MCN's brutal review of the 2013 MV F4RR

[apessino]

Holy cow... I don't think I have ever seen something so blunt from MCN.

You know you are screwed when you have Neil Hodgson on record saying:

There's nothing I like about this bike, it’s the worst bike I’ve ever ridden. It’s horrible.

And here I was seriously considering buying one...

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/Ne...kes-mv-agusta/

[GoonerYoda]

Just because HE doesn't like it, doesn't mean you might not like it either.

[larryboy]

I have no idea who that guy is, but he sounds like a whiney brat.

If you don't want a flat spot off the line, don't rev it so hard the traction control kicks in. If it goes dead at full throttle down the straight, don't do that again, the traction control just kicked in. Then he whines about how he can't over rev it on downshifts like he wants to? What an idiot.

Then they say you'd never notice any of this stuff on the street? Duh, it's a street bike.

[apessino]

Originally Posted by GoonerYoda

Just because HE doesn't like it, doesn't mean you might not like it either.

Yeah, no shit...

It is not that he does not like it that concerns me - the issues about fueling are real and I've read about them in other reviews (together with other pressing problems, like the fact that the uber-complex electronics are virtually impossible to tune because the controls and the dash are so obtuse). Some of the rough edges I could live with (like the aforementioned dash) but the way they describe the fueling... uh., no thanks. These are bikes that must be purchased on pure faith (not even Pro Italia is going to let you test ride an RR!) and if you are going to drop >$25K on one of these you are going to pay some attention to what Neeves and Hogdson think about it.

I think the bike is sexy as hell and the sound is a thing of glory - I've been wanting one for a while, but not if I am going to hate riding it at the track... I'll pass until the figure the thing out.

[apessino]

Originally Posted by larryboy

I have no idea who that guy is, but he sounds like a whiney brat.

If you don't want a flat spot off the line, don't rev it so hard the traction control kicks in. If it goes dead at full throttle down the straight, don't do that again, the traction control just kicked in. Then he whines about how he can't over rev it on downshifts like he wants to? What an idiot.

Then they say you'd never notice any of this stuff on the street? Duh, it's a street bike.

Seriously? Don't go full throttle on a fucking SUPERBIKE? It's not a street bike, it is a track bike that happens to be road legal.

Neeves is awesome and he sure can ride... and Neil Hodgson! I'd kill, rape and pillage to have one tiny spec of the talent this guy has.

[eatpasta]

Bikes have gotten so consistently good, refined, poised, reliable - that's its allowed moto-journalists to be nitpick experts.
I've ridden a lot of motorcycles, many of which I have done extensive research on previous to riding and usually problems that people write about are about 20% as bad as they make them out to be.
Very little credit is usually given to how good bikes are now and most of the time is spent making small problems seem like a really big deal.

But hey - they are moto-journalists.....they have to write something, right?


I can think off the top of my head a bunch of things I've read about bikes that are super misleading. One that stands out for me is when the SV1000 was reviewed as being too "vanilla" (a 1 liter V twin sportbike "Vanilla"??) They didnt say anything about the rear shock just being a pogo stick....

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by apessino

Seriously? Don't go full throttle on a fucking SUPERBIKE? It's not a street bike, it is a track bike that happens to be road legal.

and...THAT is why it's built with all the gadgets that make it the way it is, without all the fun killing electronics some asshat would grab full throttle and kill themselves.

According to the article it's clearly a street bike that can do pretty good at the track if you don't be an idiot with the twisty grip.

[apessino]

Originally Posted by larryboy

and...THAT is why it's built with all the gadgets that make it the way it is, without all the fun killing electronics some asshat would grab full throttle and kill themselves.

No, the electronics on these bikes are primarily for performance, not safety. The TC is there to optimize corner exit, not to save your ass if you don't know what you are doing (although it might do so as a bonus). Either the electronics do their job, that is: allow you to get the best possible performance with minimal intrusion (as they do on competing bikes in this class) or they do not and they become a hindrance.

The "auto blipper" sounds like a great feature, but if it fails as much as it succeeds then it is useless - it flat out does not engage if the revs are too high, which means you cannot trust it at a crucial time such as downshifting in prep for a corner. So, it is useless, which was their point...

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by apessino

So, it is useless, which was their point...

Read it again, he wants to over rev on downshifts and it won't allow him to do that.

[davethegoat]

Originally Posted by larryboy

I have no idea who that guy is, but he sounds like a whiney brat.

If you don't want a flat spot off the line, don't rev it so hard the traction control kicks in. If it goes dead at full throttle down the straight, don't do that again, the traction control just kicked in. Then he whines about how he can't over rev it on downshifts like he wants to? What an idiot.

Then they say you'd never notice any of this stuff on the street? Duh, it's a street bike.

"That guy" Probably knows more about how to ride a motorcycle than you do about your own dick.


Sounds like a brutally honest, no holds barred, concise review to me.

I wish more reviewers would get to the point as refreshingly clear as "that guy" did

[apessino]

Originally Posted by larryboy

Read it again, he wants to over rev on downshifts and it won't allow him to do that.

Have you ever used a system with an auto-blipper? The CPU is supposed to rev match for you, that is the whole point of it! If you downshift at redline it might lag a bit so it can get the revs down, but it will still do it and optimize the downshift in the process. The MV one does not engage at all unless the revs can be matched trivially, which means it is crude and useless because YOU are supposed to know ahead of time if it can be engaged or not, and do so while you are rocketing at the fastest point on the circuit.

[davethegoat]

Originally Posted by larryboy

Read it again, he wants to over rev on downshifts and it won't allow him to do that.

The bike redlines at 14,000 yet the auto blip stops working at 12,000. I think that was his point.

I don't think he wanted to over-rev the engine...instead, get it close to peak revs on downshifts.

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by apessino

Have you ever used a system with an auto-blipper? The CPU is supposed to rev match for you, that is the whole point of it! If you downshift at redline it might lag a bit so it can get the revs down, but it will still do it and optimize the downshift in the process. The MV one does not engage at all unless the revs can be matched trivially, which means it is crude and useless because YOU are supposed to know ahead of time if it can be engaged or not, and do so while you are rocketing at the fastest point on the circuit.

Now he knows and should ride accordingly.

Originally Posted by davethegoat

The bike redlines at 14,000 yet the auto blip stops working at 12,000. I think that was his point.

I don't think he wanted to over-rev the engine...instead, get it close to peak revs on downshifts.

Ahh, you might be right there...stop talking about my pecker, poor little guy gets nervous when dudes do that.


I think I'd rather have a back torque limiting clutch on a bike like this.

[apessino]

Originally Posted by larryboy

Now he knows and should ride accordingly.

Which is what he did - he stopped using it.

Originally Posted by larryboy

I think I'd rather have a back torque limiting clutch on a bike like this.

It's got that too...

[pne]

Originally Posted by larryboy

Then they say you'd never notice any of this stuff on the street? Duh, it's a street bike.

Unfortunately, its not. These bikes are street legal but designed for the track. Club level racers and track goers buy them to convert into race bikes. You can't blame the poor guy who bought the thing with "what did you expect, its a street bike". This is the closest iteration Joe blow off the street can get to a full blown factory ride. It's not like he got a VFR and is trying to put it on the track.