[Rachit.K.Dogra]

Originally Posted by no_fear

@ Krishna - well your R1 thread is what got the ball rolling. Btw, I consider the R1 and the F4 as spiritual cousins. They have the same ethos and are admired for very similar reasons. I am still on the hunt for a R1.. hahahha, as I have told you already.

Wow!! Beautifully written thread brother!! The history and the technical details just make it so nice. Plus your approach and the way you bring back the old glory of your bikes is really special!!

Hearty congratulations on this beauty!! This is an elite club super model!!

Krishna's thread did start a kind of phase here. Some lovely pre-owned bike threads and so much DIY goodness to be read.

On R1 and F4 spiritual similarities, let me share an incident. So in my society in the same tower, there are 2 young Honda designers. For one of them, the first project was designing the saree guard for the CBR650F. When they saw my CBR, we got talking and eventually became good friends. Lovely blokes both of them and we have our own way of enjoying Saturday evenings, which is cleaning and TLCing our bikes together accompanied with lots and lots of bikes related discussions.

In one of those discussion, he told me that as designers they are allowed to take any bike that they own to their design studio for everyone to look at. Both of them own Ducati's right now, A scrambler and a Monster. He said like in a typical fashion, when Honda guys are seeing other bikes, they have many critical points but for Yamaha bikes they have an unsaid respect. It is believed that Honda somewhere attributes its success to Yamaha because it is Yamaha who started producing bikes with a Panache (He used this word) and then Honda followed and build upon it.
He told me that Honda will be having lets say 1800 people working on the fireblade alone, but Yamaha will only have 180 people working on their entire R series.

So yes I also do feel the R1 has that European flair and panache which MVs are known for too.

CHEERS!!

Rachit

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by no_fear

As for your scale model collection, here you were making fun of Krishna with gold investment in his R1 thread. I can see you supporting India's GDP by spending big on die cast toys.

Haha.Nothing compared to the direct taxes we pay and as Krishna mentioned the indirect taxes on Petrol currently.

Originally Posted by no_fear

Btw for all you guys, I know parts, gears and accessories are always a hot topic for us bikers. My older brother gave me a pro tip. There is a massive annual motorcycle convention in Bangkok every year during Jan middle. He attended the 2020 one. If Covid situation gets better and you want to buy parts, do a Bangkok trip next time and stock up on your parts.

But how much can one bring along in terms of value without having an unpleasant conversation with the custom guys?

The last time I bought back high value stuff was on my return from Munich in 2011 when I bought a Nolan helmet, Sidi boots and a Hein Gericke Jacket and had no issues at customs back then.

When my friends return from the US the goods are normally spread out in different family members bags so its ok but if most of it is stuffed in just one or two bags would that be an issue? As in Mumbai the custom guys used to mark an X with white chalk on bags which gets screened by custom guys along with your backpack if they think you’re carrying something that needs to be declared to them.

[Odeen12]

What a lovely review for a befitting motorcycle brand

Rooted in aristocracy, started off with aircrafts and then motorcycles. Add the heritage of racing, with the likes of Mike Hailwood, John Surtees and Giacomo Agostini. Then design every nook, cranny, gap, nuts and bolts of what a motorcycle should be, you get the MV Agusta!

The brand seeps of absolute grit, determination and passion to have survived for so long. That's a legacy you cannot ignore. If i could, i would absolutely want to be a part of that story.

Congratulations on your lovely acquisition. It's not a Ferrari or a Lamborghini but a Koenigsegg of motorcycles. Wish you all the Tuscany warmth when you ride that beauty..

[RMN]

Great thread, @no_fear. Was a pleasure to read. I dint know much about MV's life in India apart from that they tried and failed. Reading the comments on the thread, it clearly sounds like Motorcycle had 0 brand knowledge and expected/hoped to sell 30-40 MV's a month. They must have thought it to be a brand like Triumph or mostly Ducati where they could sell a lot of them with a lot of marketing.

They had no idea what they were getting into.

Brands like MV, they should just have limited showrooms in a relatively small space. 1 or maximum 2 dealers with service centers, preferably 1 in the north and 1 in the south with a good support & service. And they need to focus on quality over quantity. Anyone who expects to sell MVs like a Ducati, shouldn't be selling any motorcycles.

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by Rachit.K.Dogra

Wow!! Beautifully written thread brother!! The history and the technical details just make it so nice…..So yes I also do feel the R1 has that European flair and panache which MVs are known for too.

@ Rachit – thank you very much for the kinds words. I am looking forward to seeing your R1 in person although I think it’s tough to ride in this Delhi heat in the morning. You shared something very interesting. So my older brother visited the Yamaha factory at Hamamatsu back in 2018. One of his closest friends is a production engineer for Yamaha and is associated with the MT series. He took a museum tour (Yamaha only allows the museum tour to visitors) and discussed about Yamaha’s total lack of commitment to India. Surprising thing is, Yamaha promotes the India market in its museum!!! They acknowledge it’s a big market, and then you can see the models they launch here. Even Thailand has much more than India. So clearly there is a massive disconnect between what Yamaha management says and what it does. Part of the conversation was about product offerings for India market, and how Suzuki has completely beaten Yamaha at its own game. The Yamaha engineers actually looked at Suzuki models – and Suzuki motorbike plant is in the same town as Yamaha (both are in Hamamatsu). So the Yamaha engineers ride the Suzuki bikes.

Originally Posted by SnS_12

But how much can one bring along in terms of value without having an unpleasant conversation with the custom guys? Mumbai the custom guys used to mark an X with white chalk on bags which gets screened by custom guys along with your backpack if they think you’re carrying something that needs to be declared to them.

@ Sns – Sachin, usually I buy stuff for which I know the distributor mark up in India is much higher. If its t-shirts, gloves, jackets, knee protectors, or small parts like clutch cover, handle bar ends, rearsets, I get it from the Bangkok stores. Mumbai airport is a serious pain. I hate that after you pick up your bags from the conveyor belt, Mumbai customs makes u stand in a single line and then scans all the bags through 1 baggage scanner. Yes, they put those stupid chalk marks. But they just put it irrespective of what you are carrying. My mom once flew in from US with her used clothes in 1 suitcase, and they marked that suitcase. Delhi is a bit more organized and I have never been stopped. At most, they have asked me what I will use the gear for. I tell them it for my motorbikes and they let me go. I think customs officers can easily figure out who is a returning tourist / genuine resident versus those agents who are always bringing things from overseas to sell in India. That Bangkok bike fest is worth a visit, if you go for holidays to Thailand and it falls within your travel period.

Originally Posted by Odeen12

What a lovely review for a befitting motorcycle brand ….. It's not a Ferrari or a Lamborghini but a Koenigsegg of motorcycles. Wish you all the Tuscany warmth when you ride that beauty..

@ Odeen – many thanks brother. You are the only other person who compared MV to Koenigsegg. That’s a brand I love. Have seen 1 or 2 models at a car show in Los Angeles, but those are super rare to spot in the wild

Originally Posted by abhi_tjet

What a lovely thread no_fear! MV Agusta’s wallpaper which came free with Auto India magazine was stuck at my home during school days in late nineties

@ abhi – thank you, and I had the same hobby like you. I used to collect those auto India wallpapers that came in the middle of the magazine. The stupid newspaper agent would sometimes steal and say that it was never inside the magazine. Those were the days.

Originally Posted by RMN

Great thread, @no_fear. Was a pleasure to read. Anyone who expects to sell MVs like a Ducati, shouldn't be selling any motorcycles.

@ RMN - Thank you very much. You have hit the nail on the head. I think neil.jericho gave a very detailed and apt analysis on how Motoroyale failed so miserably. I am actually waiting for his detailed reply, after his epic meme post. His post has covered so truly the inept attitude of Motoroyale.

The Motoroyale website doesn’t function anymore. The company dealers stopped picking up phone calls. I don’t know if the company is on its last legs or its collapsed. But its sales reps are still posting insta pics wearing MV jackets and posing in front of customers bikes. What an amazing con and fraud going on…if this was any other brand, by now there would be huge media focus.

Motoroyale and by extension MV, as you rightly said, should have focused on places where the biking community is mature and you have people who know their stuff. Bangalore is definitely a place, and perhaps Delhi. It’s a niche player and needs to focus on a much smaller segment.
I feel very sorry for MV customers who have the bikes now. What are they going to do? There are 200+ MV bikes in India. Surely, there must be some solution to this problem.

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by no_fear

Mumbai airport is a serious pain. I hate that after you pick up your bags from the conveyor belt, Mumbai customs makes u stand in a single line and then scans all the bags through 1 baggage scanner.

They are a pain for sure. A few years back I bought this Newton’s Cradle for my Dad who is a teacher by profession and teaches Physics, Chemistry and Maths.



He had been gifted this in the 90’s by one of his student then and I had spoilt it while playing with it. So when I was in London i saw it and bought it as a gift for him.

At the Mumbai airport the customs guy kept asking me why it has metal balls dangling in a single line and I had to explain what phyiscs is all about

Originally Posted by no_fear

That Bangkok bike fest is worth a visit, if you go for holidays to Thailand and it falls within your travel period.

You mentioned the event takes place in January and normally between Jan and April period by travels are work related only. Last time I had been to Thailand was in June and wanted to pick up a Arai or a Shoei Helmet but couldn’t find the right store selling it in Bangkok.

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Last time I had been to Thailand was in June and wanted to pick up a Arai or a Shoei Helmet but couldn’t find the right store selling it in Bangkok.

Look up PandaRider. Its one of the biggest stores in Bangkok and very close to the Don Muang airport. They have a good selection. The only gripe is they charge 3% credit card fees, so you have to pay cash. But they carry good discounts.

The other one is called Zeed parts, located in the same area.

Most of the moto parts stores are located in the areas called Sai Mai and Bang Khen. They are not in the touristy part, but are super accessible from Sukhumvit, if you take Grab car.

[VijayAnand1]

One of the wittiest and uplifting threads I've come across in T-BHP. A dysfunctional family desire turned into an amalgamation of excitement and cross border fun, boy what a fantastic read. Kudos on your acquisition, and do keep the nitties posted. Subbed, good luck.

Cheers!
VJ

[Entsurgeon]

A passionate , well written and fact laden review of a fantastic brand. The description of factory tour set this thread apart and may start a new trend on tbhp reviews.
The first F4 was launched in 1999 and belted out 126 bhps from 750 cc motor. The round underseat exhaust and yellow dial that went upto 17k rpms is penance violating. I love everything about the first generation 750cc F4 including that classy red and silver paint scheme. I much prefer that stance, looks and silhoutte from 22 years back then today's F4.
Theres no point comparing the designs as its more a personal preferance.
Those alloys shaped like star in golden were the only time a golden alloy looked classy and sans tackiness from any angle.








The snaps above were themselves pretty old and the model must nearly be 20 years old. I can recall lots of legendary memorabilia around brand augusta. The moment i read your review I was looking for these pics i clicked years ago. Such is the magic of her design. The F4 i saw first was on pages of overdrive magazine in 1999. I bought that copy for the review of first gen CBZ that i bought soon. However it also featured the first ever F4 and first ever Hayabusa in classic copper shade.
Not only this model evoked my passion for motorcycles, it also brought back memories associated with stuffs related to F4 that I came across back then.
By the way MV was the first brand to break gentleman's agreement with 312 with official top speed being 300 kmph+.
May i ask what are the differences between differend iterations of F4 that were launched here viz. F4, F4R, F4RR etc.
Ps. No offence but i much prefer the round exhaust tube shape vs rectangulars.

[Hells Bells]

Beautiful thread and made a non-biker like me stop in my tracks to make sure I read all of it! Your insights are also very helpful in someone making a big bike decision if they were lucky enough to come across MVs in their hunt. See, what you did? You just converted me into a reader who appreciates MVs lot more than yesterday!

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by Entsurgeon

May i ask what are the differences between differend iterations of F4 that were launched here viz. F4, F4R, F4RR etc.
Ps. No offence but i much prefer the round exhaust tube shape vs rectangulars.

@ Entsurgreon, I have tabulated the differences across the 3 models

F4
Engine 195
Front suspension Marzocchi
Rear Suspension Sachs

F4R
Engine 195
Front suspension Marzocchi
Rear Suspension Ohlins

F4RR
Engine 201
Front suspension Ohlins - electronically adjustable
Rear Suspension Ohlins - electronically adjustable

The rims of the F4RR and F4R are light aluminium alloy and weigh 1kg lighter than the base F4.

In terms of heat - the insulation of the F4RR is really good and I can take it out for city riding

Originally Posted by Hells Bells

Your insights are also very helpful in someone making a big bike decision You just converted me into a reader who appreciates MVs lot more than yesterday!

@ Hells Bells – thank you for the kind words and glad to bring you over to the “dark side”. There are a few of us very passionate about big bikes, so please pm us anytime if you want any help in finding a superbike.

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

One of the wittiest and uplifting threads I've come across in T-BHP. Subbed, good luck.

@VijayAnand – thanks for the review and I will try my best to keep the pictures coming.

[Entsurgeon]

That reminds me, the original star shaped alloys were Marchesini. Back then we didnt know that even alloys have such a variation in weight and price. To us vehicularly starved indians, any alloy was desirable and stylish compared to stock.
All the three F4 have Marchesini? What about F3?
I would prefer them to even carbon fiber rims.

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by Entsurgeon

All the three F4 have Marchesini? What about F3? I would prefer them to even carbon fiber rims.

All F4, F3 and Brutale use Marchesini. I am not sure but F3, and Brutale uses Marchesini magnesium wheels.

The F4 uses aluminum alloy, while the F4R and RR use lightweight aluminum.

The BST carbon fiber rims - some don't fit as the wheel nut is not compatible.

[neil.jericho]

In our little Motorbikes corner of the vast TBHP universe, we bikers have never come to agreement on any one bike that we all like. But for the first time ever, I see that we are all unanimously in love with a bike that is featured in an ownership thread.

Since everyone is sharing their MV pictures, let me also pitch in. Here are some pictures from my visit to the MV showroom in Doha. It is a multi brand showroom with Kawasaki and some other brands. But the design of the Kawasakis paled in comparison to the MVs.

If looks could kill !


Notice the detailing


Pure art

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Since everyone is sharing their MV pictures, let me also pitch in. Here are some pictures from my visit to the MV showroom in Doha.

@Neil, fantastic pictures mate. You have a good eye for photography. I never thought of checking out the MV showroom at Doha when I was there for a long haul stopover. Well I was traveling with my mom and she wanted to go to the gold shops.

Yes, yes guilty as charged. Indian moms and their craving for gold jewelry. She wanted to buy for my wedding (which didn't happen.. I am still single )

Back to MV, how was your experience with Motoroyale Bangalore when you went shopping for the F3. I am interested to know.

The reason I am asking - I found out that MV has service and afterparts contract with Motoroyale, and if I want to bring a new MV bike to India, I have to do it through Motoroyale.

We discussed in the motorcycle thread that Motoroyale went belly up, but the Pune office is still functioning. I have never dealt with Motoroyale, and have only heard unpleasant things, so I would like to know the firsthand experience. You are the only person I know who has set foot in the Bangalore dealership, so it will be good to get unbiased feedback.