1973 MV Augusta 500 Phil Read
Check out the strip-down photos in the article attached
Between 1952 and 1966, MV competed in the World 500cc Championships with a four cylinder that won many races. Then the Japanese machines became too great a threat, and MV developed a 500cc three-cylinder out of the 350cc racer. In 1973, this engine had in turn become outclassed by the competition and the Italian engineers developed a new four-cylinder power unit. MV started with a reduced-capacity engine (433cc) in order to work up to the permitted limit in due course.
The career of this motorcycle was unquestionably the most painful of all the racing MVs. In an effort to make it competitive, the factory was continually modifying the frame and engine (which had two different sets of bore and stroke measurements).
A new 500 cc four was designed for 1973 (although at the beginning of the season it only displaced 433 cc) and was basically an enlarged version of the successful 350 cc four introduced the previous year and on which Agostini won the title from Yamaha’s Jarno Saarinen. It was the threat of Saarinen mounted on a new Yamaha 500 cc four for 1973 that spurred MV to replace the old 500 triple.
It was in fact Phil Read who debuted the bike as Agostini still preferred his old triple.
Check out his MV found here… https://www.mcnews.com.au/1973-mv-agusta-500-four-specifications/
