Wet, multi - disc with mechanical anti-surging device
Transmission
6 Speed
Final Drive
Chain
Gear Ratio
1st 14/37
140.9 Km/h (87.5 mph) at 13000 r.p.m.
2nd 16/33 180.6
Km/h (112.1 mph) at 13000 r.p.m.
3rd 18/31 216.3
Km/h (134.3 mph) at 13000 r.p.m.
4th 20/30 248.3 Km/h
(154.2 mph) at 13000 r.p.m.
5th 22/29 282.6
Km/h (175.5 mph) at 13000 r.p.m.
6th 21/25 Over 300
Km/h (186.0 mph) at 13000 r.p.m.
Frame
CrMo steel tubular trellis
Front Suspension
Upside-down telescopic hydraulic fork with
rebound-compression damping and spring preload external and separate
adjustment
Front Wheel Travel
130 mm / 5.1 in
Rear Suspension
Progressive, single shock absorber with rebound and
compression (High speed / Low speed) damping and spring preload (hydraulic
control)
Rear Wheel Travel
120 mm / 4.7 in
Front Brakes
2x 320mm discs 4 piston caliper
Rear Brakes
Single 210mm disc 4 piston caliper
Front Tyre
120/70 ZR17
Rear Tyre
180/55 ZR17
Seat Height
810 mm / 31.8 in
Trail
103.8 mm / 4.08 in
Dimensions
Length 2007 mm / 79.01 in
Width 685 mm / 26.97 in
Wheelbase
Wheelbase 1408 mm / 55.40 in
Dry-Weight
192 Kg / 423.3 lbs
Fuel Capacity
21 Litres / 5.5 US Gal
Standing
¼ Mile
11.1 sec
Top Speed
293.8 km/h / 182.5 mph
ART AND POWER IN 190 HP
With the ambition of one accustomed to
winning and the self-confidence of a company with all the know-how in the
world, MV Agusta has “crossed” their two latest creations, the F4 CC and the
F4 R 312. They have made the ultimate cocktail of power and controlled
aggression to once more unleash the beast also known as “the most beautiful
motorcycle in the world”.
They have added another “R” to the F4
and the superb R 312 that, flat out in sixth, has reached 312 kph (193.88
mph). The F4 R 312 performance can only to be eclipsed by the RR. There is
only one objective for 2008 - improvement. An objective like this is by now
customary for a company that already has 75 championship titles behind it
(37 constructors and 38 riders) and success embedded in its soul past and
present. This year’s challenge is that of putting a machine on the road that
goes faster than a 747 at lift-off.
Like other challenges in the past of
beating whatever the opposition has had to offer, this new challenge has
again called for courage, desire, passion, sacrifice, and investment from
the “Team MV”. The goal was simple – to create the best sports bike in the
world and any lesser result would have been unthinkable. The 1078 cubic
capacity of the exclusive and much appreciated F4 CC has been repeated in
the new F4 RR 312. The extra capacity has given both more torque and a
silkier touch to the sheer power of the high revving engine. This is due to
a series of refinements to the engine in those areas where such a thing was
possible and the aim was simply to go beyond the limits imposed by a
“standard” engine.
The RR 312 is not a machine to be
bothered with limits or weak points and for this reason, only the best
components that money could buy have been used.
The bike features the already
well-known and developed frame that offers the same, much appreciated
handling characteristics, solidity, and feel that are the trademark of the
F4. Every single component of the machine has been analyzed and refined
(where possible) to deal with the new power output that has now risen to 190
HP. It is in fact the new engine size that will bar it from racing in the
current Superbike class. F4 R 312s will now leave MV dealerships for
competition use only while the new RR will give true MV road-going
enthusiasts the chance to put the latest machine through its not
inconsiderable paces; open the throttle wide, lean hard into bends and see
what she’ll do. We are convinced that every bike enthusiast, at least once
in his life, wants to do exactly that.
The F4 1000 will still be available
for the race track and will have all the same mechanical updates as made to
the larger engine (slipper clutch, new gear ratios) as well as all the
modifications made to handling components (brakes, new suspension) and will
be homologated for both FIM STK and SBK.
DESIGN – ITALIAN PRIDE
Design limitations for any product,
and therefore any motorcycle, are dictated by varying parameters that
include manufacturing processes and cost. MV can overcome such limitations.
Its main aim has always been to create beauty and perfection. Beauty must
never be forsaken in pursuit of something else. According to MV’s way of
thinking, this is the keystone around which a motorbike is built. Apart
perhaps from a stroke of genius, fulfilling this philosophy calls more for
design artists than for engineers. In Italy in general and, in MV in
particular, just such a thing is possible. The F4 RR 312 is an example of
this and adds to the pride the company has felt ever since the creation of
the F4 that has been the most beautiful, long-lived and best-prepared
“standard” sports bike ever made. Every line and every angle of the machine
has been designed so as to create visual “special effects” involving all the
senses with tailor made components, finishings, and games of light and
shadow. The senses are further heightened by the new color schemes on the F4
RR 312. These are based on pearl white base, anthracite black and the
traditional winning colors of silver/red. It is however attention to detail
that makes a piece of machinery beautiful and, for this reason, MV has
dedicated much time and effort to exactly that. New elements for 2008
include the new headlight unit and smoked screen from the F4 CC. Other
aesthetic changes include decals and graphics not to mention changes made to
the instrument panel, some of the plastic finishing components, the shock
absorber spring that is now red instead of yellow and the tails of the four
so-called “organ pipe” exhausts that are now stubbier and more sharply
angled.
EQUIPMENT EBS AND SLIPPER
CLUTCH
The successful evolution of the F4 RR 312 lies to a
large extent in technical refinements in comparison with the R 312 and
includes the following:
New decals and color schemes
Smoked screen from the F4 CC
Smaller exhaust tail pipes with the end piece cross
section resembling a “slice of salami”
New suspension calibration
Sachs steering damper from the F4 CC
Brembo monoblock (one-piece) brakes
1,078cc engine
Slipper clutch
New close ratio gearbox
The end result is a significant “re-tuning” of one of the most longed for
sports bikes in the world that has shown fans just what MV are capable of
throughout the recently ended season.
.
1078cc ENGINE
From MV’s point of view, the engine is
the key component to both performance and rideability. This is because when
the power from an engine is unleashed, it must be with done so with a degree
of measure and intelligence so that the frame and suspension respond better
to what the rider asks of them. In this case, “measure” relates to power
delivery and the “intelligence” is electronic. Among the modifications made,
one key element is the increase in cubic capacity from 996 to 1078 cc
achieved by increasing the bore from 76 to 79 mm. The cylinder head has been
reworked to meet new specifications and features new 10 mm longer intake
horns. Power output benefits but so does tractability and the linearity of
engine response from this four-cylinder marvel of engineering that is now
the world’s most powerful engine in the Hypersport class.
Despite the considerable increase in
volume, the engine still revs very highly and offers more torque than ever:
from 84.7 – 91.4 ft/lb (115 to 124 Nm) that, at 8,200 is down from the
previous 10,000 rpm. The power output of the F4 RR 312 nowadays seems almost
innocent, the words are but characters but, it’s there in black and white:
190 HP. It’s as simple as that……
As regards the gear ratios, the first
three gears are longer and this spreads the power output better at high
speed and also serves to restrain the initial surge on take-off. First gear
takes the bike to 87, second to about 110 and third to nearly 135 mph. The
snarling roar it makes as it passes the pits has to be heard to be believed.
The second most important modification
is the introduction of a slipper clutch that does not replace the EBS
(Engine Brake System) but works alongside it. It is a mechanical slipper
clutch system with ramps and roller bearings. The result is immense
deceleration caused by backing off the throttle but it is progressive and
thus allows the rider to pick better lines into corners. Having such an easy
to manage engine improves a rider’s automatic reflexes, increases feel with
the machine and makes riding it all the more satisfying. When really pushing
the machine to the limits, the rider becomes more effective on both the road
and the track, almost without realizing it.
.
FRAME A UNIQUE RIDING
EXPERIENCE
Those of us who have only ridden MV
Agustas know that the frame and engine performance are the F4’s strong
points. Geometry, specifications, and sturdiness are responsible for the
sensation of great stability that the bike transmits when being taken flat
out around the track. These three elements are blended together in the
choice of the material from which the frame is made - chrome-molybdenum
steel tubing. The task facing the engineers at Varese this time was to try
to improve upon what was perfect – the balance of a machine that was already
beyond perfection. The performance of this frame had already more than
satisfied in race meetings where it was able to make the difference on bends
and under braking. The diverse riding styles of various riders made no
difference whether they were smooth as silk or tended to treat the bike more
harshly. In either event, the frame was a winner.
The rear swingarm is still a single
swingarm – nothing has changed – neither the mold nor the section has been
modified for this component. It is more than able to deal with the power
from the new engine as are the other two main settings i.e. the degrees of
rake and trail.
SUSPENSION WITH NEW SPORTS
CALIBRATION
Those of us used to working in the
racing world know that sophistication lies at the heart of an “extreme”
product and nothing must therefore be overlooked or left to chance. Even the
smallest “technical” change can affect the overall “balance” of the machine.
This means working very meticulously where perception counts as much as
intuition. This is why the F4 RR 312 now has updated suspension calibration.
The search for perfect balance has dictated that the forks and monoshock
shock absorber behave differently to deal with the new power output. The
components are the same as on the R 312: Enormous 50 mm Marzocchi front
forks and a Sachs “monoshock” at the rear as with the new steering damper
inherited from the F4 CC. These are professional components that have been
prepared with infinitesimal precision and attention to detail so as offer a
taste of what riding a race machine is really all about. The carbon nitride
treated forks, apart from their aggressive, original color, improve sliding
characteristics within the legs on the forks. Travel has been increased by 1
mm and is now 130 mm. To underline the race-bred nature of this bike, the
monoshock is fitted with a hydraulic spring preload adjuster that can be
easily and quickly reset with an Allen key. The hydraulic compression has
two possible ranges of adjustment, one for high and the other for low
speeds. These improve the behavior at the rear under heavy compression and
when the rider encounters frequent changes in the road surface.
BREMBO MONOBLOCK BRAKES
Brembo racing brakes are fitted to the
F4 RR 312. This system is an exact copy of the one used on race-going
Superbikes and has two 320 X 5 mm discs up front with one-piece monoblock
radial calipers housing 4 pistons and 4 pads. The only difference between
the “official” Brembo race brakes lies in the second dust cover fitted to
the pistons for the F4 RR 312 for road-going use. This component serves to
reduce wear on the brakes that certainly will not be serviced as often as
those on a pure racing version.