Hello all. Trying to make a decision between a '01 and '02 (only $500 difference)and I thought I read somewhere there was a bump in horsepower from the original '00 model. I'm sure this is an easy one, but does anyone know what model year received the extra power? Thanks in advance for the info.

John M.

-- John (jmmartin155@aol.com), November 17, 2002

Answers

Yes the 02 did get a power increase. Just make sure it's an actual 02 model and not an 01 manufactured in 02.

-- Matt Thompson (matthewt@nitor.co.nz), November 17, 2002.

For a $500 difference, I would jump on the 2002. The 2002 has 135hp (or was that 137hp) vs. the 2001 127hp. The 2000 model had 124hp. Visually, I believe there are the same, except for a tank pad sticker that come standard on the 2002. The color of the 2002's exhaust may be a finished bronze than a black. (However, that could be just on the silver models) You could obtain more info on MV Agusta' site:

http://www.mvagusta.com/

The main reason I would recommend the 2002 over the 2001 is because it had two years of development to rid many of the bugs that plagued the 2000 model.

I did have a 2000 model red/silver mono and now have an 2002 bi-posto silver. The power difference is noticeable at all rpms and the power band is much smoother. The 2000 model was plagued with problems but the 2002 has be relatively trouble free. Never having driven a 2001, I can't really comment on them too much. This site is an excite source for MV onwers' experiences.

Another factor you may want to consider is that the 2003s will be coming......well, sometime. This would make both 2002 and 2001 one model year older. I don't know if that may be a big factor to you. But in theory, you could probably drive a larger discount for both with the new model year arriving.....sometime.

Unless the discount on the 2001 is huge ($1500 or more), I'd strongly recommend the 2002. Good luck.

-- Allan Gibbs (Phoenix, Arizona) (Agibbs996@aol.com), November 18, 2002.

John M, the F4s produced in late 2001 were rumored to actually have the favored evo2 motors in them. If price matters, it's probably worth finding out how to tell the difference - assuming the rumor is true, of course. I doubt any dealers would know or care. Instead, I'd have a chat with a good MV service tech or try the US importer. Might be a wild goose chase but heck, 500-bucks is 500-bucks! Other than the evo2 motor, I'm pretty sure all the upgrades in '02 are just the standard warranty fixes for issues with the '01 bikes: brakes and oil filter for sure. A good dealer will take care of these items prior to delivery, anyway. Personally, I went with the '02 and spent the extra $500. Did this for two reasons: first, at resale (which I doubt will ever happen on my bike), the '02 will be "known" to have the evo2 motor and the '01 would take some explaining; and, second, the "known" higher hp of the evo2 motor plus a quality exhaust upgrade should put the base '02 bike in line with the benchmark '02 Senna. In my opinion, that's just as meaningful at purchase as it is at resale. My 2-cents. dm

-- dm (i8foiegras@msn.com), November 19, 2002.

Yeah, you're right guys.....what was I thinking anyway?! It's only $500! I just hope MV can find a new buyer so I can ride the wheels off this bike and still get parts and service through the dealer. I'd hate for this machine to become a museum piece due to a lack of funding to maintain parts (and bike) production. I'm sure it's a matter of time before they find a partner. Anyone have a cool $700 million to bail Piaggio out? Thanks all for the information, and knocking some sense into me.........2001?.........puh!

regards, John M.

-- John M. (jmmartin155@aol.com), November 22, 2002.