MV Agusta Monomoto Superleggera 60cc

We normally think of bikes as having two wheels, but there is a small number of makers who think that's one too many. The Uno is one such motorcycle, and when I first came across it, I though it was unique.

How wrong I was. For starters, it's not even a one-wheeled machine, but has two wheels in parallel.

This MV Agusta on the other hand is the real deal.

It was built only as a prototype and ridden by Luigi Bandini during the practice session for the Milano-Taranto road race in 1954. Sadly, Bandini lost control in poor conditions and apparently "whilst waving to a pretty spectator".

Bandini's father, Count Enzio Bandini was grief-stricken when he heard and subsequently forbade anyone to ride or even see the machine.

Over time, the motorcycle disappeared into legend until a gentleman named Todd Fell heard the tale. On a road trip to Napoli, he visited the Bandini villa in 2004 and persuaded the Bandini family to part with the machine.

Some believe the above story is a legend, or that something is lost in translation. Either way, the bike is (apparently) real. Unfortunately, no-one seems to know where it is now or even how it might ride. If the owners are out there reading this, I'd be more than happy to take it for a spin.