation software dont do classic bike ads :)
 
Gizmo said:
One exclusive maximoto that it came realized in first years Seventy in
order to celebrate the shocking victories of Agostini in the
motomondiale.
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Cheers Mike

I get the gist of it now. Hard to see what was so shocking about Agostinis victories though! :confused:

It's fitted with some kind of clip-on 'bars, and a set of late model 'America' carbs. Otherwise, it looks pretty original. Can't see it selling at that price though (..especially not in Italy).

Wonder if he'll break it for parts?? :D
 
weeveetwin said:
The fitted SS1 (27mm) carbs are as rare as hens' teeth, and are said (by the Kays) to be worth over £2,000 on their own :eek:.
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Hi guys

No luck yet re. the fairing. STILL not back from the painters after three weeks - despite their initial quote of a four day turn around :mad: Should be ready to collect this Friday though, so I've got my fingers crossed (again!) Will post photos when it's finally mounted.

The bike's ready for MOT now. The horrible fake carbon tank guard has been removed, and replaced with a red MV item, and a couple of bar-end mirrors are now ready to go on. All lights/electrics are now working the way they should (it had a couple of dickey earths which needed sorting) and the carbs have been refitted following a good clean up (the 'ticklers' had caused a certain amount of petrol staining to the alloy). All it needs now is the fairing fitting.

Talking of carbs: It seems like the Kays actually undervalued them (see above). I've been surfing to check on the availability of spares, and I've found a place which can supply a bank of four SS1s, for the bargain price of... (ahem!) only £3,800+!! :eek:

http://www.discovolantemoto.co.uk/viewpart.do?id=360

( Makes the purchase price of the bike look quite reasonable now!! :sarcasm: )
 
weeveetwin said:
Hi guys

No luck yet re. the fairing. STILL not back from the painters after three weeks - despite their initial quote of a four day turn around :mad: Should be ready to collect this Friday though, so I've got my fingers crossed (again!) Will post photos when it's finally mounted.
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Another deadline passes and the fairing's still gathering dust in the corner of the painter's workshop :mad:. And that's despite the fact that I did all the preparation myself. All it actually needs is the paint applying!

Moreover, every time I speak to them I have to remind them who I am, and what I want doing! Ho hum. (How do these people stay in business..??)

The headlights etc., are still off the bike awaiting the fairing's fitment, so I can't even get the bike MOTd. It's very frustrating. Summer (:rolleyes:) will be over by the time I get it on the road at this rate. They've now promised it'll be ready for this coming Wednesday. Yeah, right :banghead:
 
Steve, why don't you put it back together, get it Mot'd and put the fairing on when it's eventually painted?
 
Steve748 said:
Steve, why don't you put it back together, get it Mot'd and put the fairing on when it's eventually painted?
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Will probably do that Steve, if it's not finished by next week. But I didn't anticipate this carry-on when I first fitted the fairing brackets in preparation. I really don't want to remove them again if at all possible. After all, I thought it'd be a simple matter to have it painted - especially when I'd already done all the hard work (rubbing-down etc.)

I even gave them photos of the finished article, showing (with measurements) exactly where the stripe & decals need to go. You know, I sometimes get the feeling when talking to them that they're afraid they'll mess it up! And this is supposedly the 'best' paint shop on Wearside!

(..or maybe the simple truth is, they don't really give a .....)
 
With my experience of giving bike parts to a paint shop whose main business is cars that it is fiddly & complicated and gets left until the main money making stuff has dried up a bit! (pun not intended!) the weekend turns into Tuesday then Thursday then Saturday morning!
 
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