Piece of art or a suite of electronics on two wheels? The F4 is both, actually: it’ll hold the gaze of passers-by and it can sail through a torrential downpour while being its usual ballistic self
It has been a couple of days since I rode this MV Agusta. I’ve eaten, I’ve slept and I’ve gone about my everyday chores. And all this time, only one thing has been ringing in my ears. A sound that refuses to leave my being. It’s the sound of the F4 screaming through its quad pipes as it closed in on its 13,500rpm redline. This sound goes from
being a deep, hoarse rumble at around 4,500rpm to a bellow that’ll make you scream yourself hoarse trying to replicate it with your vocal cords. It’s a scream that exaggerates the speeds you achieve, to a point where it sounds like a chainsaw let loose, screaming in a manner that is as exciting as it is scary. Wait, let me change that: it sounds like a chainsaw being held to your face because it simply is that terrifying. Especially on tarmac soaked with rain and with a front wheel that’s constantly threatening to rise every time you twist the throttle hard and keep it pinned past 10,000 revs.
But, let’s start from the… er, start. Before all the mayhem, the F4 was parked in a small factory shed at the Kinetic Engineering plant, looking beautiful rather than threatening. Where I could sit and let my eyes take in its splendid lines and its neatly sculpted surfaces. There may be an argument about which of the many mental super bikes of our generation is truly king of the hill as they’re separated by marginal differences in horsepower and weight, and now nearly all of them are level on the electronic aids front. There’s very little to set them apart, really. But, then again, the F4 isn’t like every other motorcycle.
Denne historien er fra August 2016-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
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Denne historien er fra August 2016-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR KARI FT. EUROGRIP
What happens when you do track days in the name of pushing the limits of a tyre
ROOKIE BLUES
Acosta Urged for Patience as KTM Chases Ducati
THE VALUE OF TIME
Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen
DJI Osmo Action 4
Being an automotive journalist, our job entails us to ride motorcycles of all kinds and not to forget, the life behind driving some exotic set of wheels as well.
WAR WORDS WORLDS
Indians might not have played a deciding role in the previous world wars but now, our participation is much more evident
XTREME MACHINE
Maserati's racing history is a patchwork of epic highs and long absences, so can the MCXtrema - a track only version of its latest supercar-bring back the glory days?
WET AND WILD
No doors, no roof, no boot, but at least there's a windscreen... Paul Horrell pulls on his waterproof trousers and takes the Nomad 2 for a spin
STREAM W0RKS
This is an MG. Yes, really. Turns out it's got form in streamliners too...just ask Stirling Moss
A map and a compass.
Dacia got a foothold in the UK with cheapness, now it wants toughness on its CV. Can the new Duster handle Morocco's heat and locate a Dakar team in the desert - no GPS allowed?
A RECKLESS DEVELOPMENT?
Farewell, V10, this is the new Lamborghini Temerario, a 907bhp V8 hybrid. A worthy Huracán successor, or a misstep from the Italian firm?