The MV Agusta 350 Ipotesi (''Hypothesis'') was a

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

produced by the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

manufacturer

MV Agusta MV Agusta (, full name: MV AGUSTA Motor S.p.A., original name: Meccanica Verghera Agusta or MV) is a motorcycle manufacturer founded by Count Domenico Agusta on 19 January 1945 as one of the branches of the Agusta aircraft company near Milan in ...

from 1975 to 1977. The machine was conceived by Italian designer

Giorgetto Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was born in Garessio, Cuneo, Piedmont. Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted ...

and based on the previous 350 B Sport Elettronica model. 1,991 "Sports" and 350 “Turismo” machines were produced.

Background

Following the death of Count Domenico Agusta in 1971, the financial situation of MV Agusta suffered a rapid decline, brought on by competition from low cost, high quality

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

motorcycles and ongoing labour problems. Giorgetto Giugiaro (who had previously designed the Suzuki RE5) of design studio

Italdesign Giugiaro Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. is a design and engineering company and brand based in Moncalieri, Italy, that traces its roots to the 1968 foundation of Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A. by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani. Best kno ...

was commissioned to produce an attractive, more modern design to increase MV's competitiveness in the middle-weight sector. The prototype had striking horizontal lines and sharp contours. The concept machine was first shown at the 1973

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

EICMA EICMA (''Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori''), or the Milan Motorcycle Shows is an annual trade show in Milan, Italy featuring motorcycles A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-w ...

Motorcycle Show.

Features

Developed from the ''350 B'' models, the 350 cc

four-stroke A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directio ...

OHV An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a ''pushrod engine'', is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier flathead engines, where the valves were located bel ...

parallel twin A straight-twin engine, also known as an inline-twin, vertical-twin, or parallel-twin, is a two-cylinder piston engine whose cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. Straight-twin engines are primarily used in motorcycles; ot ...

featured new casings to match the styling of the machine. The angular cylinder heads, matching the straight lines of the machine, completed the then state-of-the-art concept. Power output was increased from 27 hp (20 kW) @ 7,800 rpm to 34 hp @ 8,500 rpm. A new

frame A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

was produced using steel tubing only (previous models had used tube and sheet steel).

Tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

and side panels were all new. The seat had the rear mudguard attached and the side panels were slotted, mimicking the cooling fins of the engine. Scarab

disc brake A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hol ...

s were fitted, twin at the front and single rear.

Ceriani Ceriani, formerly Arces, was an Italian company that designed and fabricated motorcycle frames and suspensions. The company was founded by Arturo Ceriani in 1951. Arces is an acronym derived from Arturo Ceriani S.r.l. In the European motorcycl ...

forks In cutlery or kitchenware, a fork (from la, furca 'pitchfork') is a utensil, now usually made of metal, whose long handle terminates in a head that branches into several narrow and often slightly curved tines with which one can spear foods ei ...

and cast

alloy wheel In the automotive industry, alloy wheels are wheels that are made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium. Alloys are mixtures of a metal and other elements. They generally provide greater strength over pure metals, which are usually much softe ...

s were also fitted. This was the first Italian production bike with 3 disc brakes and alloy wheels. A full fairing was also available as an option.

350 Ipotesi GT

A touring version, the 350 Ipotesi GT, which was also known as the 350 Ipotesi Turismo was also produced. A more conventional rear seat was used, with a separate rear

mudguard A mudflap or mud guard is used in combination with the vehicle fender to protect the vehicle, passengers, other vehicles, and pedestrians from mud and other flying debris thrown into the air by the rotating tire. A mudflap is typically made fro ...

and higher handlebars were fitted. The mudguards and exhaust were finished in chrome, as opposed to painted on the sport model. A different tank was fitted, which was finished in gold and blue. The twin front discs were retained, but a

drum brake A drum brake is a brake that uses friction caused by a set of shoes or pads that press outward against a rotating cylinder-shaped part called a brake drum. The term ''drum brake'' usually means a brake in which shoes press on the inner surfac ...

was used on the rear.

Wire wheel Wire wheels, wire-spoked wheels, tension-spoked wheels, or "suspension" wheels are wheels whose rims connect to their hubs by wire spokes. Although these wires are generally stiffer than a typical wire rope, they function mechanically the sam ...

s were fitted.

Hansen & Schneider special models

German MV Agusta importer Hansen & Schneider, obtained rights to manufacture MV Agusta motorcycles in the mid-1970s. They produced two 500 cc variants of the Ipotesi. * MV Agusta 500 S (1976-77): The 350 cc engine's

bore Bore or Bores often refer to: *Boredom * Drill Relating to holes * Boring (manufacturing), a machining process that enlarges a hole ** Bore (engine), the diameter of a cylinder in a piston engine or a steam locomotive ** Bore (wind instruments), ...

was increased to 75 mm, giving a displacement of 472 cc and a power output of 53 hp (39 kW) @ 8,900 rpm. Larger 3.00x18 front and 3.50x18 rear tyres were fitted. An optional reduced-power version with 43 hp (32 kW) @ 8,200 rpm was available. *MV Agusta 500 SS (1977): a racing version was offered to special order. The machine had a completely revised engine with double overhead camshafts and produced 66 hp @ 11,100 rpm. Five examples were built.

References

Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:MV Agusta 350 Ipotesi 350B Ipotesi Motorcycles introduced in 1975 Sport bikes Motorcycles powered by straight-twin engines