Strictly speaking, it was only put on the market after the Second World War, but the history of MV’s very first motorcycle, the 98, goes back exactly 80 years this year. It was in fact the year 1943 that the small power unit saw the light of day, the two-stroke single-cylinder that would start the legend of MV.
The history of the first MV motorcycle, the 98, is closely linked to the tumultuous but also inspiring events of Italy’s post-war period. The global conflict was long and devastating, leaving a country in tatters, with cities razed to the ground, infrastructure compromised and industrial production brought to its knees.
It was in this scenario, enough to discourage anyone, that Domenico Agusta embarked on the adventure that was Meccanica Verghera, the embryo of the glorious MV Agusta.
Let’s take a step back first, to the war years. By 1943 it was clear that the war would be lost and that production of aircraft for use in the conflict would soon come to an end.
What would become of “Costruzioni Aeronautiche Giovanni Agusta”, the company that Domenico Agusta had taken over in 1927 after its founder, Count Giovanni Agusta, died at the age of 48? Without converting planes, collapse seemed inevitable. What could they do?
Producing cars was a first option, but millions of Italians did not even have the basic means to lead a dignified life and so clearly could not buy what was considered a luxury item at the time.
And motorcycles? They were much more affordable and could therefore be an interesting emerging market for the airline company. This was the motivation that drove Count Agusta to develop an engine that would allow him to explore this business opportunity.
By August 1943, the motorcycle engine was ready for mass production, designed and studied in every detail so that the models necessary for the fusion of the individual parts could be created.
It was decided to concentrate on an engine that was simple, cheap, reliable and easy to maintain: a 98 cc single-cylinder two-stroke with three-port timing, primary gearing and a one-piece crankcase in which both the clutch and the transmission unit are in an oil bath fed up. A simple solution that enables low-cost, large-scale production.
However, in September 1943, German troops occupied the Agusta factory, stopping production. Fortunately, all the models and designs of the first 98 engine were hidden in the homes and basements of the most trusted technicians and engineers a few weeks before they were protected from theft by the military.
The designs and models of the 98 engine were hidden for several months before being recovered midway through the following year, when production finally resumed. A year later, the first motorcycle of the MV (Meccanica Verghera) brand, the MV 98, was born.
With a design that, like the first prototypes, was finalized just before the invasion 80 years ago, the 98 engine was the starting point for a glorious story of passion, success, performance and style.
Only 98 cc: this was enough to ignite a passion that, over a period of 80 years, has brought the real “Made in Italy” to the top of the world more times than anyone else, creating and producing masterpieces in the form of motorcycles. fueled the dreams of so many, from generation to generation, who share a passion for design, mechanics and beauty.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.