There's fast, and then there's this
Susan Carpenter
October 18, 2006
SMOKIN'. That isn't just a reference to the F4-1000R's
top speed. It's what I wanted to be doing after riding
MV Agusta's '07 model sport bike. I don't even like
cigarettes, but there's something about a tach topping
out at 17,000 rpm that makes a girl want to light up.
The new F4 is freakishly fast. For 2007, MV Agusta
has eked an extra seven horsepower from its 16-valve
system and shaved 8 1/2 pounds from its wheels,
chassis and electrics. It now boasts a maximum,
out-of-the-box speed of 187 mph and horsepower
of 174 — a feat MV Agusta hopes to exploit if the
American Motorcyclist Assn. approves its entry into
superstock racing next year.
Until 1980, when the Italian manufacturer put the brakes
on motorcycle production, MV Agusta was the bike to
beat. It had claimed 75 world championships and 275
grand prix victories with Giacomo Agostini and other
legends at the controls. Almost 30 years later, the recently
reincarnated MV Agusta Motorcycles has set its sights on
reclaiming the brand's title as manufacturer of the
winningest bikes in the world with its newest F4-1000R.
During the 58th annual Bonneville National Speedweek in
August, the bike reached the highest recorded speed for
a production class 1000cc motorcycle: 187.726 mph.
That was on unmodified showroom stock — the same
model that's available at dealers and that will, at some
point, be scraped from the pavement on suicide corners
throughout the country. The warning sticker on the tank
doesn't say it, but I will: The F4-1000R is for experienced
riders only, preferably ones with a racing pedigree.
The F4-1000R's power band is like a stick of dynamite.
It's all fuse until about 5,000 rpm, when it completely
explodes. It wasn't until 10,000 rpm that I'd reached
maximum torque and 11,900 that I'd maxed out my
horsepower, which was tweaked for '07 with a
state-of-the-art, flashreprogrammable ECU fuel injection
system to control each cylinder individually instead of two
cylinders at a time.
As I rocketed toward Angeles Crest Highway on California
State Route 2, I attempted to test the gear ratio, but I
didn't get far. MV's specs said I'd be able to reach 78.5
mph in first gear at 13,000 rpm. I managed to hit 74 at
12,500 before the rev limiter flashed red. I clicked into
second, and cracked 100. The bike wasn't sweating, but I
was. As for hitting 129 mph in third, 153 in fourth, 174 in
fifth and 187 in sixth, I'll have to take MV Agusta's word
for it. Needless to say, I spent most of my time in first gear
as I turned Angeles Crest into an unofficial racetrack on a
recent weekday.
Lest the horsepower fool you, the F4 isn't a one-trick
pony. My friend Flicka was more than agile in canyon
country. In addition to reducing the diameter of the tubing
in the chassis trellis to save weight, MV Agusta improved
maneuverability by reducing the bike's rotating mass and
unsprung weight. It put the wheels on a diet for '07,
slimming each by 2 pounds with ultra-light,
forged-aluminum Brembos and spokes that narrow to the
diameter of a pencil.
The chrome-moly frame and 50-mm front fork — the
largest diameter fork of any production motorcycle — also
did their part, improving stability and control by increasing
rigidity. With antifriction coating smoothing movement and
anti-top-out springs helping on the rebound, the
top-of-the-line Marzocchi was especially helpful
accelerating out of corners. Rather than making me look
like a failed tryout for the StarBoyz stunt crew, it kept my
front end planted.
There are reasons the F4-1000R has been dubbed the
Ferrari of sport bikes — reasons that extend beyond a
shared Italian heritage, commitment to high style and
racing legacy. Ferrari engineers inspired the radial valve
design that's become a hallmark of the new MV Agusta.
Radial valves allow the engine to breathe in and out of
the combustion chamber more effectively, especially at
higher rpms. For the '07 F4-1000R, the longitudinal
distance between the valves was increased by a
seemingly minuscule 2 millimeters, but the increased
intake valve angle allows better tumbling of the gases
into the cylinder for a bigger bang of power.
The legendary sports car maker was also the inspiration
for the F4's exhaust. By ripping apart a Ferrari, designer
Massimo Tamburini came up with the idea to route the
F4's pipes under the seat, with a four-intotwo-into-one
system routed back into two into four. Tamburini first
routed the pipes under the seat on the other legendary
sport bike he designed — the Ducati 916 — but he's
tweaked it with the F4, not only for aesthetic appeal but
to help MV Agusta create its own immediately
recognizable and appealing exhaust tone, Ã la Ducati and
Harley-Davidson.
As I wrangled the F4, I attempted to keep my ear tuned to
the bass tones of the pipes. Yes, they were more
appealing than the high-rpm shriek of its Japanese
competitors, but MV Agusta would need to import more
than the 490 F4s it's bringing to the U.S. this year for
moto aficionados to pick up the subtle sonic differences
from the melee of competing pipes. That won't be
happening. Unlike Ducati, which has retained its exotic
and high-performance cred but lost its exclusivity, MV
plans to make one less bike than market demand to
retain its high-end allure.
MV Agusta's F4-1000R is the sort of bike that appeals to
snobs — scusi — men with refined tastes. The sort of men
who own espresso machines and wine cellars and stables
of other two-wheeled toys. The sort who are old enough
to drop $23,000 — cash — but young enough to take the
abuse of a riding position that rests their body weight on
the wrists and their chins on the ignition. The sort who
should, before buying, consider purchasing another item of
Italian descent, if only to aid in after-ride recovery: a
Jacuzzi.
2007 MV Agusta F4-1000R
Base price: $22,995
Engine: liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-stroke, 16-valve,across-the-frame four-cylinder
Displacement: 998 cc
Transmission: Six-speed
Bore and stroke: 76 mm x 55 mm
Maximum torque: 11.3 Kgm at 10,000
Horsepower: 174 at 11,900 rpm
Seat height: 31.87 inches
Dry weight: 423 pounds
Susan Carpenter
October 18, 2006
SMOKIN'. That isn't just a reference to the F4-1000R's
top speed. It's what I wanted to be doing after riding
MV Agusta's '07 model sport bike. I don't even like
cigarettes, but there's something about a tach topping
out at 17,000 rpm that makes a girl want to light up.
The new F4 is freakishly fast. For 2007, MV Agusta
has eked an extra seven horsepower from its 16-valve
system and shaved 8 1/2 pounds from its wheels,
chassis and electrics. It now boasts a maximum,
out-of-the-box speed of 187 mph and horsepower
of 174 — a feat MV Agusta hopes to exploit if the
American Motorcyclist Assn. approves its entry into
superstock racing next year.
Until 1980, when the Italian manufacturer put the brakes
on motorcycle production, MV Agusta was the bike to
beat. It had claimed 75 world championships and 275
grand prix victories with Giacomo Agostini and other
legends at the controls. Almost 30 years later, the recently
reincarnated MV Agusta Motorcycles has set its sights on
reclaiming the brand's title as manufacturer of the
winningest bikes in the world with its newest F4-1000R.
During the 58th annual Bonneville National Speedweek in
August, the bike reached the highest recorded speed for
a production class 1000cc motorcycle: 187.726 mph.
That was on unmodified showroom stock — the same
model that's available at dealers and that will, at some
point, be scraped from the pavement on suicide corners
throughout the country. The warning sticker on the tank
doesn't say it, but I will: The F4-1000R is for experienced
riders only, preferably ones with a racing pedigree.
The F4-1000R's power band is like a stick of dynamite.
It's all fuse until about 5,000 rpm, when it completely
explodes. It wasn't until 10,000 rpm that I'd reached
maximum torque and 11,900 that I'd maxed out my
horsepower, which was tweaked for '07 with a
state-of-the-art, flashreprogrammable ECU fuel injection
system to control each cylinder individually instead of two
cylinders at a time.
As I rocketed toward Angeles Crest Highway on California
State Route 2, I attempted to test the gear ratio, but I
didn't get far. MV's specs said I'd be able to reach 78.5
mph in first gear at 13,000 rpm. I managed to hit 74 at
12,500 before the rev limiter flashed red. I clicked into
second, and cracked 100. The bike wasn't sweating, but I
was. As for hitting 129 mph in third, 153 in fourth, 174 in
fifth and 187 in sixth, I'll have to take MV Agusta's word
for it. Needless to say, I spent most of my time in first gear
as I turned Angeles Crest into an unofficial racetrack on a
recent weekday.
Lest the horsepower fool you, the F4 isn't a one-trick
pony. My friend Flicka was more than agile in canyon
country. In addition to reducing the diameter of the tubing
in the chassis trellis to save weight, MV Agusta improved
maneuverability by reducing the bike's rotating mass and
unsprung weight. It put the wheels on a diet for '07,
slimming each by 2 pounds with ultra-light,
forged-aluminum Brembos and spokes that narrow to the
diameter of a pencil.
The chrome-moly frame and 50-mm front fork — the
largest diameter fork of any production motorcycle — also
did their part, improving stability and control by increasing
rigidity. With antifriction coating smoothing movement and
anti-top-out springs helping on the rebound, the
top-of-the-line Marzocchi was especially helpful
accelerating out of corners. Rather than making me look
like a failed tryout for the StarBoyz stunt crew, it kept my
front end planted.
There are reasons the F4-1000R has been dubbed the
Ferrari of sport bikes — reasons that extend beyond a
shared Italian heritage, commitment to high style and
racing legacy. Ferrari engineers inspired the radial valve
design that's become a hallmark of the new MV Agusta.
Radial valves allow the engine to breathe in and out of
the combustion chamber more effectively, especially at
higher rpms. For the '07 F4-1000R, the longitudinal
distance between the valves was increased by a
seemingly minuscule 2 millimeters, but the increased
intake valve angle allows better tumbling of the gases
into the cylinder for a bigger bang of power.
The legendary sports car maker was also the inspiration
for the F4's exhaust. By ripping apart a Ferrari, designer
Massimo Tamburini came up with the idea to route the
F4's pipes under the seat, with a four-intotwo-into-one
system routed back into two into four. Tamburini first
routed the pipes under the seat on the other legendary
sport bike he designed — the Ducati 916 — but he's
tweaked it with the F4, not only for aesthetic appeal but
to help MV Agusta create its own immediately
recognizable and appealing exhaust tone, Ã la Ducati and
Harley-Davidson.
As I wrangled the F4, I attempted to keep my ear tuned to
the bass tones of the pipes. Yes, they were more
appealing than the high-rpm shriek of its Japanese
competitors, but MV Agusta would need to import more
than the 490 F4s it's bringing to the U.S. this year for
moto aficionados to pick up the subtle sonic differences
from the melee of competing pipes. That won't be
happening. Unlike Ducati, which has retained its exotic
and high-performance cred but lost its exclusivity, MV
plans to make one less bike than market demand to
retain its high-end allure.
MV Agusta's F4-1000R is the sort of bike that appeals to
snobs — scusi — men with refined tastes. The sort of men
who own espresso machines and wine cellars and stables
of other two-wheeled toys. The sort who are old enough
to drop $23,000 — cash — but young enough to take the
abuse of a riding position that rests their body weight on
the wrists and their chins on the ignition. The sort who
should, before buying, consider purchasing another item of
Italian descent, if only to aid in after-ride recovery: a
Jacuzzi.
2007 MV Agusta F4-1000R
Base price: $22,995
Engine: liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-stroke, 16-valve,across-the-frame four-cylinder
Displacement: 998 cc
Transmission: Six-speed
Bore and stroke: 76 mm x 55 mm
Maximum torque: 11.3 Kgm at 10,000
Horsepower: 174 at 11,900 rpm
Seat height: 31.87 inches
Dry weight: 423 pounds
