Performance – Feeding power to the chain-driven rear wheel of the F3 800 is a 798cc, 12 valve, in-line three-cylinder engine that comes with separate radiators for liquid and oil-cooling. MV Agusta has increased the stroke of F3 675’s powerhouse to develop this motor. As a result, the rev limiter now kicks in at 13,500 RPM (from 15,000 RPM of the 675) and the engine now dishes out 145.97 BHP of power and 88 Nm of torque. Unlike the Brutale 800, the F3’s engine is very free-revving and power delivery is smooth and linear. While the low-end is nothing to talk about, the motor carries a lot of punch in the mid-range and comes to its own in the top-end. Controlled by MVICS, throttle response is sharp and throttle on-off transitions are seamless. In spite of tall gearing, the F3 accelerates at a swift pace. From halt, 100 km/hr mark is crossed in 3.5 seconds and the motor feels completely at home even at higher triple-digit speeds.
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At high RPMs, this three-cylinder motor sounds heavenly!
Once you hit 6000 RPM, the F3 800 leaps ahead with the ferocity of a tiger!
Refinement and NVH are two areas where MV engineers have left a vast room for improvement. The F3’s engine sounds really harsh and vocal in the top-end. Add to that, there are numerous vibrations originating from the fairing as you approach the redline. The Brutale’s 800cc motor, in comparison, was not as high-revving but felt relatively smooth. While the gearbox feels inert to shift at low RPMs, it performs brilliantly at high speeds when operated via the EAS 2.0 bi-directional quick shifter. In stop-go traffic, the engine heats up a lot, making it uncomfortable to ride the bike in hot weather. The company claims a fuel economy of 15.62 km/litre for the F3 800 but the motorcycle was a complete fuel guzzler during our test run which included a lot of high speed dashes.
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Front end of the F3 800 weighs up nicely at high speeds
The F3 tackles road undulations much better than the Brutale
Riding Dynamics – Underpinned by a steel trellis frame, the F3 800 is suspended on Marzocchi USD forks up front and Sachs monoshock at the back. At 173 kgs, the motorcycle is fairly light as well as agile. However, flickability is not its forte and the F3 800 shines when going through fast sweepers partly because of the stupendous levels of grip offered by Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa rubber. Even though the suspension is superbike-stiff, the F3 stays composed and absorbs road undulations surprisingly well. However, the attacking riding posture is real hard on the rider’s back over bad roads. The bike’s front-heavy nature ensures that unintentional front wheel lifts are corrected without much effort. On smooth tarmac, high-speed stability is amazing as the bike remains unaffected by crosswinds. Disc brakes on the F3 have enormous stopping power and are up to their job of shedding speeds.
