Letter From Europe
LETTER FROM Europe
The selling of MV Agustas
Who would believe it? For the first time in recent memory, the topic of interest in the European motorcycling community is not some rumored futurebike, but rather the destiny of some of the rarest artifacts in Italy’s glorious racing past. According to a discreet advertisement placed in the leading Italian specialist press, the entire contents of the MV Agusta race shop is up for sale. This includes 12 complete motorcycles, and another still to be assembled (the flat-four “Boxer”
500 prototype of 1975), as well as several engines and chassis components.
Since Giacomo Agostini last raced an MV Agusta in anger at Brands Hatch in 1976, speculation has never ceased concerning the eventual destiny of the red-and-silver motorcycles. And it’s easy to see why, because those bikes earned Italy and the bike-mad Agusta family a total of 38 World Championships and no less than 270 Grand Prix victories between 1952 and 1976.
It’s been known for some time that there were at least 17 complete bikes hidden away in the old racing department sequestered deep inside the Agusta helicopter factory that was the family’s main business concern.
Now the bureaucrats who have controlled the destiny of Agusta helicopters have decided to exhume these machines and offer them for sale. There are, however, some bikes that are not part of the offer and remain on view in a museum in Gallarate. But it appears that some of the others have already found their way into the hands of private Italian collectors.
Predictably, greatest interest has been shown by some Japanese who, riding on the back of the strong yen, currently dominate the world market for historic motorcycles, especially ultra-rare racing ones. The proprietors of the Fuji Speedway Museum are the most active in trying to purchase the entire stock of machines and parts. They’ve been working both directly and through various European third parties,
including at least one former MV factory rider.
But before the collection—which includes seven 350/500 Fours of various eras, as well as a trio of Triples used by Agostini and Phil Read to win 1 1 world titles over the years—is spirited away en masse to
the Orient, the Japanese will have to contend with two obstacles: the fact that men who control the sale are aware that allowing these machines to end up in Japan would expose them to grave charges concerning the export of Italy’s national heritage; and the determination of New
Yorker Robert Iannucci to keep the bikes in Europe with a view to racing them in vintage events. With the bidding already over the $500,000 mark for the complete collection, it’s anyone’s guess where the bikes will end up—if indeed they’re sold at all, in the end.
Short subjects
Güera recently released its hightech 125cc KZ street racer, sales of which are already at record levels in Italy. Just as important, the bike has completed the revitalization of the previously moribund, long-established company situated just north of Milan. This machine offers a top speed of 93 mph in standard form and has 250cc-level acceleration; it also handles much like a racebike, in part because of its new 16-inch Pirelli Zeta tires front and rear.
With reed-valve induction, the KZ’s engine boasts both a variableheight exhaust port and a variablevolume exhaust system. It also uses a gear-driven counterbalance shaft that almost completely eliminates the buzz normally inherent in highrevving, small-capacity Singles. Current Italian 125s offer virtually the same performance as most of the larger competition around town or in backroad riding conditions, but has the advantage of being lighter and offering more-agile handling. With increasing worldwide interest in 125-class sportbikes. Güera may find the KZ’s success duplicated in vital export markets.
More likely, however, to have Trans-Atlantic appeal are the new kids on the Güera block, starting with the 350cc Dakota, a singlecylinder, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, twin-carb, trailbike due out in September. The Dakota will be available as a 500cc model in both enduro and streetbike form for 1987. Also on the horizon is a 350cc two-stroke Twin sportbike that should rival the RZ Yamaha, as well as the new Aprilia and Laverda twostrokes, for the growing middleweight street-racing stakes. There’s also a large-capacity four-stroke engine under development, probably a 750 Four. If this bike is anything like the 1957-world-championshipwinning four-cylinder 500 that Güera trotted out for the historic bike parade at the Monza GP in May, it should be quite something.
Former team rider Derek Minter rode the impeccably restored bike, and reported it to be running even better than in its heyday. In view of Gilera’s decision to return to GP racing in 1987, most probably in the 250cc class, the glorious old bike is an even more significant reminder of Gilera’s successful racing past.
It’s also a sign of hope that should bode well for Gilera’s future.. . .
High point of the booming worldwide vintage-racing scene so far was reached at Paul Ricard circuit when the two-race GP Historique de France was run as the supporting program to the French GP. It was the first time a race for older bikes had been run alongside a World Championship GP. Matching Eddie Lawson’s victory in the 500cc race on his Yamaha was Team Obsolete’s Dave Roper. He sent Old Glory up the flagpole for the second time that day when he defeated the cream of European and Australian classic rac-
ers, including former world champions Phil Read, Hugh Anderson and John Surtees. Roper won both races and took the overall victory on his G50 Matchless. Further such races are planned at other GPs in 1987.. . .
Cagiva boss Gianfranco Castiglioni has had second thoughts about his previously reported decision to strike the Cagiva name from all off-road motorcycles made by the Italian-based group as of next year, and instead call them Husqvarnas. His latest idea, which seems likely to be the final one, is that all enduro-bike manufacturing will be shifted to Sweden, contrary to previous rumors that the Castiglioni brothers intended to shut down the Husqvarna factory. The bikes will be marketed under the Husqvarna name, whereas all motocrossers, whether built in Sweden or in Italy, will be called Cagivas.
Alan Cathcart
