| Mount
Nebo, Mount Glorious and Kilcoy were some of the places we passed through
and a better test of a bike's suspension I could not think of. I am
pleased to say I came away quite impressed. In the corners the MV is nearly unflappable. When pushing things a bit hard on some extremely bumpy and tight sections I did get one or two bar-to-bar slaps but the MV never threatened with anything near a serious tankslapper. I think the adjustable Ohlins steering damper was to thank for that. I can think of a few Japanese sportsbikes that would have been in convulsions through some of the terrain.
I would like to try the MV on tyres that have a more aggressive turn-in than the Pirelli Dragon Evo's that were fitted to the test bike. Tyres such as the Bridgestone BT010R or Dunlop 207RR maybe. The 750cc engine needs to be kept revving to extract the best from it but slotting up and down through the 6-speed is definitely no chore. You have to work for the speed from the engine but it is rewarding when you get it right. This is also the same for the handling which requires a bit more body language from the rider than what a Japanese sportsbike needs, just like a Ducati. Engine output is no match for the awesome unit that is fitted to the GSX-R 750. However, that is not too much of a huge criticism as the last time we took an R1, Fireblade and GSX-R 750 to a strip, the GSX-R 750 won the stoplight drags every time against the bigger bikes. But the balance of engine and chassis is mated perfectly in the MV. I do feel that if the MV had a lot more power then the bike would become quite a handful but as it stands the MV Agusta F4 works brilliantly as a package. Why the bike has a 17,000rpm tacho when the rev-limiter is set at around 13,500 I can't figure? Instrumentation is quite nicely presented in an attractive binnacle but I suggest that it could be easier to switch through the functions. The bike does make a
tasty induction roar and the
Braking performance offered by the 310mm discs and 6-piston calipers is excellent. The 210mm disc out back is also surprisingly effective. |
When committed to a cornering line the MV holds rock steady, if rushing in
very hard the bike can try to run a little wide but if you adopt a more
aggressive, and technically correct, riding style then the MV can be
tightened back on line without too much effort. I think this trait
shows itself because of the fact that the MV carries around 20 kilograms
more than bikes such as the GSX-R, Fireblade or R1.
pipes fitted to the bike
I rode had been modified to emit quite a nice bark, which then evolves
into a glorious wail as the revs rise.