THE ULTIMATE ITALIAN

It’s rare that you see an iconic motorcycle this exotic being ridden on the road. But in America, all things are possible, as Nolan Woodbury discovers…

It seems wrong to credit Honda for kicking off the ‘superbike seventies’, given everything that MV Agusta accomplished in earlier decades. With roots embedded in 1930s Italian race bike technology, aviation specialists MV ruled the European Grand Prix scene with a succession of fast, exotic double cam inline racers that stacked up championship titles in record number. Contrast that experience to the Asian newcomer. Despite enjoying some racing success of its own, Honda seemed to zoom the CB750 from nowhere to bestseller status. That same Honda is credited with provoking a proper response from the Count in Cascina Costa, along with other motorcycle manufacturers across the Continent. By 1970 the chips were piled high, so MV Agusta dealt itself into the game with the 750S, wrapping the needed cycle parts around a racer remade for the road.

Following Japan’s bold jump into the big-bore scene, decisions were made and much money was spent. Some of the European firms (but few British ones) which took the plunge were able to invest in clean-sheet designs. Of the resultant 750 superbikes, a significant, replacing the motorcycle’s post-war low-cost transportation function for those manufacturers who survived the economic pressures of the times.