MV Agusta 350 Four
Racing Bikes MV Agusta 350 Four | |
Class | Racing |
---|---|
Weight | |
Manuals | Service Manual |
Photos[edit | edit source]
Overview[edit | edit source]
MV Agusta 350 Four
MV Agusta 350 1973
The MV Agusta 350 three-cylinder dominated its class from 1968
to 1970. MZ had tried to beat it; then Benelli, with motorcycles ridden by Renzo
Pasolini and Kel Carruthers; and then Yamaha, with its racers derived from
production models.
In 1971 came the first signs that the MV three-cylinder might be beaten. The
Yamaha, especially when it was ridden by the Finnish Jarno Saar-inen, was
getting more threatening. It eventually was able to beat Giacomo Agostini's MV
Agusta in world championship races.
The situation became more critical in 1972, when Agostini and
the MV were regularly beaten by the lightweight two-cylinder Yamaha in the early
races of the season. Then MV put its new four-cylinder 350 into the field, and
Agostini went back to winning races.
The four-cylinder 350 had extraordinary power in any gear, and
it was an extremely stable motorcycle. Agostini rode it to the world
championship in 1972 and repeated his achievement in 1973, without any important
modification of the engine.
But in 1973 Yamaha had begun its counterattack, and by the end of the season the
two motorcycles were all but equal. In 1974 Agostini switched to Yamaha and MV
Agusta tempo-
Motorcycle: MV Agusta 350 Four-cylinder Manufacturer: MV
Agusta, Cascina Costa,
Gallarate Type: Racing Year: 1973
Engine: MV four-cylinder, four-stroke, with two-shaft overhead geared
distribution, four valves per cylinder. Displacement 350 cc.
Cooling: Air
Transmission: Seven-speed block
Power: 70 h.p. at 14,800 r.p.m.
Maximum speed: Over 165 m.p.h.
Chassis: Double cradle, continuous, tubular. Front and rear, telescopic
suspension
Brakes: Front, double hydraulic disk; rear, central drum, double cam
MV Agusta 350 1976
The latest version of the MV Agusta 350 four-cylinder is less
interesting for its past than for its future.
Pulled out of mothballs after being retired following the first race of 1974,
the four-stroke 350 of the leading Italian motorcycle manufacturer showed that
it had much to say for itself. (The four-cylinder vehicle was shelved in 1974
because it was not considered up to the competition offered by the Yamaha and
Harley-Davidson two-stroke engines.)
The motorcycle passed through the hands of Phil Read and
Gianfranco Bonera into those of Giacomo Agostini and his Private team. At the
beginning of the 1976 racing season, the MV 350 suddenly appeared competitive,
albeit very fragile from the point of view of mechanics. The revived 350 turned
in some record performances on the track, which seemed to indicate clear-cut
technical progress in tuning it, °ut these were often followed by un-expected
breakdowns after a few laps. As a result people wondered if it really was a 350.
Such doubts were dispelled when the MV Agusta technicians
solved the problems of stress that had been plaguing the 350. And after its
victories at Assen on the international circuit and Mugello on the Italian
circuit, the technical officials could see that the vehicle was regulation.
Motorcycle: MV Agusta 350 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 348.5 cc. (53 mm. x 39.5 mm.) Cooling: Air Transmission: Six-speed block Power: 75 h.p. at 15,000 r.p.m. Maximum speed: Over 170 m.p.h. Chassis: Double cradle, continuous, tubular. Front and rear, telescopic suspension Brakes: Front, double hydraulic disk; rear, single hydraulic disk