c.1957 MV Agusta 125 SS, Frame no. MV-TRE*655002* Engine no. MV-TR-653599

c.1957 MV Agusta 125 SS
Frame no. MV-TRE*655002*
Engine no. MV-TR-653599
Much better engineered than any British contemporary, the Turismo Rapido (TR series) of MV tiddlers was by the mid-1950s – 1954 model year to be precise - four-stroke powered. Neat and simple, the 125cc motor (123.6cc, that is) was an overhead two-valve, 54x54mmm bore/stroke, with 8.5:1 compression ratio for 6.5bhp at 6,000rpm, in-unit with a wet clutch and 4-speed transmission. The carburetor was a Dell'Orto matched with flywheel-magneto ignition. The chassis by 1957 was a double cradle tubular and pressed steel structure with a telescopic fork and twin rear shocks. 60mph was often achieved by commuter and sports rider alike.

There were many TR models, like this one, between 1954 and 1958, which differed, apart from mechanical developments over the years, mostly in the styling and the marketing of those versions. The Turismo Rapido was the most prolific in its various guises; then there were the TR Extra (TRE), the TR Extra Lusso (TREL), the TR America (TRA) and the TR Lusso (TRL). And these are just the models readily catalogued.

This 125 has a TRE frame number – thus Turismo Rapido Extra – but has been otherwise labeled as a 125 SS. It has been beautifully restored – the red and gold paint is stunning – but is believed not to be strictly to its original specification. The fiberglass hump seat is certainly from a later era. These 125s are now extremely rare; this one is surely a tribute to MV and to the restorer. It's exquisite: a jewel, no less.