MV Agusta Unveils New F3 800

Some bikes go through so many changes on the way from the drawing board to the showroom floor that you’re left wondering what might have been. MV Agusta’s new F3 800 is one might-have-been that made the cut to the company’s line-up.

The 800cc three-cylinder engine was originally penned as such, but along the way to reality, fate––and a desire to win race in displacement-limited classes––intervened. As its development stage wound to a close, the 800cc displacement was downsized to 675cc to meet racing rules. As a result, it was a simple matter to bump the triple back to 800cc for the F3 800—promising some midrange grunt to go with the high-rpm shriek we know so well from the smaller F3.

MV says the F3 800 cranks out 148 horsepower at 13,000 rpm, a boost of more than 20 bhp over the 675. It retains the 675’s 79mm bore, and is stroked to 54.3mm to get the added displacement, leaving the 800’s claimed dry weight the same as the 675’s at 381 pounds. A counter-rotating crankshaft (as on the 675) reduces the rotational inertia effect during quick changes of direction, and a slipper clutch keeps hard braking from becoming too exciting.

Don't think for a minute that MV is falling behind in the incorporation of alphabet features into its bikes. The F3 800 comes with one called MVICS, which stands for Motor and Vehicle Integrated Control System. Translated from adspeak to English that’s ride-by-wire. Four engine maps are included, as well as eight levels of traction control. In case you’re busy fiddling with the buttons when it’s time to shift, there’s EAS (Electronically Assisted Shift) to help you out.

A Marzocchi inverted fork and a Sachs single rear shock are standard, as are Brembo brakes and aluminum-alloy wheels. The only MSRP attached to the bike so far is €13,990; check the financial page to see what that comes out to in greenbacks on the day you order yours in pearl white/black, red/silver, or matte metallic black.