There are maybe ten bikes in my dream garage, and the MV Agusta 750S is one of them. Like the Ducati 750SS we featured two weeks ago, this one is owned by English motorcycle enthusiast Peter Bullard. It’s one of the very early models, built at the Varese factory in January 1972—there’s no ‘lip’ on the crankcases, and apparently only the first ten or so bikes were built like this. It was also one of the first two bikes shipped to Australia.
According to Bullard, “The deal with the importer was supposedly brokered in person with Ago himself. The bike was then road tested by the Australian magazine Two Wheels and made the front cover.” Two Wheels revealed how MV set up its operations Down Under, despite the rest of the world having problems getting hold of road-going machines: “When Giacomo Agostini visited Australia last year the businessman who brought him out—Bob Jane—pulled off a remarkable deal. He established the first MV distributorship in the world. Not only was he importing the small bikes—three versions of the 750 were coming out as well.”
The 750S did not disappoint. “After a few weeks of thorough testing we came to the conclusion that the bike has the best high speed manners conceivable,” said Two Wheels. Despite weighing in at a substantial 535 lbs (242 kg), the magazine recorded a top speed of 122 mph (196 kph). Zero to 60 mph came up in around five seconds, and the quarter mile in a creditable 13.2. “It is, in every sense of the word, a ‘race-bred’ bike—offering perfect handling, braking and roadholding, with an exclusive power unit producing terrific mid-range acceleration. In short, a sports bike that is racing iron made civilized.”
After the sojourn in Australia, things get vague. The MV Agusta arrived in the UK minus the fuel tank and the next owner sourced a NOS tank, hence the later color scheme. “I’d love to take it back to original, but to cover up factory paint seems like sacrilege,” says Bullard. “Must try and find a spare tank.”
[Special thanks to Damian McFadden for the images. There are more wonderful shots in this album on the Bike EXIF Facebook page.]
