MV Agusta F4 1000 R Corsa Corta 2013 — Specifications

Is there a sportbike capable of making you forget the Japanese and the German with a simple push of the starter button? The 2013 MV Agusta F4 1000 R Corsa Corta plays that card with disarming confidence. Positioned between the standard F4 and the fearsome RR, it occupies a clever niche — that of the Italian supersport that refuses mechanical compromises while maintaining a semblance of accessibility. At 18,990 euros, the bill remains steep, but we're talking about a machine assembled in Varese, not a mass-produced product.

The heart of the matter is obviously this thoroughly reworked 998 cc inline four-cylinder. MV Agusta adopted an over-square architecture with a 79 mm bore and a stroke reduced to 50.9 mm. The result speaks for itself on the spec sheet: 195 horsepower at 13,400 rpm, a compression ratio of 13.4:1, and 110.8 Nm of torque available at 9,600 rpm. Figures that place the F4 R among the segment leaders, neck and neck with the BMW S 1000 RR and Kawasaki ZX-10R, and well ahead of the Yamaha R1 and Honda CBR 1000 RR of that era. This engine demands revs to come alive — that's a fact. Below 8,000 rpm, it remains polite but subdued. Beyond that, the mechanicals go wild and the rider understands why the engineers opted for titanium connecting rods and a rebalanced crankshaft. The R does concede six horsepower to the RR, internal hierarchy obliges.

The electronics took a major leap forward for this model year. MV groups its rider aids under the MVCIS acronym, which integrates eight-level adjustable traction control and four engine maps selectable from the handlebars. There's also an up-shifter and a slipper clutch for downshifts. The package works cohesively, even if the settings interface could have used a touch of modernization compared to what the German competition was already offering at the time. The 2013 updates are also tucked into the details: redesigned LED daytime running lights, lighter wheels, reworked exhaust system, and optimized lubrication circuit. It all adds up to a dry weight of 191 kg, one kilo saved over the previous model. It's no revolution, but on a machine built for the track, every gram counts.

On the chassis side, the chrome-molybdenum steel trellis frame remains an MV Agusta classic — rigid and precise. The 50 mm Marzocchi inverted fork and Öhlins TTX rear shock offer 120 mm of travel at each end. Braking relies on two 320 mm discs clamped by radial-mount four-piston calipers, a setup amply sized for the claimed 291 km/h top speed. The rear tire in 200/55-17 ensures substantial grip on corner exits. The seat perched at 830 mm and the 17-liter tank are reminders that this machine lives for the track and twisty roads, not for devouring highway miles.

Who is this F4 1000 R Corsa Corta aimed at? Certainly not the weekend rider or the beginner seeking measured thrills. This is a machine for the experienced pilot, the one willing to work with a demanding engine character and radical ergonomics to get a taste of a true Italian sportbike's temperament. MV Agusta even included a passenger seat, which borders more on humor than hospitality given the riding position. Against a more versatile S 1000 RR or a ZX-10R easier to exploit in daily use, the F4 R plays in a different league — that of raw mechanical emotion and the prestige of a badge that nobody else has at the stoplight.