MV Agusta 1976 750 Sport America 789 cc 4 cyl DOHC 3601

MV Agusta 1976 750 Sport America 789 cc DOHC four cylinder frame # 2210451 engine # 221-073

During the 1950s and the 1960s, MV Agusta produced small displacement bikes but as sales were starting to go down, the company decided to concentrate more on more powerful machines. The MV Agusta 600 debuted at the Milan Trade Fair in 1965. It featured final shaft drive and weighed 221 kg. It became the world’s first production motorcycle with a transverse 4-cylinder engine.
But the public demanded something more exciting from many-times World Champions MV, and the company duly obliged: at the Milan show in November 1969 the new 750S was presented. The capacity was upped to 743cc and the 65×56 bore x stroke engine now delivered 69hp @ 7900rpm. Four 24mm Dell’Orto carburettors were fitted and a Grimeca 8-inch four leading shoe acted as front stopper. The front brake was changed to hydraulic dual-discs in 1974. The new 750S got a striking appearance with its red, white and blue colour scheme and its distinct petrol tank shape. Perhaps surprisingly for a sports model, it retained the shaft final drive of the 600 while the frame too was virtually identical to that of its predecessor. Hand made in limited numbers and priced accordingly, the 750S was way beyond the financial reach of the average enthusiast.
The American importers knew that improvements would make the MV Agusta more appealing to US tastes. Their views found a willing recipient at the factory; the result was the 750S America that appeared during 1975. For style, the fuel tank and seat used a more sculpted design that owed much more to the racers of the early Seventies, along with improved switch gear. The Ceriani telescopic front fork’s legs used a larger diameter 38mm to improve the handling. For speed, power was increased by upping the engine’s capacity to 789cc with a 2 mm increase in the cylinder bore.
To comply with increasingly stringent noise laws in the US, a modern air intake box was provided, along with new heavy silencers that were black-finished. The power was upped to a claimed 75 bhp at the crank which gave a top speed of around 130 mph or 210 km/h. No more than 540 Americas were produced between 1975 and 1978, making this model a rare and desirable machine.
In May, 1975 American “Cycle” magazine published an extensive article with a road test of the America, with interesting photos of engine components and technical specifications. Some concluding sentences: “Again and again the MV impresses a rider with its style, smoothness, comfort and – most of all – its sheer power, which is accompanied by the ever-prenet MV music. The 750S America is a grand boulevardier suitable to street parading, mountain-road stroking, and autostrada smoking. Name any venue; the red-and-silver MV will be the star attraction.”
Link: https://www.thebikemuseum.com/docs/MV_Agusta_750-S-America_750_America_Road_Test_Cycle_May_1975.pdf
Jay Leno’s Garage also contributes an interesting item on the America:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0epQVh_NhSA
This particular machine has only covered 1236 km from new; she was first registered on August 31, 1976 and the registration was ended on October 24, 1980 since when she has been part of a private collection. She comes with Lectron carburettors, 4-in-1 exhaust system, disc rear brake and Koni shocks. She has been regularly serviced and maintained in a motorcycle workshop.