1977 MV Agusta 750S America

MV Agusta's glorious racing background gave rise to numerous street bikes over the years, one of the last exemplified by the 1977 MV Agusta 750S America motorcycle.

The 750S America model was introduced in 1975. It featured blockier styling and a larger engine than previous MV 750s.

The 790-cc double-overhead-cam four-cylinder engine in the 1977 MV Agusta 750S America motorcycle had its roots in a 500-cc racing powerplant.

When shipped from the factory, the stock exhaust system was an odd combination of chrome downtubes with megaphones finished in black crinkle paint.

The exhaust seen on the 1977 MV Agusta 750S America motorcycle pictured with this article is a Magni design and looks more the part. Arturo Magni was the man responsible for nearly all of MV's racing success. When his designs were put into the hands of champion riders like Mike Hailwood, the competition had little hope of winning.

The sleek half-fairing on this 1977 MV Agusta 750S America motorcycle is another popular Magni accessory and was also available in a full Gran Prix configuration.

Weighing 507 pounds without fluids, the 750S is no lightweight, but its handling at speed belies the mass. The suede-covered racing saddle does its best to keep the pilot in place during the kind of spirited cornering maneuvers the 750S is so adept at performing.

Like previous MVs, the 750S America was expensive, and the company continued to lose money. A change of ownership in 1977 did little to help matters, and production ceased during 1980.

But the revered MV Agusta name did not die. Nearly 20 years later it was revived by Cagiva, another Italian motorcycle manufacturer, to be used on an ultra-sport model called the F4.

Though an initial run of some 200 units sold out quickly at about $40,000 apiece, regular production versions, called F4S, contained fewer exotic materials and sold for about half that amount. In both performance and price, these new machines were true spiritual successors to the MVs of old.

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