An unexpected sight greeted me at the bike paddock at the 2022 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard. Visiting with the sole intention to be in the presence of a mint top-to-bottom replica of Giacomo Agostini’s MV Agusta 500 – a bike that delivers an ear-splitting cacophony of noise as the great Ago himself sends it up the Goodwood Hillclimb year after year – I found the bike as part of a mouth-watering trio of 500cc GP icons.
On a weekend where we celebrated the two-wheeled world more than ever, from Ulster GP winners, TT gladiators and even Agostini’s 80th birthday, this little private collection of Grand Prix and Championship winning race bikes was a must-see exhibition of iconic motorcycle history.
Brought to Goodwood by owner Holger Lange, I was immediately on my haunches comparing cylinders, carbs and suspension configurations of a 1957 Gilera 500, a 1958 John Surtees MV Agusta 500 Quattro, and the replica Agostini 1965 MV Agusta 500, all present as part of the batch celebrating Two-Wheeled Grand Prix Heroes.
In conversation, it was clear that Agostini’s favourite, the 1965 replica ‘Meccanica Verghera Agusta’ holds a special place in Lange’s heart.
“That's the one Ago likes very much. The bike is so short I have to fit custom foot pegs for me to fit it. This is back in the original configuration for Ago to ride this weekend. I first saw him race in Hockenheim later in his career. But to finally meet him, to buy this bike, and to have him sign a few books for me at his home, that was very special. It was a private audience with my hero. It's like going to the Pope for some people.”
Capable of speeds a smidge over 160mph at full chat, the 1965 500 replica is a stunning celebration of the great man’s illustrious career, where he won 13 out of his 15 World Titles between 1966 and 1973 on MV Agusta machines.
In total, Agostini would win 122 GPs – 68 wins and eight Titles in the Premier 500cc category, as well as 54 350cc wins and seven World Titles in that class. He also scored 13 podiums and ten wins at the Isle of Man TT, along with ten Italian championships. The fact he still loves riding this replica speaks volumes about the man’s passion for bikes and his MV Agusta 500.
Moving along the line, there’s John Surtees’ 1958 MV Agusta. Presented in an almost identical livery to Agostini’s replica bike, the 1958 is a four-cylinder instead of Ago’s three, making it noticeably bulkier. Longer, wider, and with a much larger fuel tank, the bike is a monster. It’s the one Holger rode that weekend, and even a man of his tall, broad frame looked slightly drowned by its obvious weight and power.
“It's not too intimidating. That all depends on your wrist, that's what's intimidating!” smiled Holger. “It’s another very special bike to me because it is completely original. It has the John Surtees connection. He had seven bike World Championships and one F1 Championship. That will never happen again. Originally John wanted to ride with Italian manufacturers Gilera. He considered it the best bike of the time, but he couldn't get a seat because Geoff Duke was there riding, so he had his success with MV Agusta instead.”
It was on the MV Agusta that Surtees would earn the nickname ‘figlio del vento’ or ‘son of wind’, testament to his all-out commitment and speed. But despite his best efforts, Surtees was outmatched by the thoroughbred Gileras in 1957, settling for a third-place finish aboard his 500cc Quattro.
When Gilera and Moto Guzzi withdrew from Grand Prix racing at the end of 1957 season, Surtees and MV went on to sweep the World Championships across the two larger displacement 350cc and 500cc classes. Throughout 1958, ‘59 and ‘60, Surtees won 32 out of 39 races and became the first man in history to win the Senior TT at the Isle of Man TT three years on the bounce. It’s this dominant era that the 1958 500cc Quattro in front of me harks back to, and a living breathing tribute to a much-missed friend of Goodwood.
Finally to the smallest of the three bikes, the elegant, streamlined 1957 Gilera 500. The one Surtees really wanted. Again it’s a four-cylinder and another living tribute to one of motorcycle racing’s most famous sons, Geoff Duke. After initially winning three World Championships for his British compatriots at Norton, Duke moved to Gilera in 1953. It was a relationship that would see Duke bring home a string of three 500cc World Championships from 1951 to ‘55. He would have a hand in developing all of the Gilera bikes during his time at the team, until his racing came to an end at the end of the 1959 season.
“There were only 15 of these Gilera four-cylinders made in period. This is number 15. I love riding all of them. The feeling in the corners is so different to the cars and each of these has their own personality, history and story. They say all good things come in threes, and this is the proof.”
Goodwood photography by Jayson Fong.
Article images courtesy of Getty Images.
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Festival of Speed
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