MV Agusta F4 series
Encyclopedia
The MV Agusta F4 was the motorcycle that launched the resurrection of MV Agusta
in 1998. The F4 was created by famous motorcycle designer Massimo Tamburini
at CRC (Cagiva Research Center), following his work on the Ducati 916
. The F4 is unique with its four pipe undertail exhaust, single-sided swingarm, large front forks (49 or 50 mm diameter) and traditional MV Agusta red and silver livery. The F4 is also one of the few production superbikes to have hemispherical chamber 4 valves per cylinder engine.
Formula One
engine. Early in the design process Ferrari engineers assisted in the development of the engine. MV (Cagiva at the time) quickly deviated from the Ferrari design, but they kept one important feature, the radial valves. The F4 engine is unique in the sense that it is the only radial valved motorcycle engine currently in production.
rear suspension.
The F4 750 also comes in a 1+1 (Biposto) model, which has a pillion for a passenger.
In 2002, the F4 750 Evo 02 model was released. The major improvement to this model was the addition of 11 hp, for a total of 137 hp. In 2003, the F4 Evo 03 was released, which was mostly a cosmetic upgrade along with unique spark plugs.
, a charity founded by Ayrton Senna
to aid the children and young people of Brazil, the Senna was a limited production run of 300 bikes like the Oro. The Senna shared the 136 hp engine of the Evo 02 but with a higher redline of13900 rpm, and top speed estimated at 175 mph (281.6 km/h) @ 12750 rpm . The Senna also had some suspension upgrades and some carbon fiber bodywork.
. Only 300 bikes were produced.
rear suspension. A 1+1 version adds a pillion for a passenger. Expect 0-60 in 2.7 seconds, the quarter mile in 9.95 seconds @ 144 mph, and a top speed estimated at 300 km/h (186.4 mph).
Monobloc radial brakes, forged black Brembo wheels, a carbon-nitride coated Marzocchi upside down fork and an upgraded Sachs rear shock absorber (compression & rebound damping adjustable in high & low speed range). The F4 1000 R engine does not utilize the TSS system. A 1+1 (Biposto) version is available that adds a pillion for a passenger. In August 2006 an F4 1000 R was used to set a record for the fastest production class 1000 cc motorcycle of over 185.882 mph (299.148 km/h) at Bonneville Salt Flats.
seat. This model comes with the 174 horsepower (128 kW) engine and has also the upgraded Brembo Monobloc radial brakes, forged silver Brembo wheels, a 50 mm titanium-nitride coated Marzocchi upside down fork and a lightweight Sachs racing rear suspension (in high & low speed range adjustable rebound and compression damping). Only 300 were produced.
The Veltro Strada is equipped with a full complement of carbon fiber (fairings, tail, airbox, mud guards, fenders, air ducts, heat shield) and magnesium frame plates.
In addition to the parts found on the Veltro Strada, the Veltro Pista is equipped with a lightened frame, oversized radiator, carbon fiber fuel tank, and a magnesium triple clamp and swingarm.
Also of interest is that the F4 R 312 is the fastest ever production motorcycle around the Nürburgring Nordschleife. See Nordschleife fastest lap times
based on the F4 1000 R engine combined with the TSS (Torque Shift System). It is one of the most exclusive motorcycles in the world (100 examples).
MV Agusta
MV Agusta is a motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1945 near Milan in Cascina Costa, Italy. The company began as an offshoot of the Agusta aviation company formed by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923. The Count died in 1927, leaving the company in the hands of his wife and sons, Domenico, Vincenzo,...
in 1998. The F4 was created by famous motorcycle designer Massimo Tamburini
Massimo Tamburini
Massimo Tamburini is an Italian motorcycle designer for motorcycle companies including: Cagiva, Ducati, MV Agusta; and Bimota, which he founded, together with Bianchi and Morri ....
at CRC (Cagiva Research Center), following his work on the Ducati 916
Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 is an Italian sports motorcycle manufactured by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. In contrast to Japanese inline four-cylinder competitors of the time, its V-twin engine produced less outright power, but a more even torque spread...
. The F4 is unique with its four pipe undertail exhaust, single-sided swingarm, large front forks (49 or 50 mm diameter) and traditional MV Agusta red and silver livery. The F4 is also one of the few production superbikes to have hemispherical chamber 4 valves per cylinder engine.
Engine
The F4 engine is a liquid cooled inline four cylinder (4-stroke) with two overhead camshafts (DOHC), 16 radial valves, electronic multipoint injection, induction discharge electronic ignition and following capacity variants: 749.5 cc, 998 cc and 1078 cc. The engine was derived from the 1990–1992 FerrariFerrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
engine. Early in the design process Ferrari engineers assisted in the development of the engine. MV (Cagiva at the time) quickly deviated from the Ferrari design, but they kept one important feature, the radial valves. The F4 engine is unique in the sense that it is the only radial valved motorcycle engine currently in production.
Torque Shift System
The F4 Tamburini, F4 Veltro, and F4 CC models are equipped with variable length intake ducts known as the "TSS" system. The "TSS" system is designed to increase torque in the low to midrange, while still allowing for max. horsepower at the top of the rev range (usually two mutually exclusive properties of an engine). The "TSS" system has two positions, it is not able to vary the height of the intake ducts continuously. "TSS" is able to lower peak torque from the 10000 rpm to 9000 rpm while maintaining maximum power. This system debuted on the F4 Tamburini and was lauded by independent motorcycling publications such as Australian Motorcycle News.F4 750 Serie Oro
The first F4 model released to the public was the F4 750 Serie Oro on May 1999. Only 300 examples were produced. Many parts such as the swingarm, frame side plates and wheels were made from magnesium. These magnesium parts were anodized gold for consistency with the name 'Oro' (Italian for gold). All painted parts, such as fairings, seat cover, front mud guard and even the fuel tank and air box are made of carbon. It's only by using these materials that the weight could be kept under 400 lb which is only beaten by the F4 Veltro. The specially for MV Agusta developed Showa fork has fast detach axle clamps. The six piston (front) and 4 piston (rear) brake calipers are made from Nissin.F4 750 S
The mass production model, the F4 750 S (S = "Strada"), was released in 1999, and was essentially the same bike as the F4 750 Oro but with aluminium pieces in place of magnesium. Both of these bikes produced 126 hp 101.78 rear horsepower, with a 13300 rpm redline. Top speed is estimated at 170 mph (273 km/h) @ 12800 rpm, 0–100 km/h estimated at 3.1 seconds, quarter mile 10.98 seconds @ 131 mph (210.8 km/h). The F4 750 uses a 49 mm Showa front fork and SachsZF Sachs
ZF Sachs AG is a German manufacturer of automotive parts, producing powertrain and suspension components. It was formerly known as Fichtel & Sachs, Mannesmann Sachs and Sachs...
rear suspension.
The F4 750 also comes in a 1+1 (Biposto) model, which has a pillion for a passenger.
F4 750 S Neiman Marcus Edition
Introduced in 2000, as a 2001 model. Available only in the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog, "silver book". Virtually identical to the F4 750 S except for a special brass plate with the Neiman Marcus logo stamped on the triple clamp. There were only 10 available through the Christmas Book and with each purchase, Neiman Marcus included VIP tickets to the International Superbike Classic at Laguna Seca Raceway followed by one day of California Superbike School conducted by Keith Code.In 2002, the F4 750 Evo 02 model was released. The major improvement to this model was the addition of 11 hp, for a total of 137 hp. In 2003, the F4 Evo 03 was released, which was mostly a cosmetic upgrade along with unique spark plugs.
F4 750 Senna
The F4 750 Senna was also released in 2002 along with the Evo 02 model 0-60 2.9 quarter mile 10.7 @ 135. Built purely to raise money for the Instituto Ayrton SennaInstituto Ayrton Senna
The Instituto Ayrton Senna or IAS is a Brazilian NGO founded by Ayrton Senna's family in November 1994, six months after Senna's death...
, a charity founded by Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
to aid the children and young people of Brazil, the Senna was a limited production run of 300 bikes like the Oro. The Senna shared the 136 hp engine of the Evo 02 but with a higher redline of13900 rpm, and top speed estimated at 175 mph (281.6 km/h) @ 12750 rpm . The Senna also had some suspension upgrades and some carbon fiber bodywork.
F4 750 SPR and SR
The F4 750 SPR was released in 2004 and was intended to be the final evolution on the F4 750 platform. It had an improved 146 hp engine, (13,900 rpm redline, polished ports, HC pistons...), matte grey race livery, some carbon fiber bodywork (front fender, chain guards, air ducts covers...) and a Marzzochi 50 mm fork. The F4 750 SR was released after the SPR, and used the same frame an F4S (Showa fork, no carbon parts...), but the same engine of SPR version. Both the SPR and SR were limited production runs of 300 bikes. top speed estimated at 180+ mph 13,900, 0-100 umknow-+=/ quarter mile 10.4 @ 139 mph. The SR was released in the traditional red/silver livery of MV with a color coordinated red front fender and a bronze Arrow exhaust system. It also has a white gauge face, different from the standard yellow, which displays Agostini's signature in red. It also has the signature silver star rims and SR plate placed on the steering head.F4 AGO
Like the F4 750 and the Oro, the new F4 1000 product line began with a special edition F4 1000 called the F4 AGO in 2005. The F4 AGO came with a special graphics prominently displaying the number "1" in a yellow oval in reference to MV Agusta's racing heritage and rider Giacomo AgostiniGiacomo Agostini
-Non-riding career:Like John Surtees and Mike Hailwood before him, Agostini raced in Formula One cars. He competed in non-championship Formula One races in 1978. He competed in the European Formula 2 series in a Chevron B42-BMW and British Aurora Formula 1 with his own team and a Williams FW06...
. Only 300 bikes were produced.
F4 1000 S
The first mass produced F4 1000, the F4 1000 S, was released in 2005 and came with a 166 horsepower (122 kW) engine 142 rear horsepower. The F4 1000 S comes equipped with a 50 mm Marzocchi front upside down fork and SachsZF Sachs
ZF Sachs AG is a German manufacturer of automotive parts, producing powertrain and suspension components. It was formerly known as Fichtel & Sachs, Mannesmann Sachs and Sachs...
rear suspension. A 1+1 version adds a pillion for a passenger. Expect 0-60 in 2.7 seconds, the quarter mile in 9.95 seconds @ 144 mph, and a top speed estimated at 300 km/h (186.4 mph).
F4 Tamburini
The F4 Tamburini is a special edition of the F4 1000 S released in 2005. It was the first F4 to be equipped with the Torque Shift System (TSS), which varies the length of the intake trumpets with speed in order to provide optimum torque at low and high engine speeds. Engine output was a claimed 128 kW and claimed top speed was 190.6 mph (85.2 m/s). Only 300 were produced. The bike is named after its designer Massimo Tamburini.F4 1000 R
The second mass produced F4 1000, the F4 1000 R and F4 1000R CRC limited edition, was released in 2006 and came with a 174 horsepower - 175 horsepower and 308 km/h for limited edition (128 kW) engine . The F4 1000 R also has upgraded BremboBrembo
Brembo S.p.A. is a manufacturer of automotive brake systems, especially for high-performance cars and motorcycles. It was established in Bergamo, Italy in 1961. Soon after the company was formed, it specialised in disc brakes, which were exclusively imported from the United Kingdom at the time...
Monobloc radial brakes, forged black Brembo wheels, a carbon-nitride coated Marzocchi upside down fork and an upgraded Sachs rear shock absorber (compression & rebound damping adjustable in high & low speed range). The F4 1000 R engine does not utilize the TSS system. A 1+1 (Biposto) version is available that adds a pillion for a passenger. In August 2006 an F4 1000 R was used to set a record for the fastest production class 1000 cc motorcycle of over 185.882 mph (299.148 km/h) at Bonneville Salt Flats.
F4 1000 Senna
The F4 1000 Senna is a special edition of the F4 1000 R released in 2006. It is similar to the 2002 F4 750 Senna in spirit, but has some changes to the paint scheme and an alcantaraAlcantara (material)
Alcantara is a tradename given to a composite material used to cover surfaces and forms in a variety of applications. The material was developed in the early 1970s by Miyoshi Okamoto, a scientist working for the Japanese chemical company Toray Industries, as a variation of their other product...
seat. This model comes with the 174 horsepower (128 kW) engine and has also the upgraded Brembo Monobloc radial brakes, forged silver Brembo wheels, a 50 mm titanium-nitride coated Marzocchi upside down fork and a lightweight Sachs racing rear suspension (in high & low speed range adjustable rebound and compression damping). Only 300 were produced.
F4 Veltro
The F4 Veltro comes in two models, the F4 Veltro Strada (road) and F4 Veltro Pista (race). Ninety-nine examples of the Strada were produced, as well as 23 examples of the Pista. As is standard for a race modified motorcycle, the Pista is not equipped with headlights. The Veltro models engines feature the TSS system originally found on the F4 Tamburini. These are considered by many to be the most race-oriented F4's available.The Veltro Strada is equipped with a full complement of carbon fiber (fairings, tail, airbox, mud guards, fenders, air ducts, heat shield) and magnesium frame plates.
In addition to the parts found on the Veltro Strada, the Veltro Pista is equipped with a lightened frame, oversized radiator, carbon fiber fuel tank, and a magnesium triple clamp and swingarm.
F4 R 312
This is a new model F4 released in late 2007. It is identical to the F4 1000 R except for a slightly more powerful engine (+9 hp for 183 hp or 134 kW total, 115 N·m torque) with 30 mm titanium intake valves, modified camshafts and 48 mm throttle bodies. F4 R 312 name is a reference to the bikes claimed top speed of 312 km/h (194 mph) making it the fastest production bike at the time. In August 2007, the 312R set the new Land Speed Record at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for the fastest Production Motorcycle in the world, averaging 311.53 km/h, over the long course, which is 7 miles (11.3 km) long. The top speed achieved during the run was over 314 km/h, which was achieved at mile marker number 4. The speed record is determined by averaging the speed of the entire length of the course.Also of interest is that the F4 R 312 is the fastest ever production motorcycle around the Nürburgring Nordschleife. See Nordschleife fastest lap times
Nordschleife fastest lap times
This is a list of lap times achieved by various vehicles on the Nürburgring . The list itself is broken down into categories.-The Nordschleife:...
F4 CC
The F4 CC, named after Claudio Castiglioni, the Managing Director of MV Agusta, was released in late 2006. The F4 CC has 147 kW (200 crank horsepower) and has a price tag of 100,000 €. The engine is a 1,078 cc big bore edition with valves, crank and piston rods made from titaniumTitanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
based on the F4 1000 R engine combined with the TSS (Torque Shift System). It is one of the most exclusive motorcycles in the world (100 examples).
Comparison of F4 models
| Displacement | Power1 @ RPM |
Torque² @ RPM |
Redline (RPM) |
Dry Weight (lb) |
# Produced | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F4 750 | |||||||||
| Oro | 1999 | 749 cc | 126 PS (93 kW Watt The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:... ) @12,500 |
74 N·m Newton metre A newton metre is a unit of torque in the SI system. The symbolic form is N m or N·m, and sometimes hyphenated newton-metre... @10,500 |
13,300 | 396.8 | 300 | ||
| S | 1999 | 749 cc | 126 PS (93 kW) @12,500 | 74 N·m @10,500 | 13,300 | 421.1 | |||
| S (EVO 02) | 2002 | 749 cc | 137 PS (101 kW) @12,600 | 81 N·m @10,500 | 13,300 | 421.1 | |||
| Senna | 2002 | 749 cc | 137 PS (101 kW) @12,600 | 81 N·m @10,500 | 13,900 | 413.6 | 300 | ||
| SPR | 2004 | 749 cc | 146 PS (107 kW) @13,000 | 80 N·m @11,000 | 13,900 | 413.6 | 300 | ||
| F4 1000 | |||||||||
| AGO | 2005 | 998 cc | 166 PS (122 kW) @11,750 | 109 N·m @10,200 | 12,700 | 418.8 | 300 | ||
| S | 2005 | 998 cc | 166 PS (122 kW) @11,750 | 109 N·m @10,200 | 12,700 | 423.3 | |||
| Tamburini | 2005 | 998 cc | 173 PS (127 kW) @11,750 | 113 N·m @9,200 | 12,850 | 412.3 | 300 | ||
| Senna | 2006 | 998 cc | 174 PS (128 kW) @11,900 | 111 N·m @10,000 | 13,000 | 418.8 | 300 | ||
| Veltro Strada | 2006 | 998 cc | 177 PS (130 kW) @12,000 | 117 N·m @9,000 | 13,000 | 374.8 | 99 | ||
| Veltro Pista | 2006 | 998 cc | 185 PS (136 kW) @12,100 | 121 N·m @9,000 | 13,000 | 350.5 | 23 | ||
| R | 2006 | 998 cc | 174 PS (128 kW) @11,900 | 111 N·m @10,000 | 13,000 | 423.3 | |||
| CC | 2006 | 1,078 cc | 200 PS (147 kW) @12,200 | 125 N·m @9,000 | 13,000 | 412.6 | 100 | ||
| R 312 | 2007 | 998 cc | 183 PS (134 kW) @12,400 | 115 N·m @10,000 | 13,000 | 423.3 | |||
| RR 312 | 2008 | 1,078 cc | 190 PS (140 kW) @12,200 | 124 N·m @8,200 | 13,000 | 423.3 | |||
| F4 MY 2010 | 2010 | 998 cc | 186 PS (137 kW) @12,900 | 114 N·m @9,500 | 13,500 | 422.4 | |||
| F4 RR | 2011 | 998 cc | 201 PS (148 kW) @13,400 | 114 N·m @9,200 | 13,500 | 423 | |||
- Notes
- Manufacturer figures in CV, which is equivalent to PS.
- Manufacturer figures in kgfKilogram-forceA kilogram-force , or kilopond , is a gravitational metric unit of force. It is equal to the magnitude of the force exerted by one kilogram of mass in a gravitational field...
·m, which is equivalent to 9.8065 N·mNewton metreA newton metre is a unit of torque in the SI system. The symbolic form is N m or N·m, and sometimes hyphenated newton-metre...
.
External links
- 1&id=1899 MV Agusta Reviews Road tests of the MV Agusta F4 models
- MV Agusta Motorcycles official site