MV Agusta F4 finally gets ABS
Italian superbike gets anti-lock braking system and adds anti-rear wheel lift function to bootMV Agusta has announced the deployment of its new anti-lock braking system that features an anti-rear wheel lift function (RLM in Agusta-speak) for its F4 superbike range.
The addition of the braking technology brings the bike closer to many of its rivals, most of which have offered a suite of traction and braking aids for years, which are designed to allow the rider to extract maximum performance from the bike while offering a safety net of sorts.
MV Agusta says the updated braking system software brings a "significant contribution in terms of both safety and performance, under all driving conditions" and works by ensuring the wheels don't lock up. Anti-lock brakes are most effective on wet or damp surfaces and can reduce stopping distances while reducing the chance of a front-end wash out.
The MV Agusta F4 1000's 998cc four-cylinder engine outputs 195hp (143kW) at 13,400rpm and 111Nm of torque at 9600rpm. Those figures jack up to 198hp (147kW) and 114Nm for the F4RR 1000.
Based around a new Bosch 9MPlus control unit, the advanced braking system includes "sophisticated algorithms" that work to keep the rear wheel in contact with the road/track under heavy braking. The RLM system "implements the appropriate countermeasures whenever the rear wheel loses contact with the asphalt," says MV Agusta.
MV Agusta worked with Bosch to deliver three operating modes for the new ABS system, normal, race and off.
Riders can switch between the modes via controls on the handlebars: normal mode for regular riding, race mode for track work which "limits the system's intervention to the minimum indispensable," says the Italian company, and switched off completely for ideal conditions.
The updated MV Agusta F4 is expected to arrive in Australia later in 2013, though it's not clear if price rises will result from the extra braking tech. The F4 1000 currently retails for $21,990, the F4RR 1000 is $33,990.
The full MV Agusta price list is as follows:
- Brutale 675 EAS - $14,990Brutale 800 EAS - $16,490Brutale 800 EAS ‘ITALIA’ - $17,490Brutale 1090 - $18,990Brutale R 1090 - $20,490Brutale RR 1090 - $21,990F3 675 EAS - $17,990F4 1000 - $21,990F4RR 1000 - $33,990
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