MV Agusta 125 Bialbero
DOHC single-cylinder |
The MV Agusta 125 Bialbero was a 125 cc factory racer from the Italian brand MV Agusta, which was used between 1950 and 1960.[1] The machine won 34 GPs, 6 rider's championships and one manufacturer's championship.[2] The machine also won 4 Italian Championships and 10 National Championships in other countries.[3]
History
Agusta was an Italian helicopter manufacturer. It was based in Samarate, Northern Italy. The company was founded by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923, who flew his first airplane in 1907. The MV Agusta motorcycle manufacturer began as an offshoot of the Agusta aviation company at the end of the Second World War as a means to save the jobs of employees of the Agusta firm.[4]
As a hobby of the director,
Technology
The name "Bialbero" means "two camshafts". It was clear at that time that the lightweight models would need two camshafts. The MV Agusta Bialbero 125 engine even resembled the Benelli 250 cc racer from before the Second World War.
The engine was an
The
The MV Agusta had a
Technical details
MV Agusta 125 Bialbero | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valvetrain | |||||||||||
Engine configuration | Four-stroke single-cylinder
| ||||||||||
Engine cooling
|
Air cooling | ||||||||||
Bore | 52 mm | 53 mm | |||||||||
Stroke | 58 mm | 56 mm | |||||||||
Engine displacement | 123,2 cc | 123,5 cc | |||||||||
Compression ratio | Unknown | 11:1 | |||||||||
Lubrication system | Dry sump | ||||||||||
Max power | 12 bhp (8.9 kW) @ 12.000 rpm | Unknown | 15 bhp (11 kW) @ 10.800 rpm | Unknown | 18.5 bhp (13.8 kW) @ 12.000 rpm | Unknown | 20 bhp (15 kW) @ 12.000 rpm | ||||
Top speed | Unknown | 90 mph (140 km/h) | Unknown | 115 mph (185 km/h) | Unknown | 120 mph (190 km/h) | |||||
Primary drive
|
Gear | ||||||||||
Clutch | Dry multi-plate | ||||||||||
Gears | 4 | 5 | 7 | ||||||||
Final drive | Chain drive | ||||||||||
Frame | Double cradle | ||||||||||
Front forks | Girder forks | Earles forks or Telescopic forks
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Telescopic forks | ||||||||
Rear suspension | Swinging arm with friction dampers | Unknown | Swinging arm with hydraulic shock absorbers | ||||||||
Brakes | Drum brakes | ||||||||||
Dry weight
|
Unknown | 76 kg | Unknown | 80 kg |
Timeline
- 1949
Design of the new machine starts.[3]
- 1950
The machine debuts at the Dutch GP in July.[6]
- 1951
In 1951, Leslie Graham used the machine in two races. He dropped out of the Ultra Lightweight IOM TT and finished third at the Dutch TT as Assen.[7] He finished eighth in the 125 cc World Championship.[8]
- 1952
Graham was to concentrate on the 500 cc class in 1951. Domenico Agusta decided that he needed British drivers for the World Championship, as they would know the Mountain Course at the Isle of Man and the Clady Circuit in Northern Ireland, and signed Cecil Sandford for the 125 cc class.[9] Sandford was still young and inexperienced in World Championship races, but had been riding in the Isle of Man since 1948; in the Clubmans Junior TT, the Manx Grand Prix, the Senior TT and the Junior TT.[10]
Sandford won the Ultra-Lightweight TT, the Assen TT and the Ulster Grand Prix and finished third in Germany and Spain. Sandford had set a new lap record at the Isle of Man.[9] The 1952 machine weighed only 76 kg and output had been increased to 15 bhp. Sandford won the 125 cc World Championship[11] and MV Agusta the Constructors Championship.[12]
- 1953
In 1953, MV Agusta supplied a simpler version of the 125 cc racer, the MV Agusta 125 Monoalbero with only one overhead camshaft for private drivers.[13] That machine immediately became popular, meaning that no fewer than eleven MVs were at the start of the Isle of Man TT.[6] Les Graham won the Lightweight 125 cc TT on the Island, but in the Senior TT, he lost control of his bike at high speed, as he took the rise after the bottom of Bray Hill, and was killed instantly.[14] Sandford finished third and Carlo Ubbiali, who joined MV from Mondial, retired from the race.[15] Ubbiali won in Germany,[16] and Angelo Copeta, on an MV, won the final race of the season in Spain.[17] Sandford, Ubbiali, Copeta and Graham finished the season second, third, four and fifth in the World Championship.[18] MV Agusta again won the constructor's title.[12]
- 1954
The
- 1955
After the loss of NSU, MV Agusta were able to dominate the 125 cc class in 1955. MV won all of the GPs that season. Luigi Taveri won the season opener in Spain, and Ubbiali the remainder.[22] The first three places in the world championship were for MV riders: Ubbiali, Taveri and Remo Venturi,[23] and MV won the manufacturers title.[12]
An over-bored version of the machine, the
- 1956
MV Agusta faced stiffer competition in the 1956 season. The new Gilera 125 GP, on which Romolo Ferri regularly put in strong performances, and also the Mondial 125 Bialbero with the rising star Tarquinio Provini.[6] Ubbiali won five of the six GPs[6] and became Champion, teammates Taveri and Fortunato Libanori finished third and fifth.[25] MV again won the constructor's title.[12]
- 1957
The Mondial had been developed to produce 18 bhp in 1957,[26] but Ubbiali started the season well with a victory at the Hockenheimring,[16] however, the fastest lap was set by Mondial driver Provini.[26] In the following three GPs (Ultra-Lightweight TT, Dutch TT and Belgian GP) Provini won.[27] Taveri won in Ulster and Ubbiali at Monza.[16] Ubbiali finished second in the Championship and Taveri third.[28]
- 1958
At the end of 1957 the major Italian brands Gilera, FB Mondial,
Ubbiali won the
- 1959
MV Agusta dominated the 1959 season. Provini won in the Isle of Man and Sweden.[27] Ubbiali won in Germany, Assen and Spa.[16] This was enough for Ubbiali to win the title, so the team did not travel to the Ulster Grand Prix. MV Agusta would have liked to win in the home race in Monza, but Ernst Degner very surprisingly won on the MZ RE 125 with a two-stroke engine.[33] Ubbiali won the title, Provini was second,[34] and again MV won the constructor's title.[12]
- 1960
Honda entered the 125 cc for the 1960 season.[35] The MV Agusta 125 Bialbero now delivered 20 bhp and reached a top speed of 120 mph (200 kmh), but the Honda RC143 delivered 23 bhp. It had a two-cylinder engine that was rapidly developed,[35] but was still slower than the MV Agusta and the MZ RE 125.[36] Ubbiali won four of the five GPs[16] and was crowned champion, with teammate Gary Hocking second.[37]
1960 was the final year for the MV Agusta 125 Bialbero. The cost of racing for MV Agusta had become very high: A lot of money was invested in the 350 and 500 cc racers. Agusta decided not to compete in the 125cc class again.
References
- ^ Hahn 2016, pp. 180–186.
- ^ "MV Agusta Corse 125 Bialbero". www.mv-agusta-club.de (in German). MV Agusta Club Deutschland. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
- ^ a b "125 Bialbero". www.mvagustaoldtimers.nl. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ Walker 1998, pp. 208–209.
- ^ a b Walker 1998, p. 209.
- ^ a b c d e f Büla & Schertenleib 2001.
- ^ Chamberlain 1952.
- ^ "motogp.com · 125cc World Standing 1951". www.motogp.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ a b Chamberlain 1953.
- ^ Cecil Sandford career statistics at MotoGP.com
- ^ "motogp.com · 125cc World Standing 1952". www.motogp.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Overwinningen". www.mvagustaoldtimers.nl (in Dutch). MVagusta-Oldtimers. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ Walker 1998, p. 212.
- ^ "Les Graham". www.motorsportmemorial.org. Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ "Race Results 1953 Lightweight 125 TT Results". www.iomtt.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Carlo Ubbiali career statistics". motogp.com. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ "Angelo Copeta career statistics at MotoGP.com". www.motogp.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ "motogp.com · 125cc World Standing 1953". www.motogp.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ "Rider Statistics – Rupert Hollaus". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
- ^ "Motorsport Memorial -". www.motorsportmemorial.org.
- ^ "motogp.com · 125cc World Standing 1954". www.motogp.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ Cook 1956.
- ^ "motogp.com · 125cc World Standing 1955". www.motogp.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ Colombo & Patrignani 2000, p. 232.
- ^ "motogp.com · 125cc World Standing 1956". www.motogp.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ a b Noyes & Scott 1999.
- ^ a b Tarquinio Provini career statistics at MotoGP.com
- ^ "motogp.com · 125cc World Standing 1957". www.motogp.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ "History of the MotoGP". Devitt Insurance. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- ^ a b Alberto Gandossi career statistics at MotoGP.com
- ^ Giulio 2001.
- ^ Bruno Spaggiari career statistics at MotoGP.com
- ^ "Ernst Degner career statistics at MotoGP.com". motogp.com. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
- ^ "motogp.com · 125cc World Standing 1959". www.motogp.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ a b Kortekaas, Joep (2002). "Honda's Race History - 1960". www.vf750fd.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ^ Falloon 2005.
- ^ "motogp.com · 125cc World Standing 1960". www.motogp.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
Bibliography
- Büla, Maurice; Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949-2000 (in French). Chronosports. ISBN 9782940125760.
- Chamberlain, Peter, ed. (1952). Motor Cycling Yearbook 1952. Temple Press Ltd. pp. 111–112.
- Chamberlain, Peter, ed. (1953). Motor Cycling Sports Yearbook 1953. Temple Press Ltd. p. 123.
- Colombo, Mario; Patrignani, Roberto (2000). MV Agusta (in German) (Aufl ed.). Motorbuch-Verl. ISBN 978-3613014169.
- Cook, R. A. B., ed. (1956). Motor Cycling Sports Yearbook 1956. Temple Press Ltd. p. 173.
- Falloon, Ian (2005). The Honda Story: Production and Racing Motorcycles from 1946 to the Present Day. Haynes Publishing UK. ISBN 9781859609668.
- Giulio, Decio (2001). Ducati : design in the sign of emotion. MBI Pub. Co. ISBN 978-0760311998.
- Hahn, Pat (2016). Classic Motorcycles: The Art of Speed. Motorbooks. ISBN 9780760351796.
- Noyes, Dennis; Scott, Michael (1999). Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix. Hazleton Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-874557-83-7.
- Walker, Mick (1998). Mick Walker's Italian Racing Motorcycles. Redline Books. ISBN 9780953131112.