Driving report MV Agusta F4-750

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Driving report MV Agusta F4-750

The stuff dreams are made of

What could be nicer than waking up and finding that everything is not a dream at all, but reality.

Monza – it has been over 30 years since Giacomo Agostini fought for his first victory here for MV Agusta in order to finally ascend to the Olympus of motorcycle history. And so the name of the legendary Italian motorcycle manufacturer can only be revived in Monza. MV Agusta F4-750 – the dream finally seems to be a reality.
Think. The weather gods didn’t care for the extraordinary event, sent thick rain clouds and thwarted the first long-awaited test drives. It rains like buckets of rain: an hour, all morning, all day. For security reasons everything is canceled first. No wonder, after all, each of the four machines from the limited Oro series costs just under 59,000 marks. It would be too bad for each of these 300 hand-carved special models.
The only advantage of the bad weather: There is enough time to deal with the many wonderful details of the MV. There is hardly a point where something special cannot be discovered. First, the gold-colored cast magnesium parts catch the eye. Single-sided swing arm, lower triple clamp and the wheels with their star-shaped spokes. Everything is hollow-cast and extremely light. In addition to magnesium, carbon fiber plays an important role. The tank, the front half of which acts as an airbox, is also made of this light material, as are all trim parts, the battery box, the mudguards and covers for the swingarm and exhaust.
Nothing seems to be left to chance, every single part is a small work of art in itself. Whether the handbrake cylinder or the pump for the hydraulically operated clutch, the filigree clamps on the handlebar stub, the digital cockpit or the steering damper from Ohlins fixed on both sides of the piston rod, everything is brilliantly styled without neglecting its function. Example rear suspension: Similar to Ducati, the Sachs / Boge spring leg is hinged from the swing arm via a massive rocker. In a matter of seconds, the rear frame can be raised or lowered using the length-adjustable push rod.
You can also marvel at the mighty 49er fork from Showa with quick-release axles and an extremely thin-walled axle, the fine Nissin six-piston racing pliers or the front fairing bracket with integrated headlights. The F4 is is a true masterpiece.
With so much enthusiasm, despite the bad weather, there is no bad mood. And the next day finally brings sun and the first serious body contact with the MV. It is small, narrow in the waist, with low handlebar stumps and a very flat windshield. It is no coincidence that the seating position is reminiscent of a Ducati 996. After all, its creator, Massimo Tamburini, is also responsible for the F4. And this ingenious person insists on making the final fine adjustments to the chassis of the test machines personally.
Then the time has come. It starts. Very slowly, full of awe. In view of this historic moment, it sneaks up on even the toughest of testers. And after just a few laps it becomes clear that this motorcycle not only looks different, but also drives differently than all four-cylinder machines known to date. Incredibly stiff and stable in the fast Parabolica curve, handy and accurate in the tight chicanes and as fast as an arrow on the long straights. The mighty upside-down fork is surprisingly sensitive and absorbs almost all the blows that the front tire specially developed for the F4 by Pirelli in the extraordinary size 120/65 passes on. Hard edges and very small, short waves, he doesn’t like them. A conventional 120/70 would be superior thanks to the better damping properties.
It doesn’t take long before you lose your respect for your valuable pedestal. The braking points are set later and later. Two fingers are enough to wrest incredible deceleration values ​​from the Nissin system. Unfortunately, it always takes a few meters to get the right dose. A spongy pressure point creates uncertainty, especially during less harsh braking maneuvers.
But these small weak points act like grains of dust in the universe. The senses are far too preoccupied with the unusual stimuli. Like this rich driving experience that has so far only been known from a Ducati. Or this engine, which hisses as hoarse as an English three-cylinder, revs up to almost 13500 rpm like a Japanese superbike and looks as unspectacular as a touring drive. But the gentle impression is deceptive. With 265 things, he whips the machine, which has a dry weight of 184 kilograms, through the light barrier at the end of the home straight. During the homologation runs, the slim MV even reached a measured 281 km / h. With the promised 126 hp a real masterpiece in terms of aerodynamics.
The engine itself – not least because of its long history – can be described as rather simple compared to the rest of the MV. Although it has radially arranged valves and a complex cassette gear, the technical benefit or even advantage remains questionable. The extremely narrow overall width has a positive effect on handling. This was achieved by the fact that the alternator does not sit on the crankshaft stub, but is flanged above the gearbox. Also successful: the injection system. The MV responds cleanly without ever choking.
D.hat can of course be expected from a motorcycle costing almost 60,000 marks. But hope is growing that the S version of the F4, which will cost around 35,000 marks and will roll off the assembly line in July, will bring the same virtues as the Golden Series. Cheaper aluminum is used instead of magnesium, but that shouldn’t affect the unique character.

the never ending Story

No other motorcycle in the world has speculated as long and as intensely as the MV Agusta F4-750. Its story begins in 1989 when CEO Claudio Castiglioni commissioned Ferrari to develop a four-cylinder for a Cagiva tourer. At that time, Castiglioni’s world was perfectly fine: As the lord of the Ducati, Cagiva and Husqvarna brands, he even treated himself to an engagement with Cagiva in the 500cc Grand Prix circuit and with Ducati in the Superbike World Championship. Ferrari supplied the four-cylinder at the turn of 1992/93 , but now Castiglioni wanted a classy, ​​narrow racing engine. The basic concept with two overhead camshafts and radially arranged valves was retained. For reasons of space, however, the Cagiva engineers replaced the planned dry sump with wet sump lubrication. The presentation was announced for the 1995 Milan Fair. But that wasn’t it, and the project went quiet. The Cagiva Group had dramatic financial worries. At the end of 1994 they had already withdrawn from GP racing. Castiglioni invested and fought on too many fronts at the same time; he finally had to give in and sell Ducati. With the proceeds, he immediately rushed back to the four-cylinder project. Optics and chassis developed the gifted Massimo Tamburini, co-founder of Bimota and creator of the Ducati 916. “Minimum weight with maximum rigidity” is his motto, and he drove the Cagiva engineers to despair, because they had to slim down, slim down. Of the 420 millimeter width of the engine, only 395 remained ?? just enough space for the cylinders and the central timing chain. Tamburini constructed a steel tubular space frame with cast parts made of light metal around the engine. Since the image of Cagiva was meanwhile miserable due to the poor quality of the products and hardly any spare parts supply, Castiglioni made a virtue out of necessity and quickly renamed his four-cylinder to MV Agusta. With wise foresight, he had already acquired the naming rights to MV in 1991. MV: That made motorcyclists all over the world sit up and take notice. After all, the legendary Italian brand, which has focused exclusively on the production of helicopters since 1980, had won 37 world titles. The F4-750 in the magnesium luxury version was enthusiastically celebrated at the Milan trade fair in autumn 1997. But after the triumphal procession over fairs around the world, there was radio silence again. The planned presentation in spring 1998 was postponed time and time again. Only Giacomo Agostini, 15-time world champion and most famous MV tamer, presented the F4 on a short trip (MOTORRAD 13/1998). Now the MV finally seems to have arrived at its destination? on the market. If everything really goes well, one or the other customer might be able to get on his MV as early as the late summer of 1999. But this forecast is like the weather report: without guarantee. Br

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