MV Agusta’s F4 is the closest you’ll get to royalty in the world of motorcycling. It is a soul-stirring amalgamation of thermoplastic, fibreglass, chromium-molybdenum, aluminium and carbon fibre. It feels all the more incredible when you consider that it was designed by the masterly Massimo Tamburini, nearly 20 years ago. Underneath that fairing is an in-line four-cylinder motor. Sounds ordinary? It just so happens that it traces some of its DNA to Ferrari’s F1 engines. But that was a long time ago. And in that time, the F4’s status as an icon and a valuable collectible that most people will enclose in glass has only grown. So, does it even matter how this motorcycle rides? Maybe it doesn’t, but we had to know.
In the flesh, the F4 is as stunning as I expected it to be. There’s a poetic beauty in its lines that will have you marvelling for a long time to come. How planes like the flattish fairing design, the geometric headlamp design, the lacy lines on the wind deflector and hard edges of the fairing combine to make a timeless package is spell-binding.
The quick-release fasteners for the fairing remind you of the bike’s racing pedigree, as do the little winglets under the headlamp. The slots on the rear-view mirror housing suggest aerodynamic efficiency too was critical to the design. And the single-sided swingarms will prove very handy, if you ever need to change tyres in a hurry.
The blue-backlit LCD console looks a bit dated, especially in a day and age when colour displays are becoming common on top-end motorcycles. While the rider’s seat is wide, comfort clearly isn’t top priority here, as the seating position is properly racy. Also, because of the high seat and the rear-set footpegs, getting your feet down at stop lights requires a bit of planning. In terms of equipment, you’ll have little reason to complain, as the F4 comes equipped with plenty of modern-day tech like Bosch’s ABS 9 Plus with Race Mode, eight-stage traction control, three-stage engine brake control, and all of this is available on three pre-set rider modes – Normal, Sport and Rain. A fourth mode, Custom, even allows the rider to set up the electronic controls as per his or her preference.
With the mode set to Rain, we wound our way through the streets. In this mode, throttle response was soft and torque remained well-capped for commuting in the city. I found that I needed to wind the throttle more than I would have expected on a 195hp superbike, to get it whizzing past traffic. So, job done. The seating position, though, was very aggressive, and caused some amount of wrist ache at slow speeds. The suspension proved to be surprisingly pliant, and the bike rolled over speed breakers and bumpy tarmac with ease.
But, as we chanced upon an open stretch, and as the rev needle got past 4,000rpm, things started to get properly smile-inducing. A hard twist on the go-faster bar resulted in a hardening of the exhaust note and worryingly fast acceleration. But the highlight was the sound. Suddenly, you could see the theatricality of the MV, the fine mechanical buzz through the handlebars, the intake snarl, the burble from the exhaust chamber under you every time you rolled off, and the awesome roar from the engine every time you really opened the gas. Clearly, the electronics cap engine response for low-speed trundling, but open the taps as you get more adventurous. The traction control, though, remained active in its most aggressive state.
Once properly out of the city, it was time to change to the Normal mode. A few quick stabs at the engine starter button got the required mode even while riding around. Nice. At the next opportunity, it was time to gas it, and whoops. Within a few metres of rocketing ahead, the front wheel decides to get airborne on a sopping wet road! But although we had plenty of rain to contend with, it became clear that the bike’s electronics were on top of the torrid conditions, as they chopped power quickly and smoothly to keep things from getting out of hand.
Gassing the F4 suggests a certain rawness of the power delivery. The power doesn’t just come on, it erupts. While the first step at 4,000rpm is easy to adapt to, there are surges of power that tickle you, until power delivery softens slightly as you head to 10,000rpm. But from there on again, the run to 14,000rpm is searingly quick. And with electronically assisted upshifts, the temptation to make gear changes without rolling off the gas was too much to pass up. The smooth six-speed gearbox also offers clutchless downshifts, and that’s sure to make the F4 quite a hoot to ride on the race track. But even ridden off the track at a relaxed pace, the MV Agusta F4 felt absolutely enjoyable. There is much to be derived from the MV’s ability to instil confidence on any given surface. Its grip and stability lets you ride with greater speed than you would have considered possible. All too quickly, it was time to head back to the Motoroyale HQ to return the F4. And while we regret not being able to ride this motorcycle fully, it was absolutely clear that even 20 years down the line, the F4 doesn’t just rely on its exotica value. Yes, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime union of power and ultra-exclusive craftsmanship that has been updated with modern technology. It’s on sale in India at a starting price of Rs 26.87 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune), which is quite a lot of money that you’d be spending just for possessing a slice of history.
