This was written when I was looking for a sportsbike to replace my Dorsoduro in Sept-Oct 2013 and continues on from these 2 reviews - Litre Class & Middle Weights
So the GSXR 750 it was and I thought that was that. But then due to unexpected circumstances I had a lot of time to think about this and I realized whenever I pictured a GSXR 750 in my garage, I was just like “Meh”. It was purely a decision of the head. I was not terribly excited about the thought. So I let it play and let other ideas germinate. Sometimes when a choice is not immediately apparent, you need to sow some seeds and let them germinate. Unexpected results can eventuate.
So out of the confusing fog, a recurring theme started to take form. It had a v4 engine and handling like a 600. Now, if you’ve been paying attention to my test rides you would know I had started to fall for the Aprilia RSV4R! Yes, that’s the one that kept coming back to me and the Beemer was well and truly forgotten. The beemer is from the Honda mould, just better. But when you get off either of those bikes after a satisfying run, you think fuck that was a great ride. But when you get off the Aprilia, you think, fuck that was a great ride and damn that bike is awesome. Maybe that is what they call character, the bike leaves you some memories of itself every time you ride it.
The RSV4R was out of my budget but a motorcycle buying budget is a funny thing. It seems unshakeably rigid till you start getting wet dreams about a particular bike and you wake up next morning realizing that there is flex in the budget today. And the next day the budget flexes some more till after a few days of thinking, calculating, promising and negotiating with the finance minister, one fine day you find that the budget has indeed stretched far enough to be able to negotiate on an RSV4R!
And then WHAM! just when you thought it was all settled and you start scouting for the best bargain RSV4R in Australia, out of nowhere your mate Pete walks over and offers a test ride his 2011 MV Agusta F4.
And because you are a bike whore and a nice guy, you oblige, not expecting your world to be rocked.
So the GSXR 750 it was and I thought that was that. But then due to unexpected circumstances I had a lot of time to think about this and I realized whenever I pictured a GSXR 750 in my garage, I was just like “Meh”. It was purely a decision of the head. I was not terribly excited about the thought. So I let it play and let other ideas germinate. Sometimes when a choice is not immediately apparent, you need to sow some seeds and let them germinate. Unexpected results can eventuate.
So out of the confusing fog, a recurring theme started to take form. It had a v4 engine and handling like a 600. Now, if you’ve been paying attention to my test rides you would know I had started to fall for the Aprilia RSV4R! Yes, that’s the one that kept coming back to me and the Beemer was well and truly forgotten. The beemer is from the Honda mould, just better. But when you get off either of those bikes after a satisfying run, you think fuck that was a great ride. But when you get off the Aprilia, you think, fuck that was a great ride and damn that bike is awesome. Maybe that is what they call character, the bike leaves you some memories of itself every time you ride it.
The RSV4R was out of my budget but a motorcycle buying budget is a funny thing. It seems unshakeably rigid till you start getting wet dreams about a particular bike and you wake up next morning realizing that there is flex in the budget today. And the next day the budget flexes some more till after a few days of thinking, calculating, promising and negotiating with the finance minister, one fine day you find that the budget has indeed stretched far enough to be able to negotiate on an RSV4R!
And then WHAM! just when you thought it was all settled and you start scouting for the best bargain RSV4R in Australia, out of nowhere your mate Pete walks over and offers a test ride his 2011 MV Agusta F4.
And because you are a bike whore and a nice guy, you oblige, not expecting your world to be rocked.
I mean, look at this thing. Are you man enough to say NO to this supermodel?
Not thinking that this is a watershed moment in your motorcycling life. Not knowing that your life before riding an MV Agusta F4 and your life after will be 2 distinct phases. Because 5 minutes into your ride, as you enter the on ramp to the M5 off Bexley road, Yeah that sweeping up hill left hander, you hook into the turn and wind on the throttle and your brain tilts back in its casing, your hands are barely holding on to the grips, you have overtaken 6 vehicles while doing 140KM an hour in the emergency lane. The bike is stable like it will keep on this angle forever with or without your input. You are powerless to stop what is going on, the bike has complete control over you. You are IN the watershed moment. It is playing out in slow motion in front of you and you are kind of remotely watching it with a loopy, stoned smile on your lips. You know it’s all over and already wondering how much Pete wants for this bike.
Oh Sorry, I went off the rails a bit there even if the MV didn’t. What I actually meant to say was, the bike feels heavy as you lift it off the stand. Well, not Blackbird or Busa heavy but certainly heavier than the other litre bikes I’ve tried. Combine that with a high seat and low handlebars and my start is a bit nervous. But as I flick right onto the road outside Pete’s driveway, the MV turns effortlessly. I turn right at the downhill roundabout at the top of the street and the bike sort of falls into the turn. The steering lock is miniscule and normal city manouvers trap your thumb against the tank, a bit scary and I’m thinking fuck I’m gonna drop this thing. But it’s amazing how quickly you adjust to little shit like that. By the end of the 30 min ride, I was totally comfortable with the slow speed manouvering. The throttle, ah yes the throttle. I’ve ridden a few bikes now but the feeling of pure SPEED that you get on this bike is unrivalled. Twisting the throttle on this bike is more pleasurable than on any other bike I’ve ever ridden. I don’t even know whether this is borne out by numbers and magazine tests and shit but that is how I feel. The throttle response is instant and precise but very manageable. Spot-on really. The engine has this raspy, angry whirr as it picks up revs as if you’ve disturbed its sleep and it’s a bit grumpy now. Shit starts to happen very very quickly as you see the digital revs graph speed on beyond 8K on the funky blue LCD. I was doing 140 in the time I would normally expect to be doing 100. I WILL lose my licence on this thing, there is no question about it but who cares, I’ll park it in the lounge and stare at it.
The most impressive thing about the bike apart from its outright speed is its mid corner stability. Absolutely neutral, especially in the sweepers. I felt like I could take both my hands off the bike at a 30 degree lean and the bike would just shrug and say “Imma keep on going, you coming?”. Winding on the gas on a sweeper on this bike is like a slowly building euphoric orgasm.
The riding position is a bitch though, I’m sure I’ll be wriggling my arse around a bit on the freeways. But fucking who cares, I will deal with it.
When I started this test riding journey, I was looking for a bike to wow me. The Beemer and the RSV did but not to the point where I instantly decided to blow my budget. The GSXR was a decision of the head and I’m glad I didn’t go with that coz even thought it’s a brilliant motorcycle in its own right, I know I would be on bike sales the day after I bought it, researching my next bike.
The MV Agusta F4, is a decision of the heart. It has grabbed me by the balls, looked me in the eyes and asked the question. And I am glad to say that I have answered its call even if i've blown my budget to smithereens and have to take lunch from home for the next 2 years. Time will tell what is what.
Hail motorcycles of the heart, fucken!
The riding position is a bitch though, I’m sure I’ll be wriggling my arse around a bit on the freeways. But fucking who cares, I will deal with it.
When I started this test riding journey, I was looking for a bike to wow me. The Beemer and the RSV did but not to the point where I instantly decided to blow my budget. The GSXR was a decision of the head and I’m glad I didn’t go with that coz even thought it’s a brilliant motorcycle in its own right, I know I would be on bike sales the day after I bought it, researching my next bike.
The MV Agusta F4, is a decision of the heart. It has grabbed me by the balls, looked me in the eyes and asked the question. And I am glad to say that I have answered its call even if i've blown my budget to smithereens and have to take lunch from home for the next 2 years. Time will tell what is what.
Hail motorcycles of the heart, fucken!
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