Some time ago we witnessed the questionable treatment administrated to the beautiful Ducati 1199 Panigale at the time of his landing in Japan, when the strict local regulations regarding noise pollution forced the Italian manufacturer to spoil the clean silhouette of its new superbike by replacing the two low mufflers underneath the engine with a long silencer on the side. That, to put it mildly, was pretty detrimental to the elegant and refined aesthetics of the model.

Moreover, in order to contain the massive ‘roar’ of its newest and sharpest weapon, Ducati also had to make some adjustments to the clutch, but apparently the Japanese standards for noise emissions have just claimed another illustrious victim : the equally regal MV Agusta F3 675. In fact, as confirmed by these images just appeared on the Japanese official website of the Italian brand, in the land of the Rising Sun the sinuous lines of the F3 will indeed be spoiled by a recklessly generous and almost unwatchable lateral silencer, thereby ruining one of its most distinctive elements.

MV Agusta’s Japanese site doesn’t mention any other changes to the original model, which would have us assuming that the addition of that terrible and overlong exhaust may have been enough to get the final approval from the Japanese authorities, but in any case we just cannot help but express our disappointment for the final outcome, yet another crime against Italian design genius. Of course, that configuration is a visually similar to that used by the ParkinGO team in the World Supersport Championship, but we really doubt you’ll get the same sort of performance enhancement with this one, so…

MV Agusta is at the 2012 Motor Bike Expo with all of its four hot new bikes, one for every corner of its stand. We are obviously talking about the mighty F3 and F4 R (that really seem to be going fast even when they are stalling) and the spectacular naked models Brutale 675 and 1090 R, all of which were also showcased at the 2011 EICMA in Milan last November. The Italian manufacturer never fail to impress the crowd with its stunning models, and the delighted audience of the Moto Bike Expo made no exception. Enjoy this exclusive photo gallery of the MV Agusta stand in Verona, once again courtesy of our mates from Motoblog.it.

View the full MV Agusta live @ the 2012 Motor Bike Expo photo gallery

The rumor that Luca Scassa was in line to ride for Francis Batta’s new wannabe Supersport team fielding a MV Agusta F3 has been shot down by the Italian rider himself on his Facebook page:

MV Agusta for 2012 !?!? Would be very nice but I deny the news. I’ll keep you updated as soon as I can!

Batta is feverently working on a return to the Superbike paddock, but according to an interview with the Belgium manager with Italy’s Gpone.com, the Supersport project will be only defined by mid-January and apparently if everything does come together (budget, sponsors, competitveness) Alstare’s team won’t compete in the entire championship season, but only be for a few rounds.

Francis Batta in a recent interview said he was pulling his team out of World Superbikes as Suzuki would no longer back him and in alternative to the Japanese manufacturer, Batta had tried to contact Massimo Bordi of MV Agusta to see if they were interested in fielding a team, but he was continually blown off and couldn’t get an appointment.

It now seems that stubborn Belgium manager finally got his appointment and must have pitched a pretty good offer to the Italian marque as latest rumors have it that he’ll be fielding a Supersport team in 2012 with Luca Scassa riding an MV Agusta F3.

Scasssa has a vast experience on MV Agusta machines, he won the 2006 CIV Superstock Championship with a F4 and took third in World Superstock championship the same year. In 2007, the Rocker as he’s known competed as MV Agusta’s official rider in the AMA Superbike Championship taking the Rookie of the Year award and in 2008 returned to Italy to win the CIV Superbike championship on the F4. In 2011 Scassa raced for Giuliano Rovelli’s Yamaha ParkingGo team taking taking three victories and finishing fifth overall.

Iconic Italian brand MV Agusta will be making a notable return to compete in the Isle of Man TT Races, campaigned by the World Performance Racing team. WPR is a family run business based in Chesterfield who, in association with Chorley-based Moto GB, will be taking the new MV Agusta F3 and F4 machines to compete at the TT next year.

MV Agustas have won 34 TT races and taken 61 podiums between 1952 and 1972.The first race win came in the 1952 Ultra-Lightweight race, won by Cecil Sandford, whilst the last was the 1972 Senior won by Giacomo Agostini.

While Agostini is the most successful MV Agusta rider at the TT with 10 wins to his name, some of the greatest names in the event’s history have also raced on MVs including John Surtees (6 wins), Carlo Ubbiali (5 wins), Mike Hailwood (4 wins) and Tarquinio Provini (3 wins). Other race winners have included Gary Hocking (2 wins) while John Hartle, Bill Lomas, Cecil Sandford and Les Graham have also stood on the top step.

Continue reading: World Performance Racing to take MV Agusta to Isle of Man TT in 2012

MV Agusta F3 was the queen of the 2010 EICMA, when it was first introduced to the world. One year later, the F3 is once again at the Milan event in its definitive version, with also a “Serie Oro” limited edition veriation on display at the MV Agusta stand. Check out the pictures of both variations in our photo gallery, taken right on the spot at the 2011 EICMA in Milan.

As reported in our previous post about this outstanding machine, the bike will use a revolutionaty electronic package called MVICS (Motor & Vehicle Integrated Control System) and will equipped with a brand new 675cc in line three-cylinder engine delivering 126 hp at 14,500 rpm and maximum torque of 71 Nm at 10,600 rpm, redlining at 15,000 rpm. The price of the F3 is 11.900 €.

View the full MV Agusta F3 at the 2011 Eicma photo gallery

MV Agusta has released the first official figures and pictures of the upcoming F3 675, the new 3 cylinder motorcycle that will take on the currently not-so-wealthy 600 supersport market. The F3 675 is the first model to use the brand new MVICS - Motor & Vehicle Integrated Control System - a revolutionary electronic package made of four pre-set engine maps plus one that can be customized by the owner working along with F3′s eight different levels of traction control. The new electronics, coupled with an advanced ride-by-wire throttle technology, are surely one of the highlights of this outstanding machine.

The core of the bike is obviously its 675cc in line three-cylinder engine (featuring 79 mm bore and 45.9 mm stroke) that delivers 126 hp at 14,500 rpm and maximum torque of 71 Nm at 10,600 rpm, redlining at 15,000 rpm. Besides, it is also the first motorcycle of this category adopting the counter-rotating crankshaft, a solution that should provide the bike with better balance and handling. Other remarkable mechanical features include titanium valves, 50mm throttle bodies and dual fuel injectors for each cylinder.

MV Agusta F3 675 also boasts fully-adjustable Marzocchi 43mm front forks, Sachs rear shock, super-light wheels, Brembo’s radial calipers and 320mm front discs mated to Nissin radial master cylinder, while its 1.38 meter wheelbase and a 173 kg weight are also important factors in making this bike one of the most eagerly awaited newcomers of its category. As usual, a ‘Serie Oro’ edition will anticipate the standard model’s debut on the market, with the former becoming available at MV Agusta’s dealerships this coming December and the latter hitting the showrooms the following month.

Click here for the MV Agusta F3 MY 2012 photo gallery
Click here for the MV Agusta F3 Serie Oro photo gallery
Click on the ‘Continue reading’ link below the thumbnails for MV Agusta F3 full technical specs

Continue reading: MV Agusta F3 675: first official info, images and technical specs

After losing a pillar of the company and family like Claudio Castiglioni, MV Agusta can well do without reports like these. According to unnamed sources quoted by A&R, MV Agusta is facing financial difficulties in finding new investment and credit, and paying upfront for its supplies. That apparently means that the MV Agusta F3 might not see its 2012 production debut.

Already in the pipeline for a long time, enthusiasts have been waiting for the F3 to go into production and hit the market; and even though it debuted last year as a 2012 model there was no real reason at that stage to think it wouldn’t eventually be produced. Since then, the company has taken the unusual initiative of releasing the highly exclusive and expensive MV Agusta F3 Serie Oro model first, rather than the standard version. Perhaps to drum up some cash to put the rest into production…?

A flawed reasoning if the cost of components is so high and there’s none left over for a standard model. It’s difficult to manufacture a bike if you’ve got no parts to do it with it, and it looks like MV Agusta’s ambition to become a higher volume manufacturer is in some deep water right now. Raising additional capital hasn’t happened, according to the sources, and apparently creditors and suppliers are wary of a regime that isn’t all that new.

A strategy like releasing an exclusive model off the back of expensive components is part of what got MV Agusta into losing money in the first place and proves that the company hasn’t achieved economies of scale. Apparently that will all mean that we might not be seeing the F3 in showrooms as of April 2012 because there isn’t anything to make it with and no money to purchase parts and kick off production. We’re going to be cautious in announcing the demise of MV Agusta already, and leave you to decide what a delayed F3 production might mean for the future of the company and the rest of its models.

As Italy and the international motorcycle industry prepare to farewell Claudio Castiglioni, here is our small gallery tribute to a legendary motorcycle figure with a series of just some of the creations Castiglioni has been credited for over the years. Below is the official statement from MV Agusta on Castiglioni’s death - which celebrates his life and career and one of the more incredible contributions to the motorcycle industry we’ll see in years to come.

Claudio Castiglioni, 64 years old and President of MV Agusta Motor S.p.A. passed away this morning in Varese,Italy after a courageous battle against an illness.

The man who personally elevated the Italian motorcycle industry to its current role as world leader and the businessman who excelled with MV Agusta, Cagiva, Ducati and Husqvarna brands has left us.

Continue reading: Claudio Castiglioni tribute galleries

Yesterday we brought you pics of the new MV Agusta F3 Serie Oro but with a few random people posing around the bike and no official details. Now the company has released it all, announcing the standard F3 price to be €11,900. Production time has been brought forward by four months, and so the first models will start to roll off assembly lines by the end of this year.

As we had already suspected yesterday, the F3 Serie Oro version will be significantly more expensive than that standard price. Although no official announcement has been made, it is expected to be nearly €25,000. In any case, here are the Serie Oro official pics and details, and contrary to yesterday’s idea, the wheels are not magnesium but are aluminium. It’s immediately recognisable for the gold-tint forks and uses a multiple-layer paint scheme for a glossy touch.

Other features include the Ohlins suspension, radial Monobloc Brembo calipers, a TTX rear shock and steering damper, and DID Gold final chain transmission. The absence of magnesium might make you wonder if it’s worth it, while that MV Agusta artisan touch will probably make you think it is. With only 200 models to be made, it’s a dilemma unlikely to apply to most of us.

MV Agusta F3 Serie Oro official pics

Continue reading: MV Agusta F3 price and official Serie Oro pics