Originally conceived as an aviation company, famed motorcycle marque MV Augusta turned to the two-wheeled world after World War II in a move to survive European post war economics. With transportation being a key element and need, the firm began at the small end of the spectrum and only grew from there. From transportation to bikes with more sporting intent to reaching the very pinnacle of the racing scene, MV Agusta has long been a powerhouse in the motorcycling community. And it is a community; many of the early employees of MV Agusta were from the family aviation business. And let’s not forget Claudio Castiglioni’s involvement in the firm, having been at the helm during more than one of the corporate turnarounds. It is the latter incarnations of the company that produced the F4 (the world’s most beautiful motorcycle according to some) and from that F4 spawned many special models. One such rarity was the hyper 312RR.
2009 MV Agusta F4 1078 312RR for sale on eBay
If speed is king, the MV Agusta F4 312RR set out to become the ruler of the land. The name of the bike – 312 – refers to the top speed in kilometers per hour. That equates to about 194 MPH in Americanese. The 312RR started life out as a F4 1000 R model, and MV-A engineers played with internals to pile on the horsepower. The original 312R (2007 – only a single R) offered a stout 9 HP increase over the already-over-the-top standard R bike. The second generation model (2009 – two Rs in the name) offered the 1078cc engine and 190 horses – another 7+ over the previous gen. By 2010 the top speed party was all over, the final version of the bike being mechanically the same Gen II machine, but with “312 RR Edizione Finale” graphics and exclusivity generated by only 30 units total.
From the seller:
Very Rare 2009 Mv Agusta F4 1078 312RR in perfect condition, Priced to sell fast as im moving, only 1799 miles, bike is from North Carolina Dealership and has a North Carolina title and the bill of sale, bike is hand made in Italy engine was made by Ferrari 190 hp fast is a understatement best handling bike ever. I didn’t like the original seat so a changed it to red black and silver suede and leather , looks great and feels better. Too much to say I’m selling my baby and a few others in my collection New tires on it and just serviced needs nothing and in Brand new condition never in rain.. Serious buyers please, questions please ask. bike will sell. The bike comes with the stand all keys books, alarm, gps, charger and cover. Can arrange shipping for a extra fee. Bike is located in Miami Florida. North Carolina Clear Title.
The 312RR is undoubtedly rare-ish out in the real world. Part of this is due to the low volume production of MV Agusta, and the limited number of units bestowed upon the various editions. The other part if it is that these were simply horrendously expensive motorcycles to begin with. Often branded as the Ferrari or Lamborghini of motorcycles, F4 Limited Edition models had sticker prices 4x or more when compared to the more readily available (and serviceable) Japanese cutting-edge sport bikes. That kept ownership numbers low, and exclusivity high. The downside is that several MV Agusta models have not really translated that exclusivity into resale dollars. While stronger than contemporary Japanese peers on the resale side, the ratio has certainly dropped. This is true for the base F4 models as well as some of the lesser special editions – although the Senna, CC, and Claudio continue to hold value (or appreciate).
This particular 312RR looks very, very good. Mileage is low, and at least from the pictures there are no major red flags. The opening bid is a very fair (low?) $8k, which means that you could be riding away on an iconic Italian machine for a song. Sure, the 312RR will be eclipsed by more modern machinery (time has a way of putting everything in its place), but this is still a damn fine motorcycle that will exceed the limits of most riders – and looks 200 MPH even when sitting still. We will ignore the controversy regarding the actual top speed of the bike given the majority of our readers are in the US where limits are much, much lower. Check it out here, and then jump back to the comments and share your thoughts on the F4. Any 312R or RR owners out there? Share your stories. Good Luck!!
MI
MV suffers from the same symptoms as the other fine Italian bike manufacturers, its called brand obscurity. Ducati is the only exclusion to the rule but thats because its a name readily recognized on the US market. If Yamakawahonduzuki put out any of their top crotch rockets in limited quantities they would be readily trading hands at steady price levels. When it comes to MV,Aprliia, Bimota, etc. their rarity actually more hinders their resale value than helps it. Couple that with pre-conceived notion that exotic Italian hardware has reliability somewhere between a Yugo and a Chinese Rolex knock off and it becomes painfully obvious that resale value of these brands sinks quicker than a German Panther tank in the russian quicksand.
Thankfully, there is a group of enthusiasts who are very much aware of what these brands bring to the table and are willing to pay for it. In return, they are rewarded with relatively affordable exotic hardware that will make them stand out from the crowd whether they are cutting up the canyons or just having coffee at the local cafe.