17/05/2013 | By: 2 Comments
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MV Agusta will introduce a larger version of the F3 675, using the same bored-out three-cylinder engine as the Brutale 800 and Rivale 800.

Development of the new MV Agusta F3 800 is well underway, with the official reveal to take place in June. The short turnaround would suggest the F3 800 may share other features found on the 675, such as the chassis and MV Agusta‘s Motor & Vehicle Integrated Control System (MVICS) electronics package.

Equipped on the Brutale 800, the 798cc three-cylinder engine claims 123 hp at 11,600 rpm and 60 ft-lb. at 8600 rpm, but it will be considerably more powerful and higher revving on the F3 800. It will likely produce more than 140 hp if it hopes to match up against its class competitors such as the Ducati 848EVO and the Suzuki GSX-R750. Continue Reading »

16/05/2013 | By: 1 Comment
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When Pierer Industrie AG purchased Husqvarna from BMW in January, it was obvious some major changes were on their way. Pierer Industries AG is owned by Stefan Pierer, who happens to be chief executive officer of KTM, which also happens to be the parent company of Husaberg. That’s three European motorcycle manufacturers with strong off-road lineages in the same family. Something was bound to happen.

Well the other shoe has finally dropped, with the announcement of Husqvarna and Husaberg reuniting to forming a new company to be called Husqvarna Sportmotorcycle GmbH, with . The move reunites the two Swedish marques after years under the ownership of other companies in Italy, Austria and Germany.

Husqvarna and Husaberg have a shared history. Husaberg originated as a splinter group of Husqvarna engineers that started its own company in 1988 after Husqvarna was acquired by Cagiva. From that point on, the two Swedish brands went their separate paths. Continue Reading »

03/05/2013 | By: Add a Comment
John Surtees on the championship-winning 1960 MV Agusta racer.

John Surtees on the championship-winning 1960 MV Agusta racer.

Motorsports legend John Surtees will lead a parade of classic cars and motorcycles – including Surtees’ 1960 500cc Grand Prix Championship-winning MV Agusta – in his home town of Edenbridge, England.

Surtees is the only person to have ever won world championships in both Grand Prix motorcycle racing and Formula One, and the parade will feature cars and bikes from his time as both a racer and a racing team owner. Surtees himself will drive the Team Surtees TS7, a F1 car constructed by his own team that debuted at the 1970 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch.

Team Surtees engineers will ride the 1960 MV Agusta GP race bike, the machine Surtees rode to his seventh and final motorcycle racing world championship, and a BMW Rennsport motorcycle Surtees raced for the factory team in the 1955 German Grand Prix at Nurburgring. Continue Reading »

11/04/2013 | By: Add a Comment
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Just as it did with its four-cylinder Brutale 1090 lineup, MV Agusta announced it is adding an ABS version of its F4 models to its 2013 offerings.

Available for an extra 1000 euros (US$1,311), the Bosch ABS will be available for the baseline MV Agusta F4, the more upscale F4 R and the top-of-the-line F4 RR. That’ s quite a premium, but with base prices starting at 16,990 euros for the F4 R, 19,920 euros for the F4 R and 24,290 euros for the F4 RR, MV Agusta customers might not mind paying a bit more for ABS.

The ABS offers two modes selectable from a handlebar control: Normal for regular use and Race, which reduces the system’s intervention for track use. The system can also be entirely disengaged by the rider. Continue Reading »

02/04/2013 | By: 1 Comment
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Inspired by the success of the ParkinGo MV Agusta team in World Supersport competition, where Robby Rolfo was in the hunt for a podium position before crashing out, ZAG Racing, from Las Vegas, Nevada, will race a MV Agusta F3 in select AMA races with rider Javelin Broderick. Continue Reading »

12/03/2013 | By: 1 Comment
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The International Motorcycling Federation has updated its homologated model list for the 2013 World Superbike, Supersport, Superstock and Endurance racing seasons. The list is largely unchanged from the list released in February with the exception of a couple of additions.

The Superstock 1000 and Formula Endurance World Championship list now includes the 2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale R and the MV Agusta F4 RR. On the previous list, the F4 RR’s status was listed as being “in progress” while only the S version of the Panigale was initially homologated for Superstock 1000 and Formula Endurance.

Also worth emphasizing is the 599cc Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R remains homologated for the FIM’s Supersport and Superstock 600 championships but the 636cc version is not eligible for those classes. The homologation list distinctly includes the Ninja as the “ZX 600 R F” but not “ZX 636″. AMA Pro Racing differs in this regard, including the 636cc version on its list of eligible racebikes for 2013. Continue Reading »

19/02/2013 | By: Add a Comment

The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has released an updated list of motorcycles homologated for the 2013 Superbike, Supersport, and Superstock racing season. Notable additions include the new BMW S1000RR HP4, the MV Agusta F3 and the Superbike-spec Ducati 1199 Panigale R.

To qualify a production-based racebike for FIM homologations, manufacturers have to meet certain production thresholds. Manufacturers must first produce 125 units ahead of a homologation inspection. After that, manufacturers have to produce a minimum of 500 units by June 30 and 1000 units by December 31 of the current year, and a minimum of 2000 units by the December 31 of the following year.

Production counts include both ABS and non-ABS versions of the same model, and at least 250 units of each version have to be produced. Production models must also be available for sale in either the U.S., Europe or Japan by the end of April of the current year to qualify. Continue Reading »

08/02/2013 | By: Add a Comment

MV Agusta announced it will offer ABS-equipped versions of its four-cylinder Brutale 1090 models. The addition of ABS should come as no surprise, considering the European Union’s recent move to make the technology mandatory for all new models larger than 125cc by 2016.

The 2013 MV Agusta Brutale 1090, 1090 R and 1090 RR will be available with the Bosch 9MP, an ABS that’s becoming popular with a number of manufacturers due to its lightweight and compact packaging. The small size of the unit was particularly helpful given the little amount of space available on the compact Brutales.

The Bosch unit uses data from internal pressure sensors as well as wheel speed sensors to calculate the optimal amount of brake pressure to prevent the wheels from locking. Continue Reading »

17/01/2013 | By: Add a Comment

Our Euro correspondent Tor Sagen is one of the first in the world to ride MV Agusta’s brand-new F4 and F4 RR, both equipped with lean-angle sensors, electronically assisted shifting and more. The up-spec RR flagship features an electronic Ohlins suspension and steering damper controlled by a dedicated Ohlins ECU unit, enabling full suspension adjustment (excluding preload) via the press of a button.

Also new is the F4’s engine, with the RR claiming 201 crankshaft horsepower at 13,600 rpm, just shy of its new 14K redline. The standard model has to settle for “only” 195 horsepower made at 13,400 rpm. Sagen sends us his early impressions after ripping around the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Spain. –Ed.

Both F4s are ferocious above 9000 rpm, but the F4 RR is in a different league all together. Whilst there’s plenty of electronic brain within the fairings, it takes its toll from the rider to keep up with the sheer speed. Things happen so quickly above 10K rpm and acceleration is immense!

The F4s are not the most comfortable motorcycles in the world, and it’s a real struggle to escape the wind as I can’t push myself far enough backwards to get any protection from the windscreen. On the Valencia circuit, this didn’t really matter as the 201 ponies pushed big holes in the air like a hot knife through butter. Continue Reading »

17/12/2012 | By: Add a Comment

ParkinGo Racing has signed former Moto2 racer Roberto Rolfo and former British Superbike racer Christian Iddon to compete in the 2013 World Supersport Championship. Rolfo and Iddon will ride the MV Agusta F3 675 in the Italian manufacturer’s return to the international road racing scene. Pictured above is Iddon on the left and Rolfo on the right, flanking ParkinGo President Giuliano Rovelli.

The 32-year-old Rolfo split this past season between the Moto2 and MotoGP championships. Rolfo started the season with the Technomag-CIP team but moved to the Speed Master claiming rule team, riding an Aprilia machine. Rolfo was initially in talks with Ioda Racing to compete in the 2013 MotoGP championship but negotiations fell through, leading to his signing with ParkinGo. The Italian racer brings with him experience in both Grand Prix racing and World Superbike racing, but 2013 will mark his first season in World Supersport competition. Continue Reading »