Well I have done a lot to my bike just to make it work and operate in a "normal" riding capacity...and this is how I feel about it:

If I had to do it all over again, from the buying process to the investigative look I gave MV as a company, as a bike manufacture and sales numbers before buying- (RE maintenance)..I would do it again and again.

I would do it only because I truly love these bikes, AND I am a mechanic and more over a true enthusiast of bikes.

Having said that I would discourage any person from buying an MV that either did not have a lot of money for maintenance or was a mechanic themselves. If you are stinking rich, then it does not matter either way.

I have had countless problems with my bike since day uno.

1.) Overheating. Even when I was on the West Coast (NW) it overheated in normal riding temp environments. This is a DESIGN flaw.
2.) It has already left me stranded because of an electrical problem that I can not find yet. -1 =(
3.) I firmly believe you should not have to deal with any OEM problems within several years of buying a bike brand new. I have ridden bikes for 8 years now, and have owned all Jap bikes until now. And I have to say when I just want to go ride, those Jap bikes never let you down, and they need a dealer/maintenance in HAWAII!!! ;P

Now having vented and feeling better about venting, I have to say that I have never owned a bike that I love more then my 312R.

She is sitting right behind me so I will try to make this short...
Now that...uh oh got to go.

Hey Snake Eyes, i agree i love nothing more than riding my MV as it just out performs any jap bike i have owned. Just wish they had better back up service

Mate, they aren't problems...they're just little niggles.
I've owned two F4's over a period of 8 years and the list of big issues is endless.

Over those 8 years, my F4's have been off the road for a total over 12 months, with mechanical problems and waiting for parts....Admittedly over the 8 years and 30,000 odd kilometers, at least 6-8000km of that is heavy trackday work.

I don't mind the flaky cams, the shitty rear hub bearings, the failed big end bearings, the damaged cranks, the leaky gearboxes, th bottom end rebuilds, the failed gearbox bearings...I accept that as many trackday miles put stress on the bike....

Just hate the waiting every time new parts are needed.

I remember the cams and gearbox bearing Pete, rear hub bearings go without saying, but I don't remember the crank going?

Big end bearing 1 went.............go price a brand new F4 crank from MV, you'll keel over

I know what your saying pete i did the big end on my 750 20 months off the road. Got rid of the for the 1078, big, big difference. And yes about $8000 for a new crank is expensive

I have just read all of the above and have to say that to buy an expensive bike, knowing that it will be necessary to spend lots more to make it usable, is almost beyond explaination.
What do I do with my 750 track bike? Wait for any of the above problems to arise and then scrap it? I cannot afford a new crank. Much more sensible to buy another race prepped bike.
The 750 is ideal for the track IMO, but in the real world, of reliable, more powerful and cheaper bikes, I cannot explain why I bought it.
Why should a buyer of a new MV then have to spend more on top to make it "normal". Which I assume means rideable, reliable and without issues which the R&D dept should have solved long ago.(Overheating, split rads etc)
I was lucky enough to see Ago ride in anger many years ago, so always wanted part of the magic.
Buy and ride what you like. I do. But I think MV owners tunnel vision is a reality. Devil`s advocate? You bet!

Most sportbikes will let go after 5000 plus miles at the track, or so I'm told...Ducatis for one, can let go after 3000-5000 track miles, so I'm also reliably informed....just troll most duke forums, and you'll find the info.

Road riding is very different to track, and puts far less stress on the bike.....

Track riding all the time gets expensive, and you should budget for it. 4-6 sets of tires a season, trackday expense, etc etc....and bottom end rebuild eventually ....this isn't MV Specific.
It's just getting the MV parts that sucks

Buying a different bike to track isn't acceptable for me....because I've ridden an MV at the track....you live once, so MV at the track is mandatory:-)

Ive had to do a lot of work to my MV to get it to my liking, wether it was break upgrades, suspension upgrades or other things, and I wouldnt trade it for any other bike in the world. Hell I did the same upgrades to my Jap bikes to get them to my liking, but I still wasnt happy with the end result. With my MV, the end result is just what I expected it to be.

I will say that I am one of the lucky few who has never had a overheating issue though, but even if I did, that wouldnt discourage me. Its an easy fix and I could do all the work myself so I wouldnt pay anything for labor.

I can also say that buying a MV made me a more responsible rider, I couldnt bear the tought of popping a weelie or doing a endo with it. While on my Jap bikes it was an everyday thing.

I have been a proud MV owner for close to 4 years now and I wouldnt trade the experiance for anything. And this is something only another MV owner would understand.

I came close to going bankrupt this year and when I mentioned the idea of selling my MV to my wife to pay some bills, her answer was "do it and I'll kill you!" Got to love a woman who appreciates MV's as much as I do.

Sorry to hear that, is it just the crank that has gone? I ask that because they sometimes chuck all the disintergrataing shell bits up the cylinders and through the oil pump.
Which way are you going with it? secondhand engine or parts, or all new?

If I remember correctly the 312 had some form of modded oil pickup? I think it was to stop the oil pump cavitating at higher rpm's-might be worth investigating.

On the tyre subject, new bike has Metzeler Racetecs (K3) by f*&^ they're good, very neutral and they don't seem to need much warm up if at all on the road..............but, like all other good things they are about 50% more expensive than the run of the mil Mich 2CT