Report From Italy
REPORT FROM ITALY
CARLO PERELLI
MV AGUSTA 600 ROADSTER AV AILABLE
DURING THE MILAN Fair (April 14 through 25) MV Agusta proudly displayed the final version of their 600cc four-cylinder roadster, first introduced at the 1965 Milan Motorcycle Show and extensively tested and modified since then under the close supervision of factory boss, Count Domenico Agusta.
Deliveries have already started and we have been promised a road test soon. Needless to say, we are anxiously looking forward to it!
The new engine has more pulling power from low rpm ranges, cleaner and quicker acceleration, better "sports" spaced gear box ratios and a vertical distributor behind the cylinders for better cooling and easier accessibility (previously it was horizontal ly placed above the crankcase behind the cylinders and protected by a light alloy cover).
The double cradle tubular frame has been lowered, while the dual seat is now a "double-deck" type, enabling the rider to sit lower. The handlebar shape has also been changed for a more comfortable rid ing position and better control. Other mods include restyled front lamp, new rear brake, radial finned case for the rear bevel gears, new cylindrical silencers, better shap ed battery case and better concealed, easy-to-reach central and side stands.
Main features of this attractive model are: gear driven ohc, bore and stroke of 56 x 60 x 4 590cc, 9:1 compression ra tio, 52 bhp at 8,000 rpm, two 29mm car buretors, electric starter, five-speed gear box, 12-volt electrics, 3.50-18 front and 4.00-18 rear Metzeler tires, and a 115 mph top speed.
APRIL, THE MONTH OF RACING
For many years April has been an active month for GP racing in Italy. This year, four international meetings were held in a row: Riccione, Cervia-Milano Marittima, Cesenatico (three famous sea-side resorts on the Adriatic coast) and the Imola "Gold Cup."
Organizers don't care about spending money to have the best riders and machines (Hailwood gets some $5,000 starting money for each meeting!), and so the huge crowd - particularly enthusiastic in those regions - usually watches world championship level racing.
At Riccione, Hailwood celebrated his 27th birthday by winning both the 250 and 350 classes. He was riding last year's world championship Hondas, the 250 six and the 350 four. The latter was modified by him with Ceriani forks and a Lyster double disc hydraulic front brake to improve handling and stopping.
In the 250 race he was hotly challenged by Walter Villa on the Montesa two-stroke twin (described last month in this column), and in the 350 by Giacomo Agostini on the MV three.
Both Mike and Villa crashed in the 250, but picked up, undaunted, to duel again! Another to crash in this class was Benelli's new wonder boy, Renzo Pasolini, second behind Agostini and fastest lapper of the day - in spite of brake troubles - in the 500. He then wanted to start in the 350, last race of the day, but doctors said no.
In the 125, there was nothing the best Italian models (the Mondial two-stroke rotary valve singles ridden by Walter and Francesco Villa) could do against the 1966 World Championship Yamaha twin of Ivy, the Suzuki twin of Anscheidt and not even the Honda four or Taveri. Ivy won easily after Anscheidt suffered a broken chain and Taveri came in second.
On a course and surface not at all suited to the high, narrow power band of his machines, Mike was soundly defeated at Cervia-Milano M~irittima in the 250 by Pasolini and by both Pasolini and Agostini in the 500.
On the Morini single, after Grassetti had returned to Benelli, Walter Villa finished a very close third to Hailwood in the 250.
Anscheidt took his revenge on Ivy in the 125, beating him on the line after a race-long duel. There was no Taveri here and the Villa brothers were again the best Italians on their Mondials.
For the 500 race at Cesenatico, Mike had obtained a real 500cc power unit which he put into the 350 frame. This marriage further accentuated the poor road holding qualities of the frame, to a point that Mike decided to have a new frame built by the same Milan specialist who builds the Paton twin frames. He couldn't challenge Agostini in the 500 and eventual ly retired from second position with burned magneto wires. But, he was supreme in the 250, winning well ahead of Pasolini, while both Grassetti and Walter Villa had to re tire with mechanical troubles.
In the 350, a great duel was waged be tween Agostini and Pasolini, with success finally going to the Benelli rider, much to the excitement and pleasure of the crowd who, after Ago, have now found another Italian champion to cheer. -
There was a faint hope that for Cesena tico and Imola, Gilera would take out their improved 500cc four. But after Minter test ed it on the Modena autodrome, the Arcore people said no. Something really new is needed to challenge the best rivals!
Delayed from April 23rd to 25th (which is the Liberation Feast in Italy) because of bad weather, the 14th Imola "Gold Cup" on the winding, up-and-down, fast and de manding 5.017 km autodrome concluded with yet other successes for Agostini and Hailwood.
In the 250 there was a fascinating scrap between Hailwood and Walter Villa, but Mike easily widened the gap to win at lap and record speeds. In the 350, the most awaited race of the day, the battle between Agostini, Hailwood and Pasolini soon vanished, with Agostini leading comfortably right from the first lap and Hailwood retiring at the third with a broken gearchange pedal! Pasolini went on to finish second one minute behind the winner. Even easier was Agostini’s success in the 500, which he won without any need to break his own 1966 records.
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Conclusions? The Italians, once masters of the lightweight field, have no more 125 and 250 mounts to challenge the foreigners; luckily, their prospects in the bigger classes are far better. Something to underline was the excellent performances of the Paton twins in 250 and 350 classes but especially in the 500 class, always finishing right behind the works multicylinder models and proving very readable, with only one retirement (at Imola, in the 500, with clutch trouble) in ten rides in the various classes.
Patons are built in a small department of a Milan garage by Giuseppe Patoni and his mechanic, Gian Emilio Marchesani. Patoni was once Mondial racing department chief (when they used to win world championships) but in 1958 he set out on his own, with 125 and 175 dohc single cylinder engines.
The twin cylinder model first appeared as a 250 (53 x 56mm) in 1963, then was enlarged to 350 (62 x 57mm) in 1965 and finally was overbored to 460 (72 x 57mm) in 1966. All have double ignition, twin ohc’s, gear-driven between the cylinder, six-speed gearboxes, coil ignition, and gear primary drive. The 1967 models have been improved in various details, mainly to increase reliability and road holding at high speeds.
In the meantime, an eight-valve head with helical springs is being built, while the capacity of the 460cc will be brought closer to the class limit. Should this season prove satisfactory, Giuseppe Patoni will build a small batch of these machines for sale. This year he is sponsored by Liverpool dealer Bill Hannah, who has Fred Stevens as a rider, while for Italian events (but later also foreign), the very promising Angelo Bergamonti is employed.
If you ask Mr. Patoni about the power of his models he replies he doesn’t know it, because he never had the opportunity to test them on a bench. In spite of this, he’s obtaining more and more excellent results, which speaks for his mechanic’s ability.
From this series of Italian races, the skill of Peter Williams, riding Arter AJS and Matchless, has always finished clearly as the first privateer. In the 500 class at Imola, he was the only one not to be lapped by Agostini! He is son of Jack Williams, who used to develop the AJS and Matchless racing FR and G50 single ohc engines and thus is supposed to have good power units. But indeed, the largest part of merit for his fine placing goes to his ability. It would be very interesting to see him on a works bike. ■
