In 1922, a group of passionate motorcyclists decided to hold an amateur race, christened “8 of the Langhe”.
The route took riders from Cherasco to Narzole, past the Dolcetto di Dogliani vineyards and the typical Murazzano tomes.
The Langhe, Piedmont, Italy.
It wound through Calizzano, with the path twisting and turning beyond the Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena, through the San Bernardino Pass and the province of Valle Tanaro, up a beautiful ascent to Garessio.
Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena, Italy.
A quick break for well-made vittles at the popular Locanda del Mulino Val Casotto taverna, and onward by the Torre di Mondovì commune, to the Vicoforte Sanctuary of the Nativity of Mary, with an eventual finish in Cherasco at Salmour in the dome of the Parco dei Giganti where the competitors were to be awaited by the timekeepers.
The dome of the Parco dei Giganti, Italy.
A gorgeous route – and one that came to an unfortunate halt in 1949.
Where am I going with this, do you ask?
Well.
Dario Sebaste; Italian nougat/hazelnut factory owner and ardent Moto Guzzi collector.
According to a report from RideApart, an Italian nougat/hazelnut factory owner named Dario Sebaste was an ardent Moto Guzzi collector of his time and paid homage to this gorgeous piece of vintage moto history during his life.
With his passing in the 2010s, locals revived the race in his honor, calling it “The Dario Sebaste Trophy,” with the first race held in 2016.
Today, the Dario Sebaste Trophy attracts bikers from all over the country – with a special emphasis on riding vintage motorbikes.
The four-day race does wonders for the area’s local communities, as it brings in extra funds to families that would otherwise rely on typical local income.
Care to be one of the 62 riders participating for next year?
Expect to see a slew of Moto Guzzi, Gilera, MV Agusta, Aermacchi, and Ducati brand bikes from an older era, as well as an iconic bike from Sebaste’s own collection, to be fired up at the third leg of the course.
The race starts August 26 and runs through August 29, 2021 – so make sure to check back for updates on the lucky winner of the fifth annual Dario Sebaste Trophy!
The museum building is located next to Milan’s Malpensa airport in Casina Costa, where Giovanni Agusta moved his aircraft manufacturing business in 1923. Both the company’s aeronautical and motorcycle history are on display.
MV Agusta MuseumThe company has been building helicopters since 1952.
The name MV Agusta rarely brings scooters to mind but the company produced tens of thousands from 1949 up until 1964.
From L to R: A 1949 125 Tipo A, 1952 125 CSL, 1954 125 CGT and 1955 125 Pullman prototype.
A distinctive feature of most of their scooters was that the motors were exposed, not enclosed like nearly all other scooters. The final model, the 150 Chicco did use an enclosing pressed steel monocoque chassis together with a bespoke engine.
A close-up of MV Agusta’s scooters
A cut away view of a motor from the 1975 750S America. The motor was a slightly modified version of the 1972 750 Sport (which in turn was based on the 600 Four).
1975 750S America engine
The bore was increased by 2 mm resulting in a capacity of 789 cc, compression increased, reworked heads housed larger valves but milder cams. 26 mm VHB Dell’Orto carbs replaced the earlier UB 24mm units and power was 75 hp at 8,500 rpm.
MV Agusta Museum
A museum visit really is a must for anyone interested in motorcycles – particularly red ones!
From a prototype 1963 125cc 2-stroke water-cooled disc-valve single (far right), to a 500cc straight six, with all manner of configurations in between. On the left is a 1956 250 Corsa.
008, 051, 052. When Piero Remor moved from Gilera to MV Agusta in 1949 he began work on a DOHC 500/4. This bore a very close resemblance to his Gilera design and had some strange design features such as seperate gear levers on each side for up/down changes.
Piero Remor’s DOHC 500/4 design
It first raced the following year. This 1951 version had a conventional gearshift but retained the Earls fork and twin carburettors mounted on Y-shaped manifolds.
The inspiration from his Gilera work was obvious
Helicopter engineering is also proudly on show throughout the museum.
A closer look at MV Agusta’s helicopter tech
Two contemporaries – Agusta’s first (’58) in-house helicopter prototype, the A.103 and a 150 Rapido Sport. Count Agusta moved his aircraft manufacturing to Milan in 1923.
Agusta’s first (’58) in-house helicopter prototype, the A.103
He began manufacturing the Bell 47 under licence in 1952 and helicopter production continues to this day. The 150.1cc RS was introduced in 1959 in response to the new law prohibiting bikes under 150cc from using the autostradas.
A 150 Rapido Sport
A one-off built to transfer guests from the dock to Count Aguata’s house in Portofino.
A special one-off…
A 1967 250B. Like most Italian motorcycle manufactures police and military models played an important part in their range.
1967 MV Agusta 250B
In 1945 Meccanica Verghera Agusta introduced its first motorcycle – the Vespa! The name was soon changed when it was discovered Piaggio had already registered it.
Meccanica Verghera Agusta tried to introduce their first ever motorcycle as a ‘Vespa’
From then on it was simply called the 98. About 1700 of this basic 2-stroke single were produced up until 1948. Alongside is final classic racing design, the 1974 500/4.
With the Vespa named taken it would instead be known simply as the ’98’
The first two road MV fours – separated by 15 years! Only this single, silver R19 500 was built and it debuted at the 1950 Milan Show.
The first two road MV fours
Many of the GP bike’s features were retained such as the double swingarm and shaft drive. It weighed just 155 kg and had a claimed 38-40 hp at 8,000 rpm. Top speed was 180 km/h. Mighty impressive figures for 1950! The 600 Four was the first MV four the (well heeled) public could buy. Only 127 were built.
MV Agusta’s 600 Four
This sole 350 Bicilindrica Corsa was loosely based on the proposed 300B road bike (only a show bike was built, without engine internals).
350 Bicilindrica Corsa
While the 300 used a high-cam/short pushrod design, the racer had a gear-driven DOHC set up. On the test bench the motor produced 46.5 hp at 12,000 rpm – not good enough to justify replacing the existing 350 racers.
350 Bicilindrica Corsa
The 1963 125 cc disc-valve 2-stroke prototype. A seven-speed gearbox was fitted.
Two of the 500cc GP bikes on display. On the left a 1973 four. Alberto Pagani scored the 500/4’s final victory at Austria (not a GP) in September 1973. Agostini won the design’s first at Modena in ’66. On the right a 1965 four. Les Graham won this design’s first race at Monza in ’52. Agostini its last in ’66.
Two MV Agusta’s 500cc GP bikes on display
The 1964 250 Bicilindrica featured a motor that was basically two 125cc singles siamesed together. It won two World Championships, in 1956 and 1958.
MV Agusta 250 Bicilindrica
A very small number of the trophies won by MV riders, including a IoM TT trophy.
A small sample of MV Agusta’s trophies
A 1955 175 CSS in front of some of the GP bikes.
MV Agusta 175 CSS
The four-wheel Vetturetta prototype from 1951 was powered by a 350 cc 4-stroke motor.
The Vetturetta prototype
The 1969 Overcraft (hovercraft) prototype used a 300 cc 2-stroke motor.
Overcraft (hovercraft) prototype
Certainly one of the rarest MV Agustas ever produced! One of the 50 1962 Motozappa 188 70 cc tiling machines built.
Today we celebrate the belated birthday of seven-time 350cc and 500cc world title champion Giacomo Agostini, or “Ago” – an Italian rider with an unmatched gift for racing.
According to an article posted on TopGear, young Agostini was born June 16, 1942, in Brescia, Lombardy, where he started his passion for riding in secret.
His first title was won in 1963 when he snatched the Italian Hillclimb Championship riding a 175cc Moto Morini.
The successes continued into 1965, where Agostini became a member of the MV Agusta works team. The season saw Giacomo’s first ride for MV, finishing second only to his teammate and mentor, Mike Hailwood.
With Hailwood scooped up by Honda the following year, Ago became lead rider of MV Agusta – setting the young prodigy up beautifully for what was to be a whirlwind of wins.
By 1968, Giacomo was hitting uncontested streaks in both the 350cc and 500cc class titles.
Hit Ctrl + Paste for 1969.
And again for 1970.
It soon became obvious that the man breaking statistical averages across the world was honed in on his game – and perhaps a little crazy, as all riders should be.
MoreBikes has a snippet of Agostini recalling the state of the tracks back in his day:
“We ran because we had a lot of passion, a lot of desire to run. You could not choose, the tracks were what they had, the straw balls were something palliative.”
Agostini’s winning streak was broken only by the crumpling of his bike in the first lap of 1971’s Isle of Man TT. At this point, he had completely cleared the table, winning 26 titles in the 350cc class and 32 in the 500cc class – a mind-boggling 58 titles acquired, in a row, nonstop.
Ago had two short retirement periods in 1971 and 1972, with his official retirement from the motorcycle scene in 1977, leaving behind a burning hot legacy that still inspires riders today – and Top Gear was right when they said that Agostini’s statistics are insane.
Ago took the title of every race he finished, stamping five years’ worth of wins in the record books.
1966-1972 was when he won seven world titles in a row in the 500cc class, and that’s not counting the seven world titles for the 350cc class garnered 1968-1974.
If we were counting Ago’s win for Yamaha in 1975, that brings the number of world title wins to FIFTEEN.
All told, Giacomo Agostini’s 14-year career saw 223 races; he took the gold home 122 of the 159 times that he made the podium, with 117 inofficial ‘fastest lap’ records tucked under one capable arm, 6 of which are considered official pole positions.
Perhaps Agostini’s quote, translated in 1967 from the Vault, would best describe the Italian’s career and his drive to ride: “I want to do everything I can – while I can.”
For more information on Italians and motorcycles, head over to MotorBikeWriter.
If there’s one thing I love about MV Agusta, it’s the company’s adherence to style and class while still retaining a lean, mean aesthetic in their bikes.
The Brutale – aptly named – gives us both qualities in spades with the 1000RR edition, plus a bit of pony power to play with.
The Brutale 1000RR was updated to make the bike compliant with Euro 5 emissions, though MV Agusta says that the new camshaft timing in the engine allows the 208 horsepower to speak extremely well, enhancing the torque curve at medium/low rpm.
With just 4 ponies less than the limited edition MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro, speeds claim to top out at over 300km/h – though how this beauty of a bike is Euro 5 compliant with that claim is beyond us.
Suffice it to say that if this bike had any more raw energy tackling the throttle twist, MV would be in the business of a new kind of aircraft.
The Brutale was also given a healthy dose of titanium rods for the intake and exhaust valves, with the new sintered valve guides and DLC-coated tappets reducing friction very nicely.
A brand spanking new inertial platform gives the 1000RR a ‘brutal’ precision for traction and wheelie control, keeping those two wheels firmly on the ground (for now), and the Continental ABS with cornering function is a nifty addition.
Other features include a 5.5” TFT dash, Mobisat tracker (that’s new), Öhlins suspension, Brembo calipers (state of the art), 12.5v battery, and a dry weight of 186kg.
With the Brutale 1000RR taking up a good chunk of the road – and our hearts – it will be exciting to see how the bike conforms to the pavement…and if the MV Agusta bumps the price up any higher than the rather exclusive €32,300 ($35251.11 USD).
In a welcome change from releasing ‘special’ or ‘limited-edition’ models one after the other on an almost fortnightly basis, MV Agusta has recently announced the new F3 Rosso as the newest member of their mainstream Rosso line, offering what they are calling an ‘accessible’ sportsbike including an all-in-one fairing, clip-on handlebars and iconic MV Agusta styling.
2021 MV Agusta F3 Rosso
The F3 receives a number of updates for 2021, including redesigned frame plates and swingarm connection points, for better torsional and longitudinal stiffness.
Frame plates are updated
Peak power is an impressive 147 horsepower from the 798 cc triple-cylinder, now Euro5 compliant, and with new DLC coated buckets and updated valve guides. Torque peaks at 88 Nm, at 10,100 rpm, power peaks at 13,000 rpm.
Power remains an impressive 147 hp and 88 Nm of torque despite being Euro5
Valves are titanium, while the main bearings, rods and countershaft are all new, reducing friction while increasing reliability.
2021 MV Agusta F3 Rosso
The exhaust system is completely overhauled as part of the Euro5 update, offering an iconically MV Agusta look and sound but helping lower emissions.
Injectors are new and capable of an additional 0.5 bar pressure
Injectors are also new, now capable of an extra 0.5 bar of pressure for greater fuel delivery.
The clutch has a reinforced basket, while the Quick-Shift EAS 3.0 bi-directional system is standard fitment and improves feel and shifting compared to the previous generation.
The clutch basket is also updated, as is the Quick Shift system
The ECU firmware has also been updated, with new engine management logics and control algorithms, aimed at further refining throttle control and precision.
Also new is the IMU intertial platform by e-Novia, specifically for MV Agusta, with the Continental ABS and the TC (Traction Control) system being able to intervene taking into account lean angle.
A 5.5 inch TFT dash is found alongside cornering TC and ABS
Also updates is the Front Lift Control (FLC) system, which manages wheelies, including controlling them instead of outright preventing them. New handlebar controls also allow easy access of the launch control system, alongside the cruise control settings.
Control of the Cruise Control and Launch Control are on the right switchblock
A 5.5 inch TFT display is also featured and syncs with the MV Ride App on Andriod or IOS, allowing trip recording and sharing on social media, as well as customisation of the various settings via a smartphone. This includes phone mirroring for turn-by-turn navigation.
A bi-directional radiator also boosts efficiency
A new bi-directional flow radiator is also featured, which boosts effeciency by five per cent.
The F3 Rosso bears the telltale red colour scheme alongside blacked out engine, frame and wheels.
The F3 Rosso runs an eye-catching red paint scheme
Suspension is a 43 mm Marzocchi USD fork, with rebound, compression and preload adjustment, while a Sachs rear shock offers rebound, compression and preload adjustability as well.
Marzocchi provide the 43 mm USD forks, with Brembo four-piston calipers fitted
Brakes are Brembo radial four-piston calipers, on 320 mm rotors, while a single 220 mm rear rotor is mated to a Brembo two-piston caliper. Wheels are aluminium alloy 17 inch units.
The Sachs shock offers preload, rebound and compression adjustability
The seat height is 830 mm, with a 173 kg dry weight and 16.5 litre fuel capacity.
2021 MV Agusta F3 Rosso
The F3 Rosso joins the Dragster Rosso, Brutale Rosso and Turismo Veloce Rosso.
MV Agusta F3 Rosso Specifications
MV Agusta F3 Rosso Specifications
Type
Three cylinder, 4 stroke, 12 valve
Timing system
“D.O.H.C” with mechanical chain tensioner and DLC tappet
Starting
Electric
Bore x stroke
79 mm x 54.3 mm (3.1 in. x 2.1 in.)
Max. power – r.p.m. (at the crankshaft)
108 kW (147 hp) at 13,000 r.p.m.
Max. torque – r.p.m.
88 Nm (8.98 kgm) at 10,100 r.p.m.
Cooling system
Cooling with separated liquid and oil radiators
Engine management system
Integrated ignition – injection system MVICS 2.1 (Motor & Vehicle Integrated Control System) with six injectors. Engine control unit Eldor Nemo 2.1,. Torque control with four maps. Traction Control with eight levels of intervention
First gear:
13/37
Second gear:
16/34
Third gear:
18/32
Fourth gear:
19/30
Fifth gear:
21/30
Sixth gear:
22/29
Final drive ratio
17/43
Voltage
12 V
Alternator
350 W at 5.000 r.p.m.
Battery
12 V – 8.6 Ah
Wheelbase
1,380 mm
Overall length
2,030 mm
Overall width
730 mm
Saddle height
830 mm
Min. ground clearance
120 mm
Trail
99 mm
Dry weight
173 kg
Fuel tank capacity
16,5 l
Unleaded Gasoline With
E 10
Maximum speed*
240.0 km/h (149.1 mph)
Type
ALS Steel tubular trellis
Rear swing arm pivot plates material
Aluminium alloy
Forks
Marzocchi “UPSIDE DOWN” telescopic hydraulic fork with rebound-compression damping and spring preload external and separate adjustment
Single sided swing arm material
Aluminium alloy
Wheel travel
130 mm (5.12 in.)
Front brake
Double floating disc with Ø 320 mm (Ø 12.6 in.) diameter, with steel braking disc and flange Brembo radial-type monobloc, with 4 pistons Ø 34 mm (Ø 1.34 in.)
Rear brake
Single steel disc with Ø 220 mm (Ø 8.66 in.) dia. Brembo with 2 pistons – Ø 34 mm (Ø 1.34 in.)
ABS System
Continental MK100 with RLM (Rear Wheel Lift-up Mitigation) and with cornering function
Front Wheel
Alluminium alloy 3.50” x 17”
Rear Wheel
Alluminium alloy 5.50” x 17”
Front Tyre
120/70 – ZR 17 M/C (58 W)
Rear Tyre
180/55 – ZR 17 M/C (73 W)
Titanium components
Intake and exhaust valves
Exclusive content
Dashboard TFT 5.5”color display – Cruise control Launch control – Bluetooth – GPS – MV Ride App for navigation mirroring, app-controlled engine, rider aids setup – Mobisat tracker
Agostini-red is the new black, and it is so scrumptious it’s practically edible.
According to a report from RideApart, The 2021 MV Agusta F3 Rosso made headlines in releasing their Euro-5 compliant supersport model on May 27th. With middleweight Supersports bikes being the new hype, MV Agusta came to play hard, and they kicked the proverbial ball out of the park with the F3 Rosso.
MV Agusta had the bike undergo a complete system overhaul to ensure compliance with Euro-5 emission standards, with a new bi-directional flow radiator that boasts an increase in efficiency by a cool five percent.
DLC treatments were applied to the valve guides, main bearings, rods, and countershaft to reduce friction for this model’s new update, and with the Agostini-red paint, the bike now looks like it can ride as fast as it sounds.
Other features of the 2021 update include a reinforced clutch basket with the addition of a third-gen bi-directional quick-shifter and a slew of new electronics, including an inertial platform and continental ABS with cornering function.
The traction and wheelie control has also been updated and detailed, along with a very pretty 5.5-inch TFT display that is fully compatible with the MV Ride App.
Under Euro-5 compliance, the gorgeous 800cc three-cylinder engine sports a counter-rotating crankshaft and grunges up a neat 147 hp at 13,000 rpm, with a maximum speed of 247 kmph / 153 mph.
Direct rivalry with this host of specs puts the 2021 Rosso F3 alongside the likes of the Ducati Panigale V2, and the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, but with a price sitting high at 16.400 € / $20,077.95 USD, it is by no means a bang-for-buck kind of bike.
And that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?
For more reviews on MV Agusta’s 2021 lineup, visit WebBikeWorld.
MV Agusta has just launched a brand new bike to cater to a specific audience.
It sports the classic Agusta red-and-silver color scheme, with max speeds topping out at a blistering 3 mph.
Did I mention that it’s a balance bike for toddlers?
You heard right.
According to a report from RideApart, the Italian manufacturer is now producing a spiffy classic-styled wooden balance bike for your young one. Labeled simply as the ‘Vintage Wooden Balance Bike,’ the contraption was manufactured to get a small child used to the concept of using balance to maneuver about on two wheels. Though Harley Davidson has also released a balance bike (though catered to a slightly older audience) with great success, I personally would prefer a makeshift MV Agusta when I watch a toddler rolling about the property in anticipation of a sporty motorcycle to call their own.
Priced at $198, it’s an extremely affordable and easy addition to the collection – and having been manufactured in the same style as Giacomo Agostini’s iconic MV Agusta GP bike, the legacy can’t be beaten.
While the Vintage Wooden Balance Bike may be a far cry from 500cc, in the mind of a child, anything is possible – and I’ll bet my favorite helmet that this balance bike will set the ball rolling for some wonderful memories further down the road.
MV Agusta has announced a distinguished partnership with Roni who is one of Switzerland’s most exclusive watchmakers. Roni is based in the home of luxury situated in the heart of the Swiss Alps, St. Moritz, Switzerland.
This partnership is to celebrate the 75th anniversary of MV Agusta and to celebrate the milestone, RO-NI will be producing just 75 of these prestigious watches. This exclusive automatic watch named RO-NI RMV will be produced on payment. The RMV will be retailing at a sum of roughly $68,000 (€56,000). A small price to pay considering it will be only 1 of 75 on the planet.
The RMV will use materials often found in the “Motorcycle Art” crafted by MV Agusta. The automatic watch will consist of best grade titanium, 7075 aluminum alloy, steel, carbon fiber, leather, Alcantara, sapphire, and per RO-NI’s website “the search for the typical colors of the MV AGUSTA brand condensed into a perfect technical artistic balance.”.
This collector’s piece will also include “75” engraved throughout the watch in addition to “MV” on the face. All of the inner workings of the timepiece will be on display via it’s skeletal construction. These handmade timepieces will be accompanied by an official certificate from RO-NI.
Just when you think that MV Agusta can’t fit in the release of yet another ‘special edition’ before 2020 is out they prove us wrong, meet the Superveloce Alpine, inspired by the French sports car, the Alpine A110.
Superveloce Alpine, inspired by the French sports car, the Alpine A110
How the Italians at MV draw the link between themselves and a French car maker is beyond me but nonetheless, here we have it. There will be only 110 units of this special-edition released worldwide.
MV Agusta Superveloce Alpine
The Superveloce Alpine features MV Agusta’s signature inline 3-cylinder engine, with 147 hp at 13,000 rpm and comes with a host of dedicated accessories.
MV Agusta Superveloce Alpine
Monaco Design Studio, MV Agusta’s spearhead design division for the production of exclusive bespoke models, was involved in the project since the beginning and worked in close contact with its counterpart at Alpine.
MV Agusta Superveloce Alpine
The blue livery of the Superveloce Alpine exactly matches that of the current A110.
MV Agusta Superveloce Alpine
The raised “A” logos on the fairings are also reminiscent of the original A110 detailing, as well as the black Alcantara seats with blue stitching and the CNC-machined black rims.
MV Agusta Superveloce Alpine
To mark the collaboration between two national heritage brands, the French and Italian flags are displayed on either side of the front fender.
MV Agusta Superveloce Alpine
Timur Sardarov, CEO MV Agusta Motor S.p.A.
“Many Alpine customers are also big MV Agusta fans, and vice-versa. The Superveloce Alpine will ideally bring the two worlds together, with incredible synergies in terms of design, personality and style. We look forward to this collaboration with one of the most admired brands in the history of motorsport, and are confident that this new, superb limited edition will be met with enthusiasm by bikers and motorsport fans around the world.”
MV Agusta Superveloce Alpine
The price of 36,300€ equates to around $59,000 AUD but we are waiting for official confirmation of the Australian pricing.
MV Agusta Superveloce Alpine
MV Agusta Superveloce Alpine
Engine: 798 cc inline 3-cylinder – Euro 5
Power: 147 hp at 13.000 rpm
Top speed: 240 km/h
Dry weight: 173 kg
Compression ratio: 13.3:1
Colour: Alpine Blue/Ago Silver
Brushed aluminium decal on steering head with 001 to 110 progressive number
Metallic, matt avio grey trellis chassis
Matt silver painted side plates and single sided swing arm
Dashboard TFT 5” color display
Cruise Control
Launch Control
Bluetooth
GPS
MV Ride App for navigation mirroring, app-controlled engine, rider aids setup
MV Agusta has recently released a teaser image depicting a collaboration effort with history automotive manufacturer Alpine. The details are still hazy, and all we have to work off of currently is the teaser image, but what with what we know about both companies we can be sure that the end result will be nothing less than spectacular.
The teaser image in question includes a panel from a motorcycle with blue and silver paint, and the “A” logo for Alpine stuck to the side of it. Alpine is an automotive manufacturer that recently started back up after ceasing production of new vehicles in 1995. In 1976 their competition department merged with Renault Sport. The current Renault F1 team will also be re-branded to Alpine for the 2021 racing season.
Rideapart guessed that this new upcoming collaboration will be a special edition Superveloce, and I would have to agree. The Superveloce has seen quite a few special editions/collaborations, so it would be out of character for MV Agusta to try their hand at another to add to the books.
With the Renault F1 team being rebranded with a red, white, and blue livery to pay homage to the French flag, this teaser image is quite on-brand with that livery philosophy. Although the panel in question is silver/blue, I’m sure we will see some red accents throughout the bike like we will see on the F1 car.
The motorcycle should be launching around December 11th. Stay tuned!
