While in Queensland for the 3rd round of the Shell Advance Australian SuperBike Championship I had an MV Agusta F4 at my disposal courtesy of the nice chaps at the Paul Feeney Group, Australian distributors for MV and Cagiva.

My first few days with the MV were spent commuting to and from the track and general round the town type of trips.

First thing that struck me when hopping onboard the MV is the fact that the bike feels small, even a little cramped. However when you get accustomed to the riding position you find yourself extremely comfortable. I covered around 450 kilometres in one afternoon along some very bumpy roads and emerged free from any soreness.  Thousand kilometre days on the MV could be accomplished quite easily. Around town maneuvering can be a little difficult due to the limited steering lock, but it is no worse than any comparable Ducati in this respect.

When you hit the road for the first time you immediately notice the astounding amount of feedback that the fully adjustable Showa 49mm USD front forks and Sachs rear shock provide. You feel every ripple and pebble on the road. This is a little disconcerting at first but once you get familiar with the way the MV talks to you and have modified your thinking to deal with all that feedback the MV inspires a level of confidence that not many can match.

The chassis is extremely taut but the initial stroke of the suspension is just supple enough to deal with all but the hardest of hits so the MV is no kidney puncher when the road turns a little nasty.

Of course after the race weekend was over I finally had some time on my hands to go for some more spirited trots away from the confines of the metropolitan area.....Page 2

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