Even though we just finished covering the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, Yours Truly is still on the road…and I’m actually all the way out in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (near Nice, France) for the international press launch for the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800.
We have just had the media debrief on the new Adventure-Sport machine, where MV Agusta President and CEO Giovanni Castiglioni had some interesting news.
First, the Turismo Veloce is the last of the new three-cylinder models from MV Agusta, as the Italian manufacturer feels it has completely exhausted the market segments for the three-cylinder platform.
Second, the MV Agusta is in the process of bringing out an all-new four-cylinder platform, which we presumably will start seeing as early as the 2015 EICMA show, as MV Agusta expects to debut four new models for 2016.
Betting MV Agusta fans can expect the company from Varese to perhaps begin with its flagship model, the MV Agusta F4.
Not only is the current F4 the oldest model in MV Agusta’s lineup (with noted updates over the years), but it presumably would also be the basis for the other two-wheeled iterations to come from the four-cylinder platform.
This strategy follows what we saw in the rollout of the three-cylinder platform, with the F3 coming first, followed by the Brutale 675, etc.
That’s insightful because Castiglioni hinted that the process would mimic that three-cylinder launch, in that a four-cylinder touring motorcycle would likely come last in the development process.
It should be noted that plans are still coming together, as Castiglioni candidly admitted that the company was not even sure what that touring machine would look like (good money would be on a proper touring bike to rival BMW, Harley-Davidson, and Honda though).
The news shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise for Italian motorcycle fans, as the F4 has slowly been getting long in the tooth.
Complicating matters further are the new World Superbike rules, which require factories to produce near-ready race bikes for the public, in order to be competitive on the race track.
With MV Agusta looking to elevate its racing status, it will need an all-new model to be seriously competitive in WSBK; and even though the MV Agusta F4 RC is the highest performing machine ever to come from Varese, it is still based around aged design ideas and technology.
Stay tuned Italian motorcycle fans. Good things are coming down the pipe.
Source: MV Agusta
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