MV Agusta 175 Disco Volante
The Flying Saucer
With Phil Aynsley
Say what you like about Italian motorcycles, but they are almost always stylish!
An excellent example being the two versions of MV Agusta’s 175 cc Disco Volante (Flying Saucer) seen here.
The 1954 CS used a conventional fork while the following year’s CSS employed an Earles fork. 700 of each type were built in two batches.
Both were derivatives of the 175 CS that was MV’s first production four-stroke and debuted at the end of 1952.
While fast it earned a reputation of being a somewhat fragile design and was sold from 1954 to 1958.
Dedicated racing models used a different narrow tank and megaphone exhaust while the road bikes had a fishtail muffler.
Depending on the state of tune, the SOHC 59.6 x 62 mm motor made from 8 to 14 hp at 8800 rpm. A four-speed gearbox is used together with a 25 mm Dell’Orto carburettor.
Dry weight was around 110 kg, with a wheelbase a compact 1300 mm.
| MV Agusta 175 Sport CS Specifications | |
| Engine | Air-cooled, four-stroke, single-cylinder, SOHC, two-valve, 172.3 cc |
| Bore x stroke | 59.5 x 62 mm |
| Power | 8.2 kW (11 hp) @ 5400 rpm |
| Induction | 22 mm Dell’Orto MA22 carbs |
| Ignition | Flywheel-magneto |
| Gearbox | Four-speed |
| Final Drive | Chain |
| Frame | Double cradle tubular/pressed steel |
| Suspension | Telescopic forks, dual shocks |
| Tyres | 2.75 x 19, 2.75 x 19 inch |
| Brakes | 160 mm front drum, 140 mm rear drum |
| Wheelbase | 1280 mm |
| Length | 1895 mm |
| Width | 620 mm |
| Weight | 110 kg dry |
