Make AC Schnitzer AJS Alfer Aprilia Ariel Arlen Ness ATK Bajai Motorcycles Bakker Barigo Benelli Beta Big Bear Big Dog BMS Choppers Bimota BMW Borile Boss Hoss Boxer Britten BRP BSA Buell Bultago Cagiva CCM Classic Bikes Confederate CR&S Custom Bikes Daelim Derbi Deus DP Customs Drysdale Ducati Dunstall Ecosse Excelsior- Exile Cycles Factory Bike Fischer Foggy Petronas GASGAS Gilera Ghezzi Brian Harley-Davidson Harris HDT USA Hesketh Highland Honda Horex HPN Husaberg Husqvarna Hyosung Indian Italjet Jawa Kawasaki KTM KYMCO Laverda Lazareth Lehman Trikes Magni Maico Megelli Matchless Matt Hotch Designs Midual Mondial Morbidelli MotoCzysz Moto Guzzi Moto Morini Mr Martini MV Agusta MTT Münch MZ NCR Norton Oberdan Bezzi OCC Paul JR Designs Piaggio Racing Bikes Radical Ducati Revolution Rickman Ridley Roehr Motorcycles Roland Sands Royal Enfield Rucker Performance Sachs Saxon Sherco Suzuki Terra Modena Titan TM Racing Triumph Van Veen Vento Victory Vincent Viper VOR Voxan Vyrus Wakan Wrenchmonkees Wunderlich Yamaha

MV Agusta 500 Four-cylinder 1976

As early as 1971 the MV Agusta 350 three-cylinder seemed to be losing ground, so the three-cylinder was replaced by a new four-cylinder model the following year. The MV three-cylinder model with 500-cc. displacement held out better against the competition presented by Benelli and Suzuki, but during the winter of 1972 a more threatening rival emerged: Yamaha announced that it was entering the 500-class championship with its new four-cylinder, two-stroke motorcycle, which had been derived from the powerful Daytona 700 model.

MV Agusta did not underrate the threat posed by the Japanese manufacturer. In order to retaliate, the Italian company began testing a new 500-cc. four-cylinder engine that was built on the model of the four-cylinder 350, which had surprisingly maintained its supremacy in its crass.

At the 1973 French Grand Prix, which was the opening race of the world championship, Yamaha showed its stuff. Jarno Saarinen won the race with the Yamaha four-cylinder, while Phil Read, racing an MV 430-cc. four-cylinder for the first time, came in second. Giacomo Agostini had refused to try out the new vehicle.
The next championship race was in Australia, and once again Agostini insisted on riding the old three-cylinder model. He left the testing of the four-cylinder to Read, who led the race for a few laps but then had to withdraw, as did his teammate Agostini.

In any case, the competition of Saar-inen's Yamaha was too much for them.
The third race of the world championship was at Hockenheim. Agostini rode in the saddle of the 430 four-cylinder, which had proved to be faster and more reliable than the old three-cylinder model. Read raced the new MV 500 four-cylinder—now with full V2-liter displacement—in its debut, and he won the Hockenheim race hands down.

Then came Monza, with the tragedy of Jarno Saarinen and Yamaha's subsequent withdrawal from racing. MV Agusta went back to the old 500 three-cylinder model for the duration of 1973, and Phil Read won the world title.
In 1974 Read became the captain of the MV Agusta team, which welcomed Gianfranco Bonera as a new member to take the place of Giacomo Agostini, who had switched to Yamaha. The MV racers went back to the four-cylinder model at the beginning of the season, and with its help they were able to keep the world title.

Yamaha won in 1975 with Agostini. The Yamaha victory stirred up much controversy among members of the MV Agusta racing department. They were concerned about the competitiveness of the 500 and the racers' form. The MV technicians studied and tried out various modifications to improve the stability and performance of their four-cylinder, but their efforts
Italy

MV Agusta 500 Four-cylinder - 1976
made no significant difference.
The main problem of the MV 500 was not insufficient power, but a certain difficulty and heaviness in its steering mechanism. This was due chiefly to the fact that the powerful four-stroke vehicle had strong engine braking and rough acceleration in low gears. This made smooth driving on curves impossible, a problem that the better two-stroke engines did not have. The MV Agusta technicians accepted the racers' criticism of the motorcycle's performance only in part, and by the end of the 1975 season relations between Read, Bonera, and MV Agusta had reached the breaking point.

In 1976 Giacomo Agostini formed his own team, fearing that Yamaha would withdraw entirely from racing, and he took over the MV 350 and 500 four-cylinders. He believed that the 500 was still competitive and set out -to prove it.
Unfortunately Agostini was mistaken. The chassis and engine were overhauled and the 500 did win some international success, but it could not keep pace with Barry Sheene's Suzuki RG 500.

Motorcycle: MV Agusta 500 Four-cylinder Manufacturer: MV Agusta, Cascina Costa,
Gallarate Type: Racing Year: 1976
Engine: MV four-cylinder, four-stroke, with two-shaft overhead geared distribution and four valves per cylinder. Displacement 500 cc. (57 mm. x 49 mm.)
Cooling: Air
Transmission: Six-speed block Power: 98 h.p. at 14,000 r.p.m. Maximum speed: Over 185 m.p.h. Chassis: Openwork above, tubular, with
front braces. Front and rear, telescopic
suspension Brakes: Front, double hydraulic disk;
rear, single hydraulic disk