MV Agusta 1078 RR 312

NOT SO MUCH

MV Agusta is one of motorcycling's top-shelf marques: a decorated history borne out of the post WWII period when simple and economic transport was a vital aspect in Italy's reconstruction effort, before going onto sign some of the biggest names in motorcycle racing during the 1950s and 1960s to showcase its wares to an international audience.

MV Agusta went onto win a combined total of 75 manufacturer and individual world championships, and 207 grands prix - a large chunk of the success due to the phenomenal gift that was Giacomo Agostini.

Only last year, we snapped a photo of "Ago" carting around his championship-winning and God-knows-how-expensive 500/3 in the back of a trailer in Italy. As you do.

During that heady period of racing, MV started some serious volume production, but it all went arse up in 1971 when Count Domenico, the founder's son, passed away.

After 20 years absence, under the guidance of the Castiglioni brothers and with the technical, stylistic and design "know how" of CRC - Cagiva Research Centre, managed by Massimo Tamburini -- MV Agusta returned in 1997 with the launch of a new model, the MV F4 750.

That machine incited some serious attention, and the bike we've recently sampled, the 1078 RR 312, has the same flair and beautiful sense of proportion as the original.

The 1078 RR 312 is a direct descendant of the F4 R 312, so-called because of its claimed top speed of 312km/h.

The F4 R's in-line four-cylinder engine has been increased to 1078cc in 1078 RR 312 guise, which brings the latter into direct correlation with the limited-edition F4 CC, of which only 100 were made.

If I've already taken you to the brink of mental exhaustion, here's a quick pick me up. With the 82cc increase in capacity from the F4 R 312 to the 1078 RR 312 - achieved by lifting bore size from 76 to 79mm - MV Agusta has increased torque from 115 to 124Nm.

Power from the $29,995 1078 is a claimed 190hp, and the machine also has a slipper clutch, which works in concert with the Engine Brake System. The first three gears of the six-speed cassette-style gearbox are also taller.

And the 1078 has certainly reinforced MV's reputation for reeling off a succession of impossibly beautiful bikes, all the way from the gorgeous black, white and red front end to the single-sided swingarm. There are black, multi-spoke forged aluminium-alloy wheels at both ends, and the front blinkers look smart encased in the mirror pods.

With the move to 1078cc, MV Agusta has certainly manufactured itself out of a potential tilt at superbike racing, but my guess is that it'd mean diddly squat to the people who but it - and there's always the still potent F4 R 312 to wave the flag, as the Paul Feeney Group (the Australian importer of MV Agusta) did a few years ago with Kevin Curtain at the helm.

I managed to sneak in a quick two-hour fang on the 1078 through the Gold Coast hinterland, and there's no doubt the bike is blisteringly fast. It's a pure sports bike, and only a small proportion of the heavy hitters amongst us can get a real handle on such a thoroughbred - especially with no electronic aids to underwrite the operation. On that score, MV Agusta is now lagging behind the times.

There's certainly no case to answer for an acute lack of power throughout the rev range, although below 4000rpm the fuel injection is a little sluggish and requires a bit more refinement.

In the city, that issue is compounded by a heavy throttle which is a little 'on-off', but that feeling dissipates once the riding becomes a little more heated.

Speaking of which, around town the MV's mill regularly tracks at well over the 100-degree mark, and the heat transfer onto the legs from the exhaust is quite intense; almost unbearable with some heavier textile pants or leathers.

But that was soon forgotten about once I hit some challenging and technical tarmac, with the 1078 possessing the full suite of sports bike features: an aggressing seating position, stiff suspension, slick gearbox, sticky 17-inch rubber, precise handling, and jaw-dropping stopping power, accompanied by a meaty growl from the 4-2-1 exhaust.

But the 1078 does demand fairly aggressive rider input, and it simply sneers at half-arsed attempts to take it on. But once you get serious and add some real muscle into the equation, it lights up and a fractured relationship is repaired in seconds.

But there's no denying it does feel a little bulky compared to the newest sports bike kit, including the BMW S 1000 RR. It sounds like poppycock, but at 192kg dry the 1078 is pushing 'porky' territory.

In other market segments, manufacturers can 'hide' weight, but the sports bike class is brutal - and the 1078 has been found wanting in this regard.

The 1078 is not a steal at $29,995, but the good thing is that the 1078 is still cheaper than the F4 R 312 ever was. However, I'm just not certain the 1078 has the bloodlines to make it an 8K premium over, say, the S 1000 RR. But if it leaves you in raptures, why not?

Click on the following link to check out the 1078 RR 312 in Bike Showroom.

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed cassette
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Steel tubular trellis
Front suspension: Marzocchi 50mm upside-down forks with rebound, compression and preload adjustment, 130mm travel
Rear suspension: Sachs monoshock with rebound, high-low compression and preload adjustment, 120mm travel
Front brakes: Twin 320mm discs with Brembo monobloc four-piston radial calipers
Rear brakes: 210mm disc with Brembo four-piston caliper
Wheels: Forged aluminium-alloy, front 3.50 x 17 five-spoke, rear 6.00 x 17 seven-spoke
Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Rosso, front 120/70-17, rear 190/55-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: Not given
Trail: 103.8mm
Claimed dry weight: 192kg
Claimed wet weight: Not given
Seat height: 810mm
Wheelbase: 1408mm
Ground clearance: 130mm
Fuel capacity: 21lt

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 190hp (140kW) at 13,000rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 124Nm at 8200rpm

OTHER STUFF
Price: $29,995 (plus ORC)
Colours: Red or silver
Bike supplied by: Paul Feeney Group (www.husqvarnamotorcycles.com.au)
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres