That nimble feel through the multitude of NJMP esses could very well be contributed to the F3’s counter-rotating crankshaft, which is said to have its greatest effect anywhere north of 10,000 rpm. Said rpm is where the MV really starts pulling, and it doesn’t stop building power until it nears the 15,000 rpm rev limiter, giving you a wide enough powerband to forgo the shifter through a multitude of sections. It’s been a while since we’ve had a 600cc bike out at the track, so we’ll hold off power comparisons for now. We’ll admit, however, that the F3 feels plenty potent up top, with maybe just a bit less grunt than the Triumph 675 through the midrange thanks to the varying bore x stroke ratios.
Despite the majority of my time with the F3 being devoted to getting the suspension working properly, I still had the chance to fiddle with a handful of the bike’s many electronic rider-aid options, primarily the traction control system and riding modes. The F3’s traction control system is an interesting addition simply because the bike’s chassis works so well that grip really isn’t ever much of a concern on the MV. I was able to get the TC system to intervene a handful of times through NJMP’s wide-radius turn seven when set to level 2 but the cut in power was so smooth that it didn’t seem to slow me down through the corner. There are eight levels of TC adjustment, plus off, leaving plenty of room for adjustment depending on skill, tire wear and road conditions. As for the power modes, I tested Sport and Normal, and found that the latter provided a more neutered feel, while the former offered immediate acceleration at the small expense of an abrupt off/on throttle. Safe to say I’ll stick with Sport mode.
The MV’s engine brake control can be adjusted between Sport or Normal, although we didn’t take the bike out of Sport for the duration of the F3 test. The more aggressive setting allowed the bike to slither side-to-side a small amount at the entrance of the corner, but almost perfectly concealed the fact that the bike’s devoid of a slipper clutch. The EAS quickshifter proved its worth coming up NJMP’s straight stretch, providing seamless shifts between gears.
The two-piece Brembo calipers up front have a good amount of power through the pull, as evidenced by the AiM Solo data acquisition box we toted to Jersey, which showed anywhere between .75 to 1 G of braking force through the tight stuff. Feel from the lever isn’t as communicative as we’d like, although the lever’s easy pull doesn’t tax your right hand as bad as the F4RR brakes do. We also noticed a bit of shudder from the rotors, although they were brand new for the launch and probably didn’t appreciate being abused from the word “Go.”
Roughly 27 million dollars...
Roughly 27 million dollars and 36 months went into developing the F3. The result is a jaw-dropping design with the performance to match.
Signs of Brilliance
It may come as a surprise to many to find that the only new 600cc contender for 2012 comes with an MV badge. The Italian company’s dedication over the last 36 months (the time it took to go from paper…er, computer… to final product) has resulted in a bike that’s clearly capable of running with the Japanese — and British — competition, however. And while I’ll admit the MV needs some fine tuning as far as the suspension goes, I personally wouldn’t rule the bike out in our forthcoming middleweight tests. Stay tuned as we gather the troops.
| Specifications
2012 MV Agusta F3 |
| $13,999 (as shipped with EAS) |
| Engine |
| Type: Liquid-cooled, DOHC inline three-cylinder, 4 valves/cyl. |
| Displacement: 675cc |
| Bore x stroke: 79.0 x 45.9mm |
| Compression ratio: 13.0:1 |
| Induction: Mikuni EFI, 50mm throttle bodies, dual injectors/cyl. |
| Chassis |
| Front tire: 120/70ZR-17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso |
| Rear tire: 180/55ZR-17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso |
| Rake/trail: 23.6 degrees/3.9 in. (99mm) |
| Wheelbase: 54.2 in. (1380mm) |
| Seat height: 32.0 in. (812mm) |
| Fuel capacity: 4.2 gal. (16L) |
| Claimed wet weight: 406 lb. (184kg) |
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AiM Solo Data Acquisition
For years now we’ve ran our Racepak G2X GPS-based data acquisition system during multi-bike comparison tests, using the gathered data for a more in-depth look at each bike’s performance on the track. Due to the size of the unit and the fact that it needed a power source, however, we’ve been unable to bring you data for various bikes during anything outside of our own tests. In contrast, AiM Sport’s new Solo lap timer mounts effortlessly to the tank and can be easily packed away for press launches, enabling us to bring you performance data for a wider selection of bikes at a multitude of tracks. The MV Agusta F3 was our Solo’s first victim. During the bike’s launch we monitored speed along with braking, acceleration and cornering G forces, giving us a good idea of the F3’s track prowess. For those interested in data acquisition systems, we’ll have a more thorough review of the AiM Solo itself in an upcoming issue.
New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Thunderbolt course is a 2.25-mile track that’s relatively flat, with just a few rises to speak for in terms of elevation change. The front straight is a half mile long, and the F3 recorded an impressive 141 mph by GPS. Getting into the third-gear turn 1 caused a few problems for the MV, mostly because the two-piece Brembo brake calipers don’t give very much feedback through the lever. The F3 recorded between .75 g and 1 g in each of the braking zones despite this concern, proving that the Brembos have plenty of stopping power.
The speed trace shows where...
The speed trace shows where Bradley is able to carry speed on the F3 and where he's being forced to roll out of the throttle. Sections are separated by green, blue and red colors.
The MV recorded around 1.1 cornering g in most of NJMP’s turns, a tick less than the 1.2 cornering g that we recorded on the Triumph Daytona 675R at this year’s Streets of Willow test. Through the elongated esses that lead toward the track’s front straight (8800-foot mark) you can see the F3 build a good amount of speed, and Bradley only has to roll out a small amount before tipping into NJMP’s extremely fast last turn. This is a proper indication of where the F3’s counter-rotating crankshaft works best; high-speed transitions where the bike is going from near full lean in one direction to near full lean in the other. One thing Bradley noticed during the test, however, is that the F3 was quick to shake its head through this section, as indicated by a small flat spot in the speed trace just before the 9000-foot mark. More stability under acceleration would potentially improve lap times. Dips in the speed trace at the entrance/apex of many corners also highlight the fact that the Marzocchi/Sachs combo doesn’t feel overly composed at the entrance of the corner. A little setup will likely go a long way with the F3.