If anyone out there is considering buying an F4S here are my thoughts after the first three months of MV ownership. I have just returned from an hour's blast on the bike and, still grinning like an idiot, had to submit a few words to this excellent site. I have a Suzuki TL1000S and Ducati 996 and love both of them so it was with some uncertainty that I approached the inline four, high-revving nature of the MV. I've yet to break through the 10,000rpm barrier as the bike has yet to cover 2500kms, but the way it screams from 6000 to that point is amazing. Apart from a glitch between 3-4000rpm the fuelling is great and the noise is simply fantastic. I have yet to ride a 'blade, R1, GSX, etc, so have no idea how the performance compares (but as litre bikes, why do we compare them anyway?), but how much more would you need - the MV flies! The noise and speed alone would be meaningless without handling and control and that is where the MV excels. Everything positive you read about the way it takes corners is true, scything through them begging you to go faster then powering down the next straight. It feels light, has plenty of feedback and the contours of the tank let you tuck your knee right in as you head for each apex. This, for me, is the key; having the confidence to lean it over and slice through bends as the bike just begs for more. The fact that there are so few about and that it is one of the best looking bikes ever made are the icing on the cake. The MV is all about fast road performance and it does this brilliantly. I also use it in town and it is a pain as the turing circle is terrible, but that's not what the bike was built for. If you want a bike that will make you smile every time you open it up on a twisty road, that will flatter your riding style, that will turn heads at 200 metres and your own every time you park it - get an MV F4S - you won't regret it!

-- Gethyn Clothier (gethyn@netvigator.com), February 15, 2003

Answers

I think we (referring to the motorcycle community) started comparing 750s with 1000s when the current GSXR750 was introduced. However, the 750's don't have the liter class torque.

-- Allan Gibbs (Phoenix, Arizona) (Agibbs996@aol.com), February 15, 2003.

Ok, I'm convinced. I put a deposit on one today and the exitement is clearly getting to me as its 4am! Any thoughts on the RG3 slip on exhaust? More / smoother power or just a great sound?

-- Sean Astley (AstleySean@aol.com), February 15, 2003.

IS the RG3 a completely different system or just a standard system with no baffles? I am looking for slightly more noise but would like to keep the original appearance under seat. Any ideas?

-- Grahame (glm.home@ntlworld.com), February 16, 2003.

Yep, the F4S does make people happy (almost all of the time).

Gethyn, congrads on your purchase, and I hope you continue to enjoy the bike. And, if you think it is a lot of fun up to 6,000 rpm, just wait, the best is yet to come.

As for the RG3 system, it is a different system with its own eprom. It is a bit noisier but not too much and best of all it looks identical to stock. I would recommend that people get it together with the MV-SP manifolds. They seem to be designed/tuned to work together and there is tons of improvement in overall performance.

As for the glitch down low in the rmp range, who cares, you shouldn't be riding it there anyway.

-- Yannis (ydoganis@rcn.com), February 16, 2003.