The 2006 MV Augusta F4 1000 now listed on eBay is a unique find. With 2,600 miles on the odometer, the bike is an excellent low-mile investment-grade example.
While the special edition F4s are rare, fast, and beautiful, the plain original red and silver model on eBay is pure and elegant. It wears the classic MV racing livery. Moreover, the plain-Jane F4 is the purest expression of form from Italian legendary motorcycle designer Massimo Tamburini. It is also arguably the greatest motorcycle value on the market today.
The F4 1000 4-cylinder radial valve engine shares bloodlines with a Ferrari F1 motor. This machine is a timeless classic with enough performance to put your eyeballs in the back of your skull. Zero to 60 mph occurs in in 2.7 seconds, and its top speed is 190 miles per hour.
The F4 is equipped with a specially designed 50-mm Marzocchi front upside-down fork and a Sachs rear suspension. It comes equipped with massive Nissin disc brakes. The organ pipe exhaust system exits high up beneath the rear cowling of the fender and gives the F4 a striking appearance that looks fast—even at a standstill.
The F4 represents Tamburini’s most striking and timeless design. (Photo by Ken Richardson.)
The MV Augusta brand has roots that date back to the turn of the century. Giovanni Agusta was a dominant producer of airplane engines during World War I. In the 1930s when demand for personal transportation was on the rise in Italy, Giovanni’s descendants turned to the burgeoning motorcycle market. The company survived World War II and became a successful producer of motorcycles, and by the 1950s, was a racing legend. After a downturn in motorcycle sales in the 1960s (and Japanese bikes had hit the market) the last MV was produced in 1980.
The brand was revived by the Castiglioni family’s Cagiva Corporation in the early 1990s. Its first model was the groundbreaking F4 in 1999.
Motorcycle Art
(Photo by Ken Richardson.)
The magnesium and carbon-fiber F4 750 Serie Oro was featured in the Guggenheim lobby during the famous 1998 “Art of the Motorcycle” exhibit. The Massimo Tamburini-designed F4 caused a sensation back then and still turns heads. Its futuristic, minimalist lines are extraordinary. Priced at $24,000 when new, the sleek F4 had a stratospheric sticker price. Today, the price of entry for an investment-grade sub-3,000-mile example of an MV Augusta F4 superbike is lower than you might think.
The F4 750 was eventually replaced by the higher displacement F4 1000S in 2005. Over the years, MV released several high-cost lightweight versions of the F4, including the Tamburini, Senna, and Veltro models. On the surface, these special edition bikes look like run-of-the-mill F4s. However, dig a little deeper and you will find lightweight metals, carbon fiber, increased horsepower, and bespoke paint themes. List prices for rare edition F4s were stratospheric.
The seller of the MV Agusta F4 1000S listed on eBay disclosed a mild rock chip that can be easily corrected by any competent body shop. (Agusta parts are abundant on eBay.) It comes with the correct, original rear wheel stand and factory cover. The bike is currently configured with an aftermarket exhaust, but the original pipes are included in the sale. This machine appears to check all the boxes.
Purists and collectors would probably return the exhaust to stock and correct any paint blemishes, however, as a driver, it appears to be ready to ride.
See MV Agusta Motorcycles for sale on eBay.
