S-22720-0-1

378 N1953 MV Agusta 123.5cc MonoalberoRacing MotorcycleFrame no. to be advisedEngine no. to be advisedAlthough best known for their four-cylinder four-strokes, multipleWorld Championship-winning MV-Agusta built lightweightsthroughout its manufacturing career, and in its early days listed smalltwo-strokes and even a scooter. The racing 125cc two-strokes werea major success, winning the arduous Milan-Taranto road race in1950, ‘51 and ‘52, but at World Championship level the MVs wereoutclassed by the four-stroke FB-Mondial with its twin-overheadcamengine. Count Agusta’s response was to hire Gilera’s chiefdesigner Piero Remor together with its chief mechanic, Arturo Magni.However, the new Remor-designed 125cc four-stroke was not animmediate success, and it was only following Mondial’s withdrawalfrom racing that MV bagged its first 125cc World Championship,Cecil Sandford taking the riders’ title in 1952.The following year MV offered an over-the-counter racer forprivateers, which was developed directly from the works bikes. Italianregulations for the domestic ‘Formula Sport’ stipulated that machinesshould have only a single camshaft and four gears, and so themonoalbero (single-camshaft) 125 racer was born. Like its bialbero(twin-cam) progenitor, the SOHC 125 employed a train of gearsto drive its upstairs cam. Bore and stroke were 53x56mm and themotor breathed via a 27mm Dell’Orto racing carburettor, eventuallyproducing a maximum of 16bhp at 10,300rpm.The cycle parts were virtually an exact copy of the ‘52 worksbikes’, featuring a tubular duplex loop frame, telescopic front forkwith central hydraulic damper, and swinging-arm rear suspension.Brakes were full-width aluminium-alloy: 7” diameter at the front, 6”at the rear. Dry weight was 165lbs and the top speed over 90mph.Because Italy’s long-distance road races, such as the Moto Girod’Italia and Milan-Taranto required that machines be street legal andpossess lights, a flywheel generator formed part of the specification.The MV Agusta monoalbero 125 racer proved an enormous success,remaining in production until 1956 and continuing to offer privateersa competitive ride in the 125cc class for many years thereafter.The current vendor, a prominent German private collector, purchasedthis beautiful little MV from a deaf German racer, who had acquiredit in Italy from Giancarlo Morbidelli, founder of the eponymousmotorcycle company and head of the Morbidelli Museum. Believedrestored in the Morbidelli workshops, the machine runs very well andwas last used in September 2014 at Dieburg.£25,000 - 35,000€35,000 - 49,000Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the description and condition of each lotprior to bidding. All lots are sold “as is/where is” with all defects and faults.motorcycles | 137