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2012 F4R Purchase

3K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  dan87951 
#1 · (Edited)
My local dealer just took a white 2012 F4R in on trade with 3600 miles and i'm thinking about pulling the trigger on it. The bike appears to be in very nice shape except for one scratch on the right side mirror. The bike only has one key and is missing the manuals. What would be a fair offer on this bike? I see prices on MV Agustas are all over the place. I'm hoping that by buying a 2nd generation bike that most of the problems have been ironed out. I know about the bulging fuel tank and this one doesn't seem to have it, but is there anything else to look out for? Below are some pictures.
 

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#2 ·
You need to tell us where you are as that has an impact on pricing.

I'm guessing not the UK.

I'll leave it to other more knowledgeable than me but I'm not sure that is a 2012 model.
 
#3 ·
Mirror scratch isnt the biggest deal IMO. Might touched the wall when rolling out of a garage.

Donsy has made alot of manuals available for all of us. Its located in the maintenance & tech issues (All 4 cylinder), as a sticky. So thats not the biggest deal.

As for the technical "issues". I'll let someone with actual experience in that subject help you out.
 
#4 ·
I'm in the United States. I know google searches aren't always accurate but I did find an identical 2012 F4R that was reviewed by Cycle World. Enclosed is a picture from the review they did.

Thanks I will look into the manuals. I enjoy turning wrenches myself, and it almost sounds like a must if you want to own one of these bikes.
 

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#5 ·
I own an 2012 F41000R since new. Has 27.000km now. Never had any issues. Well at least nothing that made me concerned or that I recall.

It does get difficult to find neutral when hot, sometime the heat from the right lower part looks like a bad thing, but was like that since new and is in great condition after years and kilometers.

If you are good with doing your own work on it than you are probably fine. Just make sure bike has everything properly maintained and keep like that on your ownership.


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#6 ·
Mines been rock solid. ECU's etc are all the same for this generation, do get the ECU updated by MV though if this hasn't been done, there have been quite a few updates. There was a change to the spring in the ride by wire hand control, to make it stronger. I cant remember when this change happened, a search should provide the answer.

Owners manuals I have if they are not on Donsy's site

In general I find the Gen 2 MV's no worse to work on than modern Jap bikes.
 
#7 ·
Just to clarify, Generation 2 F4 bikes had a Magneti Marelli IAW 7BM ECU up until and including 2012. The Eldor ECU was used from 2013 till now (2019). My understanding is that hte MM ECU is a black box, i.e. it is not configurable apart from MV whereas the Eldor can be reprogrammed by other software (such as ECU Studio).

I have an 2012 F4RR and had a small issue with a cracked soldering under the dash, causing a major fuse to go, this was identified and fixed by Chris at X-Bikes.

There was a small issue with the TPS (throttle position sensor) which was not returning to idle in the expected speed, again this was sorted by tightening the return spring and now functioning normally.

A bigger issue we found on the bike was worn valves and valve guides on cylinder 1 causing reduced power and if it went undetected could have resulted in a serious damage, but it didn't it was identified early! I had to change all original valve guides with a material better suiting the titanium valves (manganese bronze). This was probably brought on by a stuck cam chain tensioner, we do not really know. The issue was resolved and the bike is now as it should, but it has better valve guides fitted.

This issue I had on mine, would not stop me from getting an MV, I was lucky enough to spot it early on and to have modified the issue for the better.

Dan, go ahead with the purchase, you will not regret it!
Chris
 
#10 ·
Hi Dan87 welcome to the forum. The MV F4 is as durable as any other Japanese or Euro Superbike. (national study was just done its on You tube MV was above BMW , Suzuki, Triumph Yamaha (R1 killed Yamaha) Surprised me but in reality this is the golden years of motorcycling. Other than Victory all brands are good. IMHO MV AGUSTA owners are there worst critics in a way. They keep there bikes SO PERFECT they do MUCH more preventative maintinence , they keep up with all recalls or updates ect . The SUZUKI..GIXXER .. owner for example is a young kid and rides it into the ground then sells it . it could be leaking oil have 4 recalls never done but ON PAPER its been a GREAT bike that never needed a day at the shop. GREAT EXAMPLE... Someone said in UK they haven't had recalls on the Yamaha R1 . Yamaha is just giving customers new engines /transmissions OR giving COMPLETE REFUNDS NO QUESTIONS ASKED. No recalls though the R1 looks like a durable dependable bike. ( nothing against Yamaha I considered them the best of the Japanese brands . Certainly the leader of innovation in Motorcycling Hands down . Yamaha just rushed R1 into production and there was serious flaw inherent to engine and transmission . FYI look up national vehicle complaints and recalls 2015 Yamaha R! THOUSANDS of blown engines Transmissions is USA alone .
 
#12 · (Edited)
No worries. This one didn't work out. The bike had far too much damage to it and appeared to have been laid down. The right hand mirror had deep scuffs, gas tank has a chip, right fairing has a tiny scrap, and the cowling above the headlight was cracked. Shame, because it was a beautiful bike. This is why it's so important to look at the bike in person instead of relying on pictures! The search continues.
 
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