1957 MV Agusta 500/4
This 1957 MV Agusta 500/4 is a rare beast indeed – one of only two thought to still exist (of four built). It is a part of the late Ubaldo Elli’s collection.
While the the company’s famous 500/4 appeared in 1950 it wasn’t until 1956 that they achieved their first 500 cc World Championship – with John Surtees aboard.
Surtees finished third in 1957 with the other MV riders Terry Shepard in 11th, Umberto Masetti 16th and Carlo Bandirola 21st. Gilera riders Libero Liberati and Bob McIntyre took first and second places in the championship that year.
The 500/4 went on to take the title again for all the years from 1958 to 1965 with Surtees (3), Gary Hocking (1) and Mike Hailwood (4).
After the opening race of the 1966 season in West Germany the 500/3 took over duties from the four until a new design 500/4 was raced from 1973 to 1976.
In its original 1950 form the 500/4 made 50 hp at 9000 rpm. By 1957 that had increased to 70 hp at 11,000 rpm and when it was retired in 1966 it produced 80 hp at 12,000 rpm.
Top speeds for the same years were 190 km/h, 260 km/h and 266 km/h. The 1957 bike had a wet weight of 138 kg.
The 500/4 was the second design (after the 125 Bialbero) Piero Remor produced for MV after moving there after being sacked from Gilera in late 1949. He had been responsible for Gilera’s famous 500/4 and the MV 500/4 only took 15 weeks from drawing board to track, no doubt helped by its very close resemblance to the Gilera (not something Giuseppe Gilera was happy about!).
Chief mechanic Arturo Magni followed Remor to MV a few months later and took over as head of the race department in 1956 after Remor left to join Motom.
The DOHC motor used two-valves per cylinder for its entire life, as opposed to the four-valve 500/3 and later 500/4.
1957 MV Agusta 500/4 Specifications
| 1957 MV Agusta 500/4 Specifications | |
| Engine | Air cooled, Four-stroke transverse in-line four-cylinder engine, DOHC with two valves per cylinder |
| Bore | 53 x 56 mm |
| Displacement | 494.2 cc |
| Lubrication system | Wet sump |
| Carburetors | Four Dell’Orto 29 mm |
| Max power | 70 bhp (52 kW) @ 11,000 rpm |
| Top speed | 260 km/h |
| Primary drive | Gears |
| Clutch | Wet multi-plate |
| Gears | 5, 6 or 7 depending on circuit |
| Final drive | Chain drive |
| Frame | Double cradle |
| Suspension | Telescopic fork, Parallelogram Swingarm, Coil springs with hydraulic shock absorbers |
| Brakes | Drum |
1957 MV Agusta 500/4 Gallery
