Looks to die for

What a stunning looking bike, the F4 is without any shadow of doubt the best looking of the rich selection of litre super bikes available today. Even the latest R1 can’t match it. The F4 has that hard to define Italian flair, the subtle touches and details that elevate it onto another plane. Not a line is out of place, the whole bike is of a piece and exudes speed with a cool, classy assurance. A bike to be treated with the appropriate level of respect.

Simple, stunning, stylish, cool…

No place for half measures

This is not a machine for compromise and that is abundantly clear from the moment that you climb aboard. Low, clip-on bars place you in the classic racing crouch and the engine fires up with a crisp rasp from the four exhaust cans, tucked up under the tail. The suspension immediately feels firm and the brakes immensely strong…they need to be to keep 200bhp reigned in.  I rode the F4 on very tight twisty back roads, perhaps not the best environment for it…I think more open sweeping, and expansive roads would be more in keeping. The F4 seemed constrained, hemmed in like a Tiger pacing its cage in a zoo or how I would imagine it would feel to fly a a WW2 era fighter plane inside its hangar! But what a wonderful machine, pure of purpose like a rapier.

What a fantastic bike, almost an honour to ride…

All too brief an experience

I only rode the bike for a few miles and unlike some other MV models I rode on the same day this was not a bike you could just leap on and ride quickly straight away. No,it became clear to me that this is a machine where you build a relationship over time, gradually exploring the bikes extraordinary abilities and expanding the envelope. Respect has to be earned and trust built up. The F4 is massively more capable than I could ever fully explore.
But, and this is a big but, one key thing I discovered on this ride is this: As a somewhat overweight, middle aged man that perhaps my time for the full fat super bike might have been and gone. I handed back the F4 completely blown away and impressed…it is so fast, but with slightly edgy feeling of gratitude that I had made it through the experience unscathed. This is a glorious, glorious bike, but one that just isn’t for me. So focused, God it is beautiful though, and fast. Did I mention it was fast..?