Beschrijving
MV Agusta 350GT
Very original condition
Runs exceptionally well
Fully serviced
Supplied with fresh MOT
Entry level MV Agusta
This is a very original example of the 350 GT. Just completed a full service and recommissioning, it is very smart bike, with surprising performance and a very solid investment.
From the internet :
The 350 first appeared at the Milan Show in 1971 as the 350GT tourer and the sportsbike 350B (aka the 350S, depending on the year and market). The over-square, unit construction ohv twin was a development of the 250 twin, which in turn harked back to earlier MV roadsters. While there’s nothing wildly innovative about the 350’s engineering, the alloy cylinder block and heads, with two lightweight valves per cylinder operated by short pushrod rockers, made the most of its compact architecture, twin Dell’Orto carbs and free-breathing exhaust to deliver 28bhp. This equated to a satisfactory top speed of more than 90mph, but there was more to come. The package was upgraded for 1972 with 12v electrics and electronic ignition to create the Elettronica, while flash Ferrari designer Giorgetto Giugiaro devised the next incarnation – the square-case Ipotesi. (Which means ‘hypothesis’. No, we don’t know why he gave it that name. Do you?)
The prototype Ipotesi appeared in 1973 and was all angular lines and sharp corners, from the bodywork to the cylinder castings to the head finning, clutch cover and primary case. Nor were the changes merely cosmetic; the 350S now output 34bhp at 8500rpm through a five-speed gearbox, which boosted its maximum velocity from ‘respectable’ to ‘remarkable’ for a pushrod four-stroke. The 350S could comfortably exceed 100mph and, fitted with the optional fairing, was timed at 106mph in 1977. That put it on a par with mass-produced 400cc two-strokes from Japan; a significant achievement for a small concern which had recently lost its leading light and was slowly slipping into obscurity. So it was a woeful shame that it took two whole years for MV to deliver the Ipotesi to the showrooms. Even worse, the 350S cost £1412 in the UK: as much as a four-cylinder 750.
Nor were roadtests universally flattering. On Two Wheels reported that it “shakes and vibrates like hell… the engine clatters into life and keeps clattering until the oil warms.” Starting was “a difficult and sometimes dangerous affair.” The 350 boasted decent compression and starting from cold demanded repeated, committed hefty kicking. That’s not easy to accomplish using a left-side kickstart lever with very little clearance between the ankle and the footrest on the down-stroke. The 350 was also infamous for kicking back when cold. And the kickstart lever itself could snap.
Once running, however, the MV definitely delivered. “Performance is good by any standards and exceptional for a 350.” The extremely rigid single downtube frame exploited all the grip that the skinny Metzeler tyres could provide, ably assisted by a ferocious set of triple Scarab discs. The right-foot gearchange operation harked back to earlier eras with its one-up and four-down pattern of operation. Cog-swapping was beautifully smooth on the move although neutral was elusive. “Ride crazily and it will take it,” said On Two Wheels, but “ride smoothly and the MV will get quicker and quicker.”
