[ksanjee]

Part 1 - Ducati allegiance
I have been a Ducati guy for decades and was not too excited about MVs’ re-incarnation with the 750 F4 - a boutique superbike that did not measure up to the incumbent inline 4s even with its looks and pedigree. The 916 had already stolen the “looks” honor for good and was a force in SBK racing like its predecessor.

My first feeling and reaction upon seeing the 916 in Flesh (at Moto World, El Cajon, Southern California.) has not been surpassed. I was just in AWE - stood there admiring its racing lines.

Here is my 95’ 916 that I owned briefly. These were made in Varese where the MV hails from. If you notice, it has old graphics including the old Ducati logo. The tail was solid red with a “Ducati Campione del mondo superbike” decal.

The bike looked gorgeous from every angle. Sounded amazing and was Fast.

I was even luckier to own a couple of its successors - a “yellow” 996, a 996R (the first Testastretta powered Ducati, precursor to superquadro and successor of desmoquattro) and the red and raw 996SPS that is still with me.

So, what led me to an MV F3. Coming up in Part 2.

MV Man NoFear was a key resource I relied upon.

[ksanjee]

Part 2 - search for a special sport bike


This would be my 7th sportbike over a 30-year time frame - excluding the baby ninja and starting with the FZR (1992/93)

In 2020, I ended up getting a Harley 48 special. I considered a Monster but somehow, it was not meant to be. If they had an air-cooled 1200, I may have gone through with it.

After restoring my RD to full US Spec, I started looking again. Years went by looking for a TZR250 3MA/3XV and the RZ/RD 500. But I started to realize that they may not exist in the condition that I was hoping for.

Apart from the MV, I really did not find a bike that would fill that void. So, I had to accept ground reality and not wait another decade. I have a deep appreciation for the creators of MV F3 and F4. Real passionate guys with an illustrious history of creating true exotics.

Part 3: Designers behind the MV.

[ksanjee]

Part 3 - Designers, Legends

Massimo Tamburini - the Michelangelo of motorcycle design

By creating the 916, he transcended what was thought to be possible. I have expounded on the 916 already so I will not indulge in more superlatives. F4 was Tamburini’s last masterpiece. During the F4 launch, an unmistakably “Tamburini” silhouette lurked in the background, the most beautiful GP bike ever to race in Grand Prix - the Cagiva C594. I was lucky enough to see this machine rip Laguna Seca. It holds the Lap record for 2-strokes. This bike has been treasured as an iconic machine at the MV factory.




I have had the pleasure of owning Tamburini’s other significant design as well - the controversial Paso (both the 750 and 907) - here is a pic taken during one of my rides to Enzo Borrego, California. The FBF stickers on the seat definitely don’t belong there. The Corbin seat and RKA tank bag was inherited from the previous owner. Termis and Euro taillight conversion came with the bike.



Claudio and Giovanni Castiglioni - the Big Boss & Son

From metal working to motorcycle racing, rescuing Ducati and resurrecting MV. It is very hard to pen down this man’s passion and vision and the influence he has had on the Italian motorcycle industry.

Giovanni had to take over the F3 project after Claudio passed away. He had to learn to do things without his dad’s oversight or leadership.

Unfortunately, Claudio would not see the launch of F3 where it stole the show and was regarded as the sexiest bike ever produced.

Massimo Bordi - creator of Ducati superbikes

Claudio Castiglioni commissioned a project to create an affordable MV. He convinced Massimo Bordi to join MV to ensure the brand survives and the F3 sees production. Just to set some context - Claudio Domenicali (current CEO of Ducati Corse) was Bordi’s protege during the early 90s. It is said that Domenicali would talk too much to outsiders about Ducati as a young super talented engineer. Bordi had to tell him to speak less.



Under Bordi’s leadership, Ducati launched the hugely successful 4v superbikes - starting with the 851. He also played a role in the launch of Supermono working with Domenicali and the Monster working with Galuzzi. I had the 851 for a while and put on more miles on it than any other. Here is a pic taken on one of my weekend rides during the late 90s around Palomar mountains and Julian. These bikes had the Cagiva and CRC stampings since Ducati was a part of the Cagiva group.



Andrea Goggi - Fuel injection, Dyno, Engines

Another distinguished gentleman involved with the F3 project is Andrea Goggi. As an engine specialist, he played a key role in Cagiva’s GP racing (including 2 stroke fuel injection) and F3’s prototype to production transition.


Adrian Morton was tasked with the F3 design. It is a formidable task indeed. Is it even possible to create a bike that looks better or at least as good as the F4. Veteran Ezio Mascheroni was tasked to develop an engine that could compete against a very capable Daytona.

Adrian did not deviate too much like Pierre Terblance did with his 999 (I had a 2004 749R and people said the styling will grow on you. It did not and was replaced with a 996R) - Here is a pic of me on the 749R at Thunderhill and you can see its styling is controversial at best.



Part 4: Search for an F3

[ksanjee]

Part 4 - Finding an F3

Affordable MV - so to speak.

MV is not new to 3 cylinders. In fact it is in their DNA and they won numerous championships with 3 cylinder machines. They needed to produce and sell 1000s of bikes a year for it to make business sense. However, this was not on the top of Claudio’s mind. Perfection was. It took 4 years from the drawing board to launch.

Mascheroni went with a very compact design. He had to do away with the “Valvole Radiali” because of space and cost. The three exhaust pipes are routed to the side unlike the under seat arrangement. The compact engine affords a longer Single Sided swingarm. The bike is so compact, they had to incorporate part of the fuel tank under the seat.

It has a counter rotating crankshaft. Many bikes have experimented with this including Yamaha M1 MotoGP, Aprilia Cube MotoGP, Honda NSR 500s, Suzuki RG500 and the Foggy petronas WSBK machines. Essentially, by having a reverse cranker, you reduce the bike’s tendency to wheelie. Here is an interesting blurb.



I wanted my MV to be in its original red and silver scheme from Agostini’s era.

While I was browsing through the NSONE website, I saw an F3 800 that ended up having its own thread on Team-BHP. You will see why this did not materialize.

Meanwhile, I had briefly flirted with a Brutale and even with NoFears’ recommendation, could not go through with it since I knew I was looking for a sport bike.

Aug 2022, I messaged NoFear and to my pleasant surprise, there was an F3 in close to showroom condition. He told me this is as good as you are going to find. Pictures and documentations were exchanged, and the deal was made. I didn't even see the bike. Sometimes you know someone well enough and have a gut feel and I felt that way about NoFear’s recommendation. He knows his stuff and is the real deal.

I finally got to see and hear the bike in person. Nothing disappointed me. It fired up and ran like it should. I did not bother for a test ride - since I am not comfortable riding a bike like this in crowded areas and was not sure what purpose it would serve. It had a little over 1.5k on the 2k the Odo. Getting the documentation in order did take several weeks (esp. NoC)









Now there is only one train from Delhi to Mysore every week. So, if I missed it, there is one more week of waiting. This happened not once but thrice.

Finally my F3 boarded the Swarna Jayanti Express after getting packed.

The starting point of the train’s journey and its terminal station matches with my needs.I visited the railway station the day before just to familiarize with the lay of the land so to speak. Arrival time was 3-15 AM and coincidentally this train goes by my house within a few 100 meters.

I track the train every hour with the same enthusiasm I had 30+ years ago while awaiting a new bike.

Train arrives in Mysore on Vijayadashmi. I rush to the train station in great anxiety. The goods section folks ask me what bike? Which train? No, there is no bike in the luggage compartment of Swarna Jayanti Express.

I am like - did it get offloaded somewhere else? Did it board the wrong train? WTH ! After 5 minutes of anxiety, I am told it is possibly in the consignment compartment and I would have to come back for it. I called the logistics guy, and given the holiday, I had to wait yet another day. I asked if I could at least see it. But it was denied.

The following day, I finally locate the area where they offload/load the consignment compartment. The MV stood in a dark compartment - fully wrapped up. Now, I was hoping to put this on a carrier and transport it. With only 2 hours to get it off the platform, we had to unpack, and unload it from the compartment.

Without a ramp, it would be risky. The workers actually found a steel plate that we used to offload the bike safely. The guy in charge of the logistics was arrogant, offered zero help and even encouraged us to offload with a thin sheet that would have broken for sure. But the workers really made the difference.

Once offloaded, before I could notice, the same guy got on the bike and started cranking while blipping the throttle. He did not even have the courtesy to ask me. I had to ask him to stop and get off politely. I rode back home without any issues. Riding a sport bike after well over a decade - I felt at home since this is the only riding posture I was used to before.



Part 5 - Riding impressions.

[ksanjee]

Part 5 - Riding the F3

I took it out for a couple of short test rides (25 to 40 km) and then decided to do a service on it - change oil + filter, coolant and battery.

MV magic - Exhaust valve malfunction makes its first appearance on the dash




We took the fairings off and inspected the mechanism. The pulley was barely turning even with aggressive throttle input. Trying to turn it by hand was pretty tough. We disconnected the cables and opened the Mikuni controller to see if anything was broken. With the cables off, the actuator started to work with throttle input. We lubricated the cables, and then we could turn the pulley easily by hand. We connected everything back, and things started to work. I consulted with NoFear and he assured me not to worry about this too much.



A few rides later, I noticed the same error message on the dash. This time however, the actuator had stopped working (even after disconnecting the cables) - I cleaned the connections with an electrical contact cleaner and the actuator started to work. But with the cables on, the pulley would not turn.

I asked my RD mechanic to look at this. At this point, I just wanted to leave it in an open position and disconnecting the cables did just that - we could confirm this with the difference in sound and the pressure at the exhaust pipe between open/closed positions. This way the error signal is gone and the exhaust valve is always open. It runs a little rough at low RPM but this is not a bike to be ridden under 3k RPM anyway. We had also observed the actuator was opening fully with 50% throttle anyway.

Phew.

Tyres had very little wear, but had aged. I bought a set of new Diablo Corsas and then a new challenge.

SSA Nut removal without a rattle gun

I procured the right socket from the UK, put together a “jugaad”breaker bar and yet the nut would not budge. MV does not recommend rattle guns. So, my mech suggested, a couple of calculated hits on top of the socket with a hammer to break any adhesions. I had tried this already, but with a rubber mallet. This one needed a real hammer. It worked like a charm.




We cleaned up the entire area, applied anti-seize, and mounted new tyres.

Ordered a couple of extra nuts and a complete fastener kit.



Transfer to KA

It cost me more than I wanted to pay of course. These are determined by the RTO system and non-negotiable. No, I could not claim a partial refund of LTT paid in MP. You can do it only if you move - not on transfer of ownership.

Insurance Transfer

The United India head office in Mysore gave me a run around. After 3 visits, they said they cannot transfer and I had to contact the agent in MP. After a couple of weeks of document exchange, a fitness report from an independent auditor, it was done.

Riding Impressions

Sound - idles like a tractor but transforms to a fighter plane after 6k RPM - these are stock exhausts and I will keep them the way they are.

Chassis and Suspension

Front - Marzocchi with full adjustment - not independent however. One leg has comp and the other rebound. These are very stiff even for aggressive and capable riders (which I am not) - so I backed out preload to minimum (half turn remaining), and also the damping to minimum - to get a decent static sag.

Rear - Sachs with full adjustment - Releasing preload is a nightmare even with the tool. Incredibly stiff, cannot get even 10mm static sag. I did not want to back out preload all the way. Manual suggests this has to be done by an authorized MV service center / mechanic. Compression and rebound set to minimum (just half turn remaining)



There is no steering damper. There is no ride height adjuster like the Ducati’s.

With all this, it is still very stiff. On the track it’s OK and you would have to ride it really hard to make this work well - something I am unlikely to experience.

Chassis

F3 is regarded to have one of the best chassis for track performance. However, I cannot comment one way or the other on this. It is pretty firm.

Brakes

Damn good but not frightening. Rear ABS kicks in and the front I have not needed yet. I don’t think I will ever need something better than this.

Engine and gearbox

This does not have an auto blipper (a SW upgrade exists) but has a quick shifter. I have not tried it - I am old school and will have to learn to use it some time. I am programmed to use the clutch, blip and downshift and upshift with clutch.

In street mode, I found the engine braking to be excessive and difficult to get used to. Sport mode is an improvement. I ride an RD 350 which has minimum engine braking and even my Harley has significantly less engine braking.

Find some open roads with flowing corners, you will be grinning ear to ear.

The F3 was launched originally as a 675 triple in 2012. In 2013 they increased the stroke to make it a 800. Some of the abrupt throttle characteristics of 675 was supposed to be addressed in the 800. I have not ridden the 675 so I cannot comment.

Engaging first gear is somewhat clunky, the rest is pretty smooth - both up and down.

Once you get going, you will notice there is a slight delay and snatchy throttle response - especially when getting on gas from a closed throttle position. I found this to be unnerving at the track especially getting on gas exiting tight turns - calibrating my right hand to brain connection will take time. I need a LOT more seat time on this for it to happen. Once you get past it, it is a sweet ride. I can tell it is a highly capable machine under good hands.

Cooling system works like a charm. Never experienced serious temperatures even in hot weather, idling at signals for 5mins.

Riding position

No compromise, aggressive posture, which I don’t mind - that’s what it is designed for.

Working on an MV

Nightmare. I do all the maintenance on the Harley myself. I would not dare take the MV to anyone who I don’t know/trust. So, I had to learn patiently. Getting to the battery required taking the fuel tank off (or at least half way)

Taking the fairing apart is also a PITA. Battery charging connectors take only MV chargers.

Everything is a tight fit. It is like they squeezed a 800cc 3 cylinder motor on a 250 stroke chassis. Fairing tabs can develop cracks easily. We fixed a couple already.

Parts are expensive and hard to get. I ended up making my own mirror block offs with Carbon Fiber. Trying to source a rear seat cowl has been a challenge - availability and exorbitant prices.





Digital Display

I don’t care for the lack of a TFT. This is actually a step up for me. The starter button acts as a control to switch between riding modes once the bike is running. So, there is no way to crank the starter motor when it is running.

Mirrors are OK. The rubber gasket in between the mirror and the fairing can warp with age. Getting a replacement is not easy. I would have expected quick release (like the 916) and quick disconnects for the turn signal wiring.

Looks

It does look stunning. Love the red and silver classic paint scheme. SSA looks beautiful (even compared to the 996)



The pic above frightened me because of the rear stand contraption - notice the screwdriver instead of a SSA stand with the right size spindle.
Digital Display

I would have expected a clean alignment of the radiator and oil cooler. There is an ugly gap between the two.

I will leave you with this poseur picture taken by my son’s friend who insisted that I strike a pose!

Like the RD, this bike is a keeper. Look forward to trackdays. I don’t intend to ride it much on the street.

[Sierra__foxtrot]

Transporting a superbike that to a MV via train!!!!! Balls of steel man (SALUTE).

Heck I was so nervous to even transport my Vespa via train and here we have a MV. But a great machine at the hands of a great owner. Enjoy your bike and ride safe.

[justin.das]

Originally Posted by ksanjee

Part 2 - search for a special sportbike


This would be my 7th sportbike over a 30-year time frame - excluding the baby ninja and starting with the FZR (1992/93)

In 2020, I ended up getting a Harley 48 special. I considered a Monster but somehow, it was not meant to be. If they had an air-cooled 1200, I may have gone through with it.

After restoring my RD to full US Spec,

Apart from the MV, I really did not find a bike that would fill that void. So, I had to accept ground reality and not wait another decade. I have a deep appreciation for the creators of MV F3 and F4. Real passionate guys with an illustrious history of creating true exotics.

Congratulations on your new bike. MV's are breathtakingly beautiful to look at. Even in its presence, my eyes are locked on your RD. Please share more photographs of your RD and a story of your RD journey will be delightful to read. Even after owning these modern classic and cutting-edge superbikes what made you stick to your RD and what according to you makes it one among the bikes which you never sell

[ksanjee]

Originally Posted by Sierra__foxtrot

Transporting a superbike that to a MV via train!!!!! Balls of steel man (SALUTE).

Heck I was so nervous to even transport my Vespa via train and here we have a MV. But a great machine at the hands of a great owner. Enjoy your bike and ride safe.

I hear you man. When Rail transport was the only option recommended, I was thinking, I should be there when it gets transported to the railway station and gets loaded and even travel with it.

Delhi Mysore has over 30 stops and takes over 40 hours. To my consolation, each stop is only couple of minutes except Pune and Hubli (15-20m)

Also, the bike was going to board at the start of the journey and get offloaded at its final stop (where the train gets parked for a couple of days.) - On a train, there is less jostling unlike road transport. Finally, I was assured that they have shipped 100s of bikes with no issues and are packed really well before being transported to the railway platform.

They really enclose bikes in a lot of bubble wrap, carton sheets and thermocol - they shared a video so I could sleep in peace.


-K

Originally Posted by justin.das

Congratulations on your new bike. MV's are breathtakingly beautiful to look at. Even in its presence, my eyes are locked on your RD. Please share more photographs of your RD and a story of your RD journey will be delightful to read. Even after owning these modern classic and cutting-edge superbikes what made you stick to your RD and what according to you makes it one among the bikes which you never sell

Indeed Justin. I have been penning down my thoughts for the RD restoration post. Even if I added the time spent on all my bikes it will be a fraction of what went into RD restoration.

There is some special feeling that the RD brings out in me. The sound is just unparalleled. It looks like a classic from a Steve McQueen movie and a 2-stroke. It reminds me of my college days when the RD was released in India. Hero movie, Jackie Shroff, the classy advertisements and seeing and hearing it in person. A pharmacy owner had one and I used to stop by every time I was in the area to see it. I don’t know if he is Sadguru - Jaggi Vasudevan. Finally, I got a chance to ride my friend’s RD briefly the day before I moved to the US (Jun 14, 1989, around 5PM to be precise)

A sneak peak - I will get my mechanic a new helmet and insist that he wear it.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrRMm...M1MGJkZA%3D%3D

-K




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[justin.das]

Originally Posted by ksanjee

Indeed Justin. I have been penning down my thoughts for the RD restoration post. Even if I added the time spent on all my bikes it will be a fraction of what went into RD restoration.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrRMm...M1MGJkZA%3D%3D

-K

Beauty ! Is it running points ignition? From the video, I assume you are running HT cylinders. I am about to start restoration of my RD fingers crossed.

[kinetic]

Congratulations on this beautiful machine! I've had the pleasure of owning the Turismo Veloce with the same (albeit differently tuned) 800 triple for the past 6 years. These machines are designed to look new and fresh for decades. There's never a dull moment on these!

[Axe77]

What a beautifully written story about a truly special machine. Thank you for sharing this with us in such detail. I enjoyed every bit of it - right from the history behind these machines to your actual purchase as well. 1.5 - 2k kms is literally brand new. I apologise if I missed it but I could not see what model year this bike is specifically.

These are rare bikes to find indeed - certainly compared to Ducatis but even in comparison to the rare to find Aprilias. Lucky to have got hold of such a beauty.

Would love to read about your ongoing ownership experience via this thread including how it is to manage the upkeep of this rare exotic. You clearly have great taste in exotic bikes - was nice seeing your RD as well via the insta link and nicer to read that you've given your mechanic a good helmet - some habits are just hard to change though I guess.

Wish you many happy miles with the MV.

Cheers

[ksanjee]

Originally Posted by kinetic

Congratulations on this beautiful machine! I've had the pleasure of owning the Turismo Veloce with the same (albeit differently tuned) 800 triple for the past 6 years. These machines are designed to look new and fresh for decades. There's never a dull moment on these!

Thankyou Kinetic. I was surprised to see MV jump on the ADV bandwagon. I do see one for sale at nsone Delhi.

Originally Posted by Axe77

I apologise if I missed it but I could not see what model year this bike is specifically.

You clearly have great taste in exotic bikes - was nice seeing your RD as well via the insta link and nicer to read that you've given your mechanic a good helmet - some habits are just hard to change though I guess.

Wish you many happy miles with the MV.

Cheers

Thankyou Axe77. It is a 2017 model registered in 2019. I forgot to mention it has a slipper clutch and does not have an immobilizer (I am glad - because I don't want to worry about the battery running dry.) I have only had one other bike that had a slipper clutch - the 749R. I needed it on one occasion - entering T11 at Laguna seca on my 851 - where the rear tire chirped on downshift. BTW I am due to buy a helmet for my RD mech - will happen soon. I will definitely do a thread on the RD and share deeper riding experiences on the MV.

-K

[kinetic]

Originally Posted by ksanjee

Thankyou Kinetic. I was surprised to see MV jump on the ADV bandwagon. I do see one for sale at nsone Delhi.
-K

Its been an exploding segment since the early 2010s, and everybody was getting in on the action. That being said, the TV800 is far from an ADV bike despite its looks and profile. Its basically a sports bike in ADV clothes. I took it on a short dirt and washboard road in the Eastern Sierras between California and Nevada, and decided to never again take it off the tarmac for extended distances.

If you ever begin to find your F3 to be really aggressive and uncompromising in its ride, I'd recommend the TV800. Same drivetrain in a more relaxed package. Enjoy the heck out of that F3 though. Remember these engines like to be revved, and really come alive after 5-6k revs.

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by kinetic

I took it on a short dirt and washboard road in the Eastern Sierras between California and Nevada, and decided to never again take it off the tarmac for extended distances.

@Kinetic - Where do you get your MV serviced in Nor Cal? Is it still Munroe Motors?

I thought owning MV in the US would be easy due to the dealer network. Oh, how wrong was I!!

Kudos to owning the TV. There is one in India for sale, but it has been wrecked to such a sorry state that it will soon become a paperweight. That poor bike has changed hands at least 10 times in the past 2 years, through multiple dealerships

[kinetic]

Originally Posted by no_fear

@Kinetic - Where do you get your MV serviced in Nor Cal? Is it still Munroe Motors?

I thought owning MV in the US would be easy due to the dealer network. Oh, how wrong was I!!

Kudos to owning the TV. There is one in India for sale, but it has been wrecked to such a sorry state that it will soon become a paperweight. That poor bike has changed hands at least 10 times in the past 2 years, through multiple dealerships

I did use Munroe for several years, but then switched to Desmoto-Sport the last 2 years. The guys at Munroe are really nice, but I started to get the sense that they're either understaffed or overworked. I noticed some annoying mistakes in workmanship a couple of times and decided to switch to Desmoto. Been very happy with their work. I'll still occasionally go through Munroe for parts since they're an authorized dealer, but that's about it.

I honestly think MV's market in India is going to be their iconic sport and naked bikes. A TV really has no scope in India for a whole host of reasons. A story like that is heartbreaking. A bike not suited to the country/market, and likely a bunch of people with no clue what to do with it due to parts unavailability and service issues.