With the twin petrol taps, choke lever and ignition turned on, it took just one press of the starter button to bring this charismatic, four-cylinder Italian masterpiece roaring into action.
For me, the symphony played from the four megaphone silencers brought back many happy memories from a bright sunny morning in 1975, when I was awoken at the Belgian GP by the sound from the pair of works MVs racers – the mounts of Phil Read and Gianfranco Bonera – filling the air. The cacophony of exhaust noise was a reminder for the huge crowd that filled the Spa circuit that July day, that, on the fast racetracks, there was still plenty of life left in the Gallarate multi-cylinder four-strokes. It was also the day that I made my mind up that at some time in the future I would get my own four-cylinder roadster with the name of ‘MV’ (Meccanica Verghera) on its petrol tank.
Three years later, on April 14, 1978, I was in a position to hand over my 750cc F2 Honda, an XT500 Yamaha plus a handful of cash to Richard Difazio in Difazio motorcycles and the dream was complete.
“ From any angle, the bright red and silver MV Agusta looks every inch a racer and, with a claimed top speed of 137mph, it was one of the fastest road
