Description
There are few things in biking more exclusive than an MV Agusta, apart from a limited edition MV Agusta. Which is what we have here, a 2003 F4 750 SPR, number 201 of 300 ever made.
Originally from Australia, our SPR is showing 23545 miles recorded. It has been in storage for sometime and will need recommissioning before hitting the road or race track again.
The Bike
After MV Agusta was revived in the late ‘90s via the release of the Massimo Tamburini-designed masterpiece that was the F4 750, the elite Italian marque slowly continued developing its new flagship model in the years that followed. The 750cc model culminated with the SPR.
On top of updating the F4, MV also unleashed several small batches of elite limited edition variants such as the Senna, Neiman Marcus, and the SPR versions — the last of which was the fastest and most powerful 750cc F4 until it was eventually replaced by the 1, 000cc version after 2004 (plus it was one of the most powerful 750’s money could buy at the time).
At the heart of the SPR is a liquid-cooled, Weber-Marelli fuel-injected, 749. 4cc, four-stroke, DOHC, 16V, inline-four with a reinforced clutch and a six-speed close-ratio gearbox. Thanks to some massaging in the form of a new cylinder head, new inlet ducts, revised combustion chamber, and trick MAHLE pistons, the SPR generates a very impressive 146 hp, 64 ft-lbs of torque, offers a top speed of over 170 mph, fires off standing quarter mile runs in under 11 seconds, and can rev up to 13, 900 rpm.
Further distinguishing the SPR from lesser F4s is its bevy of carbon fibre pieces which included a carbon front mud guard, airbox sidecovers, upper and lower chain guards, and ignition cover.
The Mechanicals
We have replaced the battery and filled it with fresh fuel, which allowed us to get it running, it started first press of the starter! It ticks over nicely and revs up as it should. It comes up to temperature nicely with no overheating issues and the fans cut in at 101 degrees. There is a fuel leak from one of the fittings under the fuel tank (we have a video of the leak) and also an oil leak from the front of the engine, apart from that, it appears to be in pretty good mechanical health.
The Cosmetics
The bike is complete and all of its model specific carbon fibre trim parts are present and correct. The main fairing is showing some damage on both sides, it doesn’t look like the bike has dropped at any speed and we suspect that they occurred during its long journey from OZ to the UK or whilst it has been in storage. The saddle is in very good condition as are the “five star” aluminium wheels.
The paintwork is a tad faded in places but does react well to some polish, there is an area of bad paint on top of the tank that appears to be the result of an old sticker being removed, that said, overall, the bike still looks quite presentable.
The Paperwork
The MV has not been registered in the UK, so a V5 will need to be applied for if you wanted to use it on the road. It does come with its NOVA certificate, 2 sets of keys, its original Australian registration certificate, lots of service invoices, its original handbook and tool kit.
The Conclusion
There is work to be done to put this SPR back on the road but nothing too difficult or expensive and at the end of it you will own a genuine 1 of 300, exclusive piece of Italian motorcycle exotica
