MV Agusta is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer based in Cascina Costa, Italy. The company was started in 1923 by Count Giovanni Agusta originally as an aviation manufacturer. Upon his death in 1927 the company was bequeathed to his wife and four sons, Two of the sons, Domenico and Vincenzo, then formed MV Agusta (MV= ‘Meccanica Verghera’) after World War II. The idea was to save people’s jobs by diversifying the company’s products, and also to fill the need for cheap, efficient transportation. However, the company’s fortunes deteriorated and it stopped racing in 1980, but was revived by new owner Cagiva in 1991.
Originally MV Agusta only manufactured small-displacement engines (125 to 150 cc), but as customers began demanding more powerful fare in the 1960s the company started churning out larger displacement machines, first the 250 then 350 cc, and lastly a 600 cc. This later morphed into a powerful 750 cc, examples of which are highly valued and sought after today.
MV Agusta also has a long history in motorsport. Just like Enzo Ferrari did with cars, the 2 brothers Domenico and Vincenzo produced roadgoing bikes mainly to fund their racing unit. The first race victory came in 1948 in a two-stroke 125 cc. The brothers often hired the best riders, and so many of motorcycling’s best known talent of the '50s and '60s, like John Surtees, Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini, were all part of the MV Agusta stable at some point.
The company’s most famous bike today is undoubtedly the F4 series, introduced in 1997 when the MV Agusta name was reborn after Cagiva bought the rights in 1991. The bike featured in the 2005 movie I, Robot being ridden by Will Smith. They also produce a naked bike called the Brutale and the Tamburini 1000, a limited edition bike.
Before purchasing a used MV Agusta be sure to get a vehicle history report from Checka. This will give you the ownership details, whether the odometer looks suspicious, if it's been reported stolen, and if there are any unpaid loans on the vehicle (security interests).
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