MV Agusta 500 Four

MV Agusta 500 Four 1950

1950 MV 500 FOUR. The man responsible for the Gilera four-cylinder racers, Ing. Remor, left that factory at the end of 1949, going to the M.V. works in Milan. By May, 1950, he had designed and built the first four-cylinder M.V., a most elegant piece of machinery, with a lot of unusual features, apart from its power unit.
Torsion bars were used for controlling both the front and the rear suspension. Blade-type girder forks were fitted at the front, but at the rear a couple of forks pivoted one above the other, just astern of the gearbox. The rear ends of the forks on each side of the machine were linked by a small plate that carried the wheel spindle. A friction damper was mounted between the top swinging-fork and the frame on each side. Handling was a weak point and many changes were to be made before MV. hit the headlines.

Although the crankshaft of the motor was across the frame, the gearbox shafts were in line, to enable shaft final drive to be used. The magneto was fitted over the gearbox—in the same position as on all the later fours made by M.V. Four straight-through exhaust pipes were employed at first, but when the model was given its first race, at the 1950 Belgian G.P., they had "grown" megaphones. A. Artesiani brought the model home fifth in the race at an average of 9983 m.p.h., less than a minute astern of the leader. He was headed by three Gileras and Ted Frend's A.J.S. "Porcupine"—a very creditable first outing!

The machine came to the Isle of Man in 1951, when Les Graham rode it. By that time the girder forks had been changed for "teles"; a year later the shaft drive and "parallel ruler" rear end had been swopped for chain and single swinging-fork, and Les finished second. He was tragically killed in 1953 when battling for the lead on the machine he had done so much to develop.

SPECIFICATION
Engine: four-in-line mounted transversely 500 c.c. d.o.h.c; drive to camshafts by gear train between inboard cylinders; two carburetters with "V" inlet manifolds.
Ignition: magneto.
Transmission: five-speed gearbox in unit with engine; final drive by shaft and bevels.
Frame: duplex cradle with single top-tube and box section rear members; rear springing of parallel-ruler type with two swinging arms, controlled by torsion bars.
Forks: girder pattern controlled by torsion bars.

MV Agusta 500 Four 1956

1956 MV. 500 FOUR. The M.V. four—a machine that was to win almost every race of note in 1958, 1959 and i960. A machine that was to be irrevocably linked with the name of John Surtees, who proved capable not only of taking this undoubtedly faster machine to victory over the rival Norton riders in good conditions—but of doing the same on tricky circuits in foul conditions, such as in the 1959 Senior T.T., held partly in a deluge, and that year's Ulster Grand Prix, which was run in rain and fog. Surely Surtees can have a lasting claim to fame as one of the very, very few riders capable of using a four to the limit— and beyond (just as he had done with "singles" beforehand).

His first victory in the Isle of Man came in the 1956 "Senior". In the "Junior" of that year he was leading at the start of the last lap—and ran out of petrol at the Stonebreaker's Hut. He got some and finished fifth, but was of course excluded for "refuelling" other than at the pits. No mistake, however, on the Friday—he led from start to finish. Second place (on a Norton) went to John Hartle, soon to become his team-mate.

In the engine room the design of the M.V. was similar to the original model  with twin overhead camshafts driven by a gear train placed between the inner cylinders. A five-speed gearbox was built in unit and a Lucas magneto provided the sparks.
But what a change in the frame and forks. A tubular duplex cradle type frame employed swinging-fork rear suspension of conventional type (with chain final drive) and telescopic forks were used at .the front. Now handling was "right".
In this guise the M.V. was raced until i960, with only detail alterations to the frame and streamlining over the years.

SPECIFICATION
Engine: four-in-line mounted transversely 500 c.c.
d.o.h.c; drive to camshafts by gear train between
inboard cylinders; four carburetters. Ignition: Lucas magneto.
Transmission: gear primary drive to five-speed gearbox;
final drive by chain. Frame: duplex cradle with pivoting-fork rear suspension. Forks: telescopic.

MV Agusta 500 Four 1960

Motorcycle: MV Agusta 500 Four-cylinder Manufacturer: MV Agusta, Cascina Costa,
Gallarate Type: Racing Year: 1960
Engine: MV four-cylinder, four-stroke, with two-shaft overhead geared distribution
Cooling: Air
Transmission: Five-speed block
Power: About 75 h.p.
Maximum speed: Over 160 m.p.h.
Chassis: Double cradle, continuous, tubular. Front and rear, telescopic suspension
Brakes: Front, central drum, four shoes; rear, central drum

MV Agusta 500 Story

MV Agusta first went into 500-class racing in 1950. The 500 model that the company introduced was a four-cylinder, transverse motorcycle designed by Remor, the same man who had earlier designed the Gilera four-cylinder racer.
The MV Agusta 500 prototype had two-shaft overhead distribution and final shaft transmission with universal joints. Its power was about 50 h.p., with a maximum speed of about 125 m.p.h.

This motorcycle underwent rapid development. Like all advanced models, the MV 500 four-cylinder went through an evolution that showed what had to be retained from classic
MV Agusta 500 Four-cylinder, 1957 model models and what had to be made better. The transmission shaft was eliminated, leaving the traditional chain. The fine chassis was tested with a variety of new suspension systems before the classic front telescopic fork was revived with a swinging rear fork and shock absorber.

The British champion Leslie Graham rode this motorcycle to win the 1952 Italian Grand Prix and the Spanish Grand Prix. Graham was a true champion, and with the considerable power of the MV 500, he should have dominated his class. But fate was cruel to Graham. He lost the 1952 title and had a fatal accident at the 1953 Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man. MV Agusta lost its best racer, but the high-spirited Carlo Bandirola rode the four-cylinder motorcycle to a host of wins.
In 1954 the MV 500 was the main challenger to the Gilera.

The MV Agusta team included Carlo Bandirola, Nello Pagani, Dickie Dale, and Bill Lomas, with a 500 four-cylinder that could generate 65 h.p. at 11,000 r.p.m.
Despite this impressive horsepower, which could propel the motorcycle at top speeds over 140 m.p.h., the MV Agusta 500 failed to win the 1954 championship. The main problems that led to this defeat were some stiffness in the chassis and the lack of riders on a par with the Gilera stars. In 1955 Umberto Masetti switched from Gilera to MV Agusta. He was joined by Ray Amm, who had formerly driven for the Norton team. Amm's career with MV Agusta came to a tragic end during the Shell Conchiglia d'Oro (Golden Shell) at Imola. Masetti never managed to outrace the Gilera motorcycles. John Surtees, who had made a name for himself racing for Norton and NSU, came out from England. For Continental Circus racers Italy was Mecca, and MV Agusta, on the lookout for outstanding drivers, offered a safe port.

Surtees joined the MV team in 1956 and set out after the Gilera competition with a 67-h.p. motorcycle. At the end of the season Surtees and the MV Agusta four-cylinder were again world champions in the 500 class.
In 1957 the old four-cylinder engine was completely overhauled. The cylinder dimensions were changed, and its power was increased to 70 h.p. at 11,000 r.p.m. But this was not enough to meet the competition. Gilera had also upgraded its engine. Surtees won only the Dutch Grand Prix. At the end of the season Gilera withdrew from racing, leaving the field wide open for MV Agusta. From 1958 to 1960 John Surtees was the reigning champion. Next Gary Hocking won and then Mike Hailwood won four consecutive world championships, before passing on the MV scepter to Giacomo Agostini. The superiority of the old MV 500 four-cylinder became legendary.

Motorcycle: MV Agusta 500 Four-cylinder Manufacturer: MV Agusta, Cascina Costa,
Gallarate Type: Racing Year: 1950
Engine: MV four-cylinder, four-stroke, with two-shaft overhead geared distribution. Displacement 494.6 cc. (54 mm. x 54 mm.)
Cooling: Air
Transmission: Four-speed block, double control (rising and descending), final shaft transmission
Power: 50 h.p. at 9,000 r.p.m.
Maximum speed: Over 125 m.p.h.
Chassis: Double cradle, continuous, tubular and stamped plate. Front suspension, parallelogram; rear, double torsion bar with friction shock absorbers
Brakes: Front and rear, central drum