1974 MV Agusta 750S America

Engine no. 221 0172

• MV's high performance sports bike
• Original condition

"13.06 seconds standing quarter-mile, 105.14mph terminal speed", Cycle magazine

Developed from its long line of highly successful multi-cylinder racers, MV Agusta's first road-going four - a twin-carburetor, 600cc tourer - appeared in 1965. But the public demanded something more exciting from many-times World Champions MV, and the Gallarate manufacturer duly obliged in 1969, upping capacity to 743cc and further boosting maximum power (to 69bhp) by fitting a quartet of Dell'Orto carburetors to the revised 750GT. Equipped with shaft rather than chain final drive, the 750 four arguably was more of a tourer than an out-and-out sports bike. Not that many people got to find out for themselves, for the MV was handmade in limited numbers and priced accordingly.

Also in the line-up was the more sporting 750S, a high-speed symphony in red, white and blue. Although no lightweight - it weighed nearly as much as a Kawasaki Z1 - the 750S gave little away in outright performance terms to such larger machinery, thanks, no doubt, to its engine's Grand Prix heritage. Testing a 750S in 1975, Bike magazine found the motor very powerful. 'Surprisingly it also has great reserves of torque, and pulls happily from four thousand. It's probably the most powerful 750cc motor made; in a straight drag with a Z1 it lost only a few yards up to 100mph.'

The 750S continued in production after the GT's demise in 1973. In the following year 'MV was persuaded (by Chris Garville and Jim Cotherman of Commerce Overseas Corporation, then US importer of MVs) to invest in new equipment and create the 750 America'. Newly hired, ex-Ducati, designer Fredmano Spairani was 'clearly convinced...that there was an untapped market for an expensive luxury motorcycle in the US, and had MV prepare for considerably increased production of the America', The Book of the Classic MV Fours, Ian Falloon (Veloce, 2011).

The 750S America was introduced for 1975. Almost immediately Cycle magazine had an early example on the drag strip announcing, '13.06 seconds standing quarter-mile, 105.14mph terminal speed'. Not shabby! Bored out to 789cc, the America produced a claimed 75 horsepower, an output sufficient to propel the Italian sportster to 100mph in around 13 seconds and on to a top speed of 135mph. There was a major re-think for the styling. Gone was the swoopy, smooth-curved voluptuousness of the earlier years, replaced by a no less attractive but stronger, perhaps even Germanic, angularity matching the front fender shape with that of the tank, side panels and seat. Real suede was used for the seat cover, a direct 'buy me now' component if ever there was one. Otherwise, the model was familiar to MV enthusiasts.

Factory records are somewhat spotty but it is believed as many as 540 Americas had been made when production stopped in February 1979. It was rumored 200 machines were sent to the US.

Just like the other machines from this collection, you can expect the best quality from the 750S America. The bike appears to be in great original condition and gets the perfect amount of patina to be one of the most appealing 750S America. The vendor notes that no other motorcycle has the sound like a 750S America, just to be able to look and listen will be worth the money for one of these iconic motorcycles. This machine comes from a well known car collector that 15 years ago, decided to buy what he thought were the most iconic motorcycles of the 1970's and 1980's and set out to find the ones in the best original or restored conditions. All machines are maintained by the Guzzi Doctor in Illinois and have been kept on a trickle charge ready for a warm ride, they have been stored in a climate-controlled environment set at 65F and are ready to ride away.