MV AGUSTA F4. Review on MV Agusta F4

There are a lot of bikes out there perfectly suited for entry-level and casual riders. The 2016 F4 RR from MV Agusta is not one of them. If you are new to two wheels or you don’t have mad riding skills, disabuse yourself right now of the idea of cutting your teeth on this bike. If you are an experienced rider, this machine is a heckuva lot of fun; it’s a race bike disguised as a street bike.

Technology abounds with a plethora of alphabet-soup acronyms that boil down to a lot of electronic controls that bridle the scary power of the F4 RR.(You may not be scared, but someone who loves you will be terrified.) Among them are eight-level traction control, electronically-assisted shift and ABS along with ride-by-wire and four engine maps that control throttle sensitivity, torque, braking, the rev limiter and engine response so you can dial in the controls specifically to suit you and your riding conditions

Design

MV Agusta F4 RR

The F4 RR combines looks and performance right down to the details. Take, for example, the front headlight. The headlight, flanked by marker lights molded into the fairing, creates a sleek, uninterrupted aerodynamic line as well as enhances visibility.

That same attention to form and function is evident on the backend — the end you’ll see most of the time unless you are riding it — where the integrated marker lights molded into the rear panel both enhance visibility of the tailight and keep the bodylines streamlined for airflow.

Continuing the sleek design, the four-tailpipe exhaust system looks like a weapon pod tucked under the subframe and doubles as a mudguard in the absence of a rear fender. This baby looks like a superbike even before it starts moving. And once you do start moving, top speed is 185 mph. Yeah, stupidfast.

Chassis

MV Agusta F4 RR

The factory started with its proven F4 frame and tweaked it to further reduce overall weight. While the frame is made from chrome-molybdenum steel tubing, lightweight cast-aluminum cheekplates serve to close the rear of the frame and mount the single-sided swingarm for a strong, but light, composite trellis structure. One of the benefits of this system is that it allows you to adjust the swingarm pivot height so you can dial in the exact frame geometry you’re looking for.

Suspension components on the non-RR F4 are top-shelf items from names such as Marzocchi and Sachs, but the “RR” takes it to a whole new level with an electronically-adjusted Öhlins monoshock and 43 mm, inverted front forks. Components on both ends come with manual, spring-preload adjusters and 4.7 inches of wheel travel, and that’s not all – an electronic interface allows you to choose between preset compression and rebound maps. These maps come bound to the Motor and Vehicle Integrated Control System(MVICS), but you have the option of changing the suspension map independently in response to changing driving conditions. The steering damper can also be manually adjusted, or left on automatic to adjust steering stiffness electronically based on bike speed.

Super-fast bikes need crazy-strong brakes, and the F4 RR brakes are about as strong as they get. The front gets dual, 320 mm floating discs with Brembo, monoblock, four-pot calipers driven by a radial pump at the hand lever. A 210 mm rear disc and four-pot Nissin caliper bind the rear wheel. Much like the suspension and engine, the brakes come with electronic augmentation as well. A Bosch 9-Plus ABS complete with a “race mode” and rear-wheel lift-up mitigation(RLM) to keep things smooth during aggressive downshifts.

Drivetrain

MV Agusta F4 RR

Some of the features on this engine are nothing short of incredible for a production motorcycle. The 998 cc, four-cylinder mill comes with billet pistons and titanium connecting rods on a short 50.9 mm throw for reduced reciprocating mass, and a top end of 14, 000 rpm. This helps it produce a staggering 200.8 horsepower at 13, 600 rpm, but torque suffers a bit because of the short stroke, and is limited to 81.8 pound-feet at 9, 600 rpm. An engine-coolant radiator gets some help from a separate oil cooler to manage the wicked heat generated by all those ponies. The intake is special, too. It comes with a variable-length intake tract Torque Shift System(TSS) that draws through 50 mm, Mikuni throttle bodies tucked away under what would normally be the fuel tank bump.

The smorgasbord of electronics continues into the engine, with an Eldor EM2.0 engine management system on board to manage engine braking, throttle response, throttle sensitivity, torque and speed limiter for complete control over the ride-by-wire control system. You can use one of the three map presets set for Normal, Sport or Rain, and use the fourth map to make an engine map all your own. A series of gyros and accelerometers monitors the bike, and sends data to the MVICS that helps to prevent loss of traction due to overacceleration. In short, you have gobs of power, and the technology with which to control it.

The six-speed gearbox wraps up the drivetrain with bells and whistles all its own. A back-torque limiter moderates torque feedback through the drivetrain during downshifts, and an Electronically Assisted Shift(EAS) ensures smooth shifts, even with less-than-smooth technique. The clutch — actuated by a Brembo radial pump — gives you low-resistance control at the hand lever.

Pricing

MV Agusta F4 RR

MSRP on the 2016 MV Agusta F4 RR is$26, 498. Your color choices are White Ice Pearl and Metal Black Carbon or Avio Grey and Black Carbon