MV Agusta F3 800: First Review

Legendary Italian motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta will be launching their bikes in India in association with the Kinetic Group, sometime in November. And one of their much-awaited bikes will be the MV Agusta F3 800, expected to be brought in as CKD units for sale in India. Recent import data have revealed that one unit of the F3 800 has already been imported, ostensibly for homologation formalities before launch.

The company says, the F3 800 offers the exhilaration of a 1000cc bike, the handling of a 600 with the torque of a twin and the acceleration of a four-cylinder. Impressive claims, but those will have to be verified once we get the bike on a race track. In the meantime, here’s a close look at one of the most awaited bikes of 2015…

Looks and Styling:

Muscular, yet lithe – that’s the best way to describe the MV Agusta F3 800’s looks at first glance. A sleek aerodynamic full fairing dominates the front part of the bike, with a large muscular and sculpted fuel tank sitting above the prominent trellis frame.

The part exposed engine is as much a part of the overall design of the bike, as is the tapered tail section with the wheel fully exposed on one side, thanks to the single sided swingarm. The compact exhaust system, characterised by the three exhaust tips peeking out from just underneath the rider’s seating position, add to the striking road presence of the MV Agusta F3 800.

Engine and Performance:

The MV Agusta F3 800 is powered by a unit packed with quintessential Italian technology. The three-cylinder 798cc oil and water cooled motor makes a stunning 148PS at 13,000rpm with the peak torque of 88Nm arriving at 10,600rpm. A double overhead cam timing system with four titanium valves per cylinder is said to give superlative performance, especially at high revs, though the rev limiter has been set at 13,500rpm.

Weighing just 52kg, the three-cylinder engine of the F3 800 features a counter rotating crankshaft, a technical solution that has been exclusive only to MotoGP machines. This technological marvel helps reduce inertia during quick directional changes, enhances engine balance and is also said to make the bike’s handling qualities even better. The full 148PS of power enables the bike to achieve a top speed of 269kmph and it also comes equipped with a mechanical slipper clutch system.

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Advanced Electronics:

In addition, the MV Agusta F3 800 also features one of the most advanced electronics packages seen on a mid-weight category supersport. The MVICS (Motor & Vehicle Integrated Control System) platform combines fully electronic control of throttle and throttle body with traction control. There is no rigid mechanical linkage between throttle and butterfly: the optimum fuel-air mix is, instead, defined by injection-ignition mapping giving the best performance in all conditions.

The MVICS provides a multi-map approach, with three modes devised by MV Agusta technicians and a fourth that can be fully customised by riders, letting them tweak parameters as desired and get a solution that best suits their individual tastes.

Chassis and Suspension:

The frame is a combination of a main ALS tubular steel structure, a mid-section consisting of cast aluminium side plates and an extended swingarm designed to maximise traction. The suspension system consists of a 43 mm Marzocchi front fork - with 125 mm of travel, adjustable spring preload and compression and rebound adjustment.

The Sachs monoshock provides 123 mm of travel, has a separate piggyback nitrogen reservoir and is fully adjustable in spring preload, compression and rebound. The braking system mounts Brembo monobloc front calipers to ensure incomparable stopping power even under the most demanding track conditions.The diameter of the two front discs remains unaltered (320 mm) and the rear brake system retains the two-piston caliper mated to a single 220 mm diameter disc.

Competition and Market Positioning:

Pricing has not yet been revealed for the MV Agusta F3 800, but we reckon it will retail in the region of Rs 15 lakh in India. That would make the F3 800 a more expensive proposition than even litre-class nakeds like the Triumph Speed Triple and the Kawasaki Z 1000. Will this exotic Italian steal hearts and empty banks? Difficult to say, but it certainly has a lot of oomph and character, with the performance to back it, which is comparable to entry-level litre-class superbikes. And that itself makes it a great all-round proposition – a style statement backed with respectable street cred.