If you have not heard anything about the new MV Agusta F3, you have not been reading enough lately. It is nearly impossible to be involved in the motorcycle industry in any way and have missed the many ‘spy shots’ of the bike on the roads of Italy. As of yesterday, MV Agusta officially announced that the Italian marque will be adding one more – potentially two if the Brutale 675 comes along as well – bike to its exquisite and exclusive stable.
The F3 is based on the exemplary F4, but will be powered by a 675cc triple designed and built in-house. The information presented to us from the Varese HQ of MV comprises a short document, two photos, and nothing else. We must make some (admittedly limited) assumptions on the F3 specifications as they are not provided. First up, the displacement of the triple-barreled engine has been agreed upon by many insiders, so it is likely to be very near that size. The remaining characteristics must be garnered from the photos. They seem to show us that the F3 will come with a single-sided swingarm, double-disc radial mount Brembo brakes, a single disc at rear, fairing-mounted mirrors with integrated turn signals, and limited passenger accommodations. As with any assumption, though, the ‘reality of production’ will soon be revealed and any of these attributes may change.
At least one thing is certain, though, the 2011 (likely late-2011) F3 675 will have the smooth artistic lines of the original Massimo Tamburini-designed F4 of 1998 and will benefit from the cachet imbedded in that lovely creation. It will also be priced considerably less than that icon was at its introduction, so it is likely to be one of the company’s best sellers since its rebirth. MV Agusta will soon provide the two-wheeled world a more affordable entry point into the world of exotic Italian art without compromising MV’s legendary reputation as a builder of fine motorcycles.
