What to buy and how much to pay

It’s Italian, it’s from the 1970s and it’s rare so what do you reckon is coming next? Yes of course: buy the best and most complete you can find. Unlike the later 350 Ipotesi the earlier 350 wasn’t a significant seller in the UK so you will be looking to Italy for pretty much anything that’s missing or at least trawling Italian ebay. Project examples are, ideally, best avoided as it could be a very protracted process getting one back up and running. Barn finds aren’t so much of an issue and aside from the usual carburettor, tyres and cable scenarios most examples are readily retrievable. Pricewise the bikes are possibly cheaper than you might expect and the usual cachet of classic MVS has yet to have a substantial impact. Figure on around £5000 for an original tidy example in need of recommissioning or between £6500-£7500 for a totally sorted one. The 350 Scrambler version might very well be seen as a Marmite machine with its overtly yellow or burnt orange chassis, raised guards and high level twin exhausts. Arguably prices are likely to be a little higher (up to £10,000) but once again condition and desirability dictates your final decision. Most of the 350 MVS come in traditional red and white but if we at CMM had the choice we’d opt for the rarer green and white option offered on the MV 350 GT with the higher bars for ease of use. Subtly understated, the colour seems to suit the older lines rather handsomely.