MV Agusta F4: Fully the performer it looks

NEW DELHI:MV Agusta’s legendary F4 is undisputedly a magical amalgam of sheer exoticism, lucid creativity and the promise of red-hot performance. As it arrives in

NEW DELHI:MV Agusta’s legendary F4 is undisputedly a magical amalgam of sheer exoticism, lucid creativity and the promise of red-hot performance. As it arrives in India, the F4 will have been in the public domain for just under two decades. But over the years it has been updated with more power, more technology and a few design tweaks, so, as I hop onto the bike, I wonder whether the F4 is as special to ride as it is to look at.

HT Image

Almost twenty years since its first public appearance, the F4 still looks ravishingly fresh. The signature four-pipe exhaust is an attention magnet. It has transformed from machine-finished, tapering round organ pipes into square-section outlets, but it’s still an arresting sight. Other new bits are the LED wing-lets under the headlamp.

While the design hasn’t aged a day, bits like the blue back-lit LCD do look dated, especially when colour displays are in vogue in this class of bikes. From some angles, the tail fairing, swooped around the rider’s seat seemed a bit bulbous, but the generous width of the rider’s seat is reason for that quirk.

Our test bike came with cast alloy wheels and a Sachs rear damper. If you want the electronically adjustable suspension, be prepared to shell out double the cost for the Rs 50-lakh F4 RR. Uou will have little to complain about the base F4, though, as it is equipped with plenty of modern-day tech like an eight-stage traction control and Bosch’s 9 Plus ABS with Race Mode, and three pre-set rider modes — Normal, Sport and Rain — and a Custom mode. There is a lot to handle as the 998cc in-line four-cylinder engine has 195hp on tap, and some very special DNA that comes straight from Ferrari’s Formula 1 engines!

The engine starts with a rumble that quickly settles into a deep growl. It is pouring outside, so we select the rain mode. The power remains well-capped, and in this mode, you actually need more throttle than you would expect on a 195hp superbike to get it whizzing.

But rev the engine past 4,000rpm, and the bike gathers serious pace. Clearly, this machine will give you goosebumps, and bring a maniac grin to your face.

Commuting isn’t the F4’s forte, what with the racing posture and the rear-set footpegs, but it is surprisingly pliant over speed breakers and bumpy tarmac.

In the ‘Normal’ mode, the power delivery is raw and just erupts. Each time it does, the bike goes ballistic. The smooth six-speed gearbox shifts up with only the slightest pause in the howl from the exhaust. Notably, the F4 also offers clutchless downshifts. Ridden at regular pace, the MV Agusta F4 feels enjoyable. The Sport mode loosens up the traction control and gives one the heeby jeebies. Suffice to say, it ups the performance ante much higher.

As with all exotic Italian motorcycles, the F4’s range starts at a steep Rs 26.87 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune).

Ride it, then go figure.