Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/150387
VOL. 50 ISSUE 32 AUGUST 13, 2013 P73 WHAT THEY SAID: JASON PRIDMORE, 43, 2x AMA Pro Champion "It's the bike with the most potential in the shootout. It handles good, it's nimble—I love the seating position and ergonomics of it." COREY NEUER, 37, Test Rider and Expert-Level Club Racer "You turn the throttle on that thing and it friggin' goes. A little soft off the bottom but once it's in the revs—snappy motorcycle." JAKE ZEMKE, 37, AMA Formula Xtreme Champ "It feels a little bit jerky on/off throttle—like the mapping is a little bit too aggressive." MV Agusta F3 HIGHS •Ripping fast top-end power •Excellent mid-corner handling •Close gear ratios and quickshifter aid acceleration LOWS •Suspension lacks effective damping •Quirky ride-by-wire and throttle response •Soft bottom-end power PAUL CARRUTHERS, 52, Long-time Test Rider and Cycle News Editor "The quickshifter was awesome and it feels good to just sit on. But the run-on after you get off the gas is a bit unnerving," The 675cc triple belted out the third-highest horsepower rating of 114.31 ponies at 14,800 revs—200 revs shy of redline. One nice touch the F3 offers is an adjustable rev limiter that can be set to come-in softer and less abruptly. We also loved the lightning fast upshifts afforded by the quickshifter which makes it easy to keep the engine on the pipe. Strong top-end power paired with close ratio gearing, and, of course, the quickshifter helps the MV rider achieve a high top speed at the end of straightaways that were near the top of the field. Everyone loved the outright power of the MV. But it's overly anxious throttle response and glitchy ride-by-wire, especially during deceleration, was unnerving. "I think the electronics were working against the bike," says Neuer. "You go to let off the gas and it kind of likes to keep going [laughs]. That took a little bit to get used to." The engine pumps out a decent peak torque figure too (47.02 lb-ft, placing it mid-pack), but the problem is it comes way up in the rev range (11,200 rpm). This makes the F3 tougher to ride at anything less than an all-out, throttle pinned to the stop pace. Its relatively low acceleration force numbers demonstrate that it lacks punch off corners, instead the MV relies on the motor to gather some straight-line steam before it really gets moving. In terms of fun and sheer excitement the F3 delivers in spades. This charismatic Italian triple rewards its rider with a snappy powerband and a grin-inducing engine shriek that needs MV Agusta F3 Settings Fork Preload: 6.5 (Turns in) Compression: 1.5 Rebound: 1.5 Shock Preload: 9 (Turns in) Compression: 1.5 Rebound: 1.75 Drivetrain Power Mode: Custom Traction Control: Off Gas Sensitivity: Normal Engine Brake: Sport Maximum Torque: Sport Engine Response: Fast RPM Limiter: Sport to be heard to believe. While many of our testers appreciated aspects of the F3, including its maneuverability and turning accuracy, its quirky throttle response along with ineffective suspension damping made it tricky to ride at the limit during Superpole. If MV could sort out some of the bugs there's little question this bike will run up front.