MV Agusta F4 1000R

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Hudson

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Going to check out a clean 2007 example with low miles. While there are likely better and newer bikes, like an Aprilia RSV4, the raw nature of this model appeals to me. But... not much experience with the brand. A few friends who know the bike are encouraging, with appropriate caveats about parts availability.

Thoughts? Bike would be enjoyed but on sunny weekends.

 
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Lets just say the 1956 Matchless in the shop has enlightened me on the parts availability risks. But man is this a sexy beast. Way faster than I can safely manage too.

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It's Italian, and therefore beautiful.

 
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It's interesting when you shop for these exotic Italian bikes.

Nearly all of them retail at over $22k - some as high as $30k.

Not a single one I've looked at has over 7k in mileage. That's less than 1k miles per year. On the FJR, that equates to one good long weekend. Service intervals may have something to do with that, I think valve inspections come every 7.5k miles, and oil changes every 2-3k. I suspect ergonomics are also responsible.

God forbid if you live in an urban area and own this bike...it would be hell being only able to ride at posted city speed limits, even just getting out of town. I know the F4 suffers heat issues unless it is kept at over 40-50mph. Forget stop and go traffic.

After 6-7 years, they've taken a big hit on depreciation, more than 50%. Who would ever buy a new exotic, seriously?

The newer exotics, Aprilia, MV Agusta, Ducati, have loads of technology. Anyone can get on them, ride and appear competent, as the electronics will mask rider mistakes. The models prior to about 2010, on the other hand, lack most of this, and have to be ridden with respect for the rider's limitations. (Same is true with exotic cars).

These bikes are made in super low volumes. I think that MV Agusta sold something like 7k bikes in 2013 worldwide. In 2007, it was probably closer to 4-5k units. Only about 800-1200 are sold in the US. The upside is you won't see yourself coming or going at the local bike nights, but the downside is that parts, OEM and aftermarket, are nowhere near as available as with non-exotics. I've been told that painted parts especially are hard to come by or have longer delays, whereas service items aren't as tough to source and can be overnighted.

Clearly this is a second, or third or fifth bike, not a primary ride.

 
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The verdict....awesome. Auburn shows up at work day's end, only instead of heading north to check out the 2007 1000R with 1500 miles and a slight dimple on the tank from a garage tip over, we head west to check out the 2008 312R with 3700 miles and no such issues, but a tad more expensive. Achiu and I had scoped it out the night before, and after seeing one without any issues, it was hard to consider a blemished one. This is after all a bike that will likely be ogled more than ridden, so yeah...looks are important.

The 312R is a slightly modified 1000R, one hundred fifty of which found their way to the USA to help MV qualify for AMA requirements. It has 9 extra HP, titanium valves, a slipper clutch, and some cooling improvements. Plus, it hit 312kmph at Bonneville, hence the name.

The seller has quite the collection of older Ducatis, plus a few modern bikes. But the star of his show is a mint 2002 Senna edition MV Agusta issued in 300 copies. It is spectacular. It's also parked in his living room, drained of fluids and sitting where you might place a nice sculpture or credenza. Work of A-R-T, bro-hams.

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We admire the bikes, then get down to business. I tell you, it is great to have mates like Achiu and Auburn, there to push you towards the right direction when one side of your brain would say "not really practical", but the left side says "gimme gimme".

And that's how this wound up in my garage tonight:

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I'll be totally honest with you guys. The 30 mile ride home, a portion in rush hour traffic, the rest on rural twisty backroads, was the most visceral, aural, exhilerating and terrifying motorcycle experience I've ever had since I first swiped the keys to my roomate's GPZ1100 some twenty five plus years ago and taught myself to ride.

I came not even close to pushing the MV to its potential, never kissing the 13kRPM limit or unleashing a quarter of the 183 horses. Exactly ten minutes into the ride home, still in urban Seattle and with the heat rising off the bike*, I wondered immediately if I had just made a big mistake. The ergos of the bike were all wrong, my legs and knees and wrists felt contorted as if I was in some kind of medieval rack where they place people who haven't paid taxes to the crown.

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It wasn't until I hit the freeway and had a chance to crack her open just a bit, enough to hear those four Arrow trumpets wail like an F1 Ferrari, that I started to smile.

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Hitting the rural twisties, it felt incredibly odd and unfamiliar to me, same way I felt when Auburn had me try to follow him up a muddy clay rutted hill after I brought the Husky out to play in the dirt for the first time. I've been riding the big flat wide handlebarred KTM too long, and pushing the MV around with my body felt foreign. I probably looked like a total squid (only a well-ATGATT'ed one) taking corners at ridiculously slow speeds. The Husky took me a while to get familiar and comfortable and so will the MV. A few track classes will probably be in order (on their rented bikes of course).

Hitting the last miles to my house, I chanced to pass a few cars and cracked open the throttle cautiously, then a bit more (still nowhere near this beast's limits). I SCREAMED past a line of cars, that crazy wail filling up my ear canals and its shriek bouncing off the cars, causing the drivers to wonder where in the hell a Ferrari had suddenly appeared out of thin air.

Holy freaking ****. This bike is twelve kinds of wicked.

By the time I got home, I had become one with the pain in my lower back and wrist, but twisting that throttle past 5k rpm was like pushing a morphine button after surgery...the pain just seemed to fade away.

Gonna have to go stare at her a while tonight just sitting in the garage.

A long sigh...what the hell did Hudson just get himself into?**

*If I ever hear you whine again about the heat coming off the seat of your FJR, I'll slap you. Nothing roasts the chestnuts like the MV in rush hour stop and go traffic, not even the KTM 1190R which is notoriously hot. So shut yer pie hole.

**I've sorta lost count how many times I've uttered that phrase following new: jobs, larger purchases, relationships, news of pending fatherhood, group rides where I volunteered to lead...

 
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Your post describing the ride home captivated me more than the first Playboy I looked through at age 12. Awesome, poor ergonomics never sounded so good, Congrats!

HD video clips with SOUND will be required.......

 
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Freaking awesome!!
The pictures don't do either bike justice.

That is the first time I have ever seen a Senna in person, and it is freaking amazing work of art. Every MV F4 (all three of them) I have ever seen was in someone's living room on display.

That 312 sounds amazing even when moving slowly. They sure know how to engage all of your senses with those machines.
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Good God Man - I envy you...... Beautiful Machine, Just Sexy.....

Always drooling over the MV's, Ducati's and the Aprila's - knowing all the while, my wallet could easily entertain the adventure - my slowly aging well worked over body would never be able to endure it....

They are truly works of art and I hope she will repay you in kindness in performance and reliability for many years to come..... If nothing else you can always drain the fluids and park it in the living room until the end....

 

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