MV Agusta F3 800

If we had to summarize MV Agusta’s new model plans right now, we would classify it as a “no stone left unturned” approach, as the Italian brand seems committed to make every possible iteration of machine from its common parts bin of motorcycles.

Debuting the MV Agusta F3 675 three-cylinder supersport in 2010, and finally bringing it to market in 2012, the Varese brand is set to bring another iteration of the F3 to market, the MV Agusta F3 800.

As the name implies, MV Agusta will use its 800cc three-cylinder engine, which can be found on the MV Agusta Brutale 800 and the still-not-released MV Agusta Rivale 800 as well.

With power said to be north of 145hp, and pricing expected to be below €14,000, the new MV Agusta F3 800 will give middleweight sport bike riders something serious to think about when at the dealership. And that is precisely MV Agusta’s goal, as the Italian firm hopes to make would-be Suzuki GSX-R750 and Ducati Superbike 848 owners think twice about their purchases.

The F3 800 will share the same MVICS electronics package, as was debuted on the F3 675 model, and like its naked-bike Brutale siblings, the 800cc F3 will be very close in weight to its 675cc counterpart (~380 lbs dry).

While it won’t be racing legal, we expect that like its segment competition, the MV Agusta F3 800 will be see as a fun track toy for enthusiasts, employing more power than a normal supersport machine, but utilizing the same nimble qualities of the supersport chassis.

With the European press getting an invite to the MV Agusta F3 800′s debut the first week of June, it would seem that MV Agusta intends for the 800cc machine to be a late-2013 / early-2014 addition to its model line-up. More info and photos as we get it.

Source: Bothan Spies

Ultimate Superbikes 4th place: MV Agusta F4RR

Lap time: 1:53.86
Top speed at end of straight: 163.6mph
Max braking (g): 1.19
Max lean: 41.62

Why it’s so specialMV Agusta F4s are the ultimate poster bikes. The iconic Massimo Tamburini-designed lines haven’t really changed over the years, just tweaked, refined and polished, but even today, 14 years after the original F4 750 was released, this latest evolution is unutterably beautiful. 

It wears the finest biking jewellery: Ohlins, Marchesini and Brembo, but the MV now has a ride-by-wire throttle system, which has allowed MV to equip the F4RR with variable riding modes, traction control, anti-wheelie, launch control and an auto-blipper – a world first. And like the Panigale the MV has electronically-adjustable suspension, linked to the riding modes.

On the trackIn 11 years of road testing for MCN, I’ve been lucky enough to ride just about every modern-day MV. I’ve clocked up thousands of miles on MVs and like Spandau Ballet, I know this much to be true: you couldn’t wish to meet a nicer bunch of people who work at the factory.

MVs sound great, they’re achingly-beautiful, packed with the latest technology, thoughtfully designed and are built to a knee-trembling high standard. But they’re buggers to ride.

Early F4s had snatchy fuel injection, which gradually got better, but now, with the arrival of ride-by-wire, the throttle response is worse. The F4 RR’s throttle feels snatchy and disconnected, like last year’s F3.

This problem seems to be the -elephant in MV’s room. Sure, the bikes are so beautiful and they win countless design and desirability awards, but they don’t work properly. I have ridden nicely set up bikes, like from dealers Forza Italia, but out of the box, they can be frustrating.

The F4 RR’s power delivery is littered with peaks and troughs. At low rpm the short-stroke, 998cc inline four-cylinder ‘Corsacorta’ engine has little power, but once you’re past 6000rpm the F4RR gathers huge speed and momentum.

But this wondrous torrent of power is interrupted by a big flat spot around 10,000rpm, then all hell breaks loose, as it surges towards the redline and its claimed 195bhp.

You wouldn’t notice the inconsistent power delivery most of the time on the road, where you’re riding at lower revs, but on a track, mid-corner, not knowing what you’re going to get when you twist the throttle is unnerving and takes all your attention, when you should be thinking about where you’re going.

We were really excited about the F4 RR’s new auto-blipper, too. You don’t have to use the clutch or blip the throttle on the way down through the gearbox - just stamp your foot down on the lever and the gear snicks-in. Lots of top-level race bikes have them, but the MV is the first road bike to have one.

But it doesn’t work when you most need it, changing down from high revs, thanks to a 12,000rpm safety limit, to stop you over-revving the motor.

You need the auto-blipper to work on that first downchange at the end of a straight to steady the bike, coming off the throttle and on to the brakes, but the revs are too high.

Waiting for the revs to drop enough for the system to work feels like freewheeling and doesn’t inspire confidence. It’s best to change down normally, but the auto-blipper works at lower speeds and revs.

The unpredictable throttle made the F4 RR significantly slower than its rivals in Hodgson’s hands.

Not only was it the slowest 1000 here, it’s actually slower than its F3 younger brother, the ZX-6R 636 and Triumph Daytona 675R we tested here at the same time. And then it broke down – the dash looking blankly back at us even with the ignition switched on.

The motor’s inconsistent power delivery is such a shame because this latest evolution is fast and handles better than any F4 to date.

Despite being the heaviest machine here (211kg, fully-fuelled), it steers beautifully and has so much potential. If only the factory would sort out that throttle.

Hodgson saysThere's nothing I like about this bike, it’s the worst bike I’ve ever ridden. It’s horrible. It’s like riding a video game – there’s no throttle connection. Whatever’s going on in your hand is not going on in the engine – it’s just weird. Even flat-out it’s unpredictable. Sometimes you’ll be halfway down the straight and the power dies, like a load of traction control has come on and then it suddenly clears itself and you’re off again.

There’s a flat spot when you first get on the gas, then it clears and suddenly takes off. The chassis is weird, too. It’s horrible. You feel every bump on the track, yet there’s a lot of movement like it’s too soft in places. It’s like the chassis is too stiff and the suspension too soft – not pleasurable at all.

The riding position is good for the track, but the screen is far too low. Not a fan!

Settings
Riding mode: Track
Traction control: Off
Electronic engine braking: Set within riding mode
Suspension: Set electronically within riding mode

The ultimate superbike test

These are ‘Top Trump’ superbikes – the kind of machines you’ll probably only ever see in pictures and rarely in the flesh. The new Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC, BMW HP4 Carbon, Ducati 1199R Panigale and MV Agusta F4RR are all about the big numbers: power, capacity, top speed, electronic rider aids and, of course, price.

If you’re in the market for an exotic superbike, you’re not going to care what they’re like on the road because you’ll do so few miles. Few owners could ever take them to the limit, either, making a mockery of the thousands of miles test riders have put in to hone these machines to perfection.

But who cares? Who’s ever taken their Ferraraghini supercar to the limit and beyond, anyway?

This group test is all about celebrating the sheer decadence of these beautiful, mouth-watering machines. We’re not going to judge how comfy they are, what they’re like on fuel or how they fare on the motorway. We’re not even going to judge them on their looks - you can do that by looking at the pictures.

Like the ultimate game of Top Trumps, in this test, all we care about is how fast they go around a track, with an ex-world champion aboard. It’s about as far away from the real world as you can get, but we do plenty of that stuff – today is all about having fun and celebrating the most evocative superbikes in the world.

So, here we are at the eye-wateringly fast, three-mile Pergusa circuit in Sicily, with an even faster Neil Hodgson. We simply ask him to go as quick as he can on each bike and the one with the best lap time wins – simple.

All the bikes come with the latest ‘Version II’ Pirelli Diablo Super Corsas, but we’ve changed them from the standard road (SP) compound, for the stickier SC2 race version, for ultimate grip. Track temperature is 35°C.

Using professional 2D datalogging equipment, we’ll record lap times and the maximum speed of each bike at the end of Pergusa’s longest straight.

We’ll let you know how each bike’s suspension and electronic riding aids are set up for the laps – it’s a sign of the times that we spent more time fiddling with the buttons on the dash changing electronics, than we did with a screwdriver changing fork and shock settings.

We'll be publishing our thoughts on each of the four bikes over the next four days, starting tomorrow with the bike that finished in fourth place.