When Count Vincenzo and Domenico Agusta formed the Meccanica Verghera (MV) Agusta company from their late father's aircraft factory, their penchant for racing->ke2345 was well-known all over Italy. Although the brand has changed hands several times throughout its history, this dyed-in-the-wool racing mentality stays true even to this day. MV Agusta->ke947 demonstrates this devotion once again with the release of its 2015 Brutale 800 Dragster RR. The factory calls this a “radicalized stoplight-burner” that represents its “return to the essential,” and if by that they mean “everything that you need to lay more smoke than a retreating army”, then it seems that they have achieved it.

2015 MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster RR

Specifications

• Make: Array
• Model: 2015 MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster RR
• Engine/Motor: Three cylinder, 4 stroke, 12 valve D.O.H.C
• [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Design

Looking at the bike, it seems that body panels do not fit into the 'essential' category since there is only enough to contain the fuel tank and hide the seat-mounting hardware. This lack of sheet goods has the same net effect as a teeny bikini: it leaves little to the imagination! The engine, frame and drivetrain are all exposed, leaving the bike looking rather like an engine and wheels with the seat added as an afterthought. I like this no-nonsense approach – it leaves one with the feeling that MV Agusta spent all its energies on the important stuff while ignoring the vanities. This ride has superbike->ke1888 proportions, with the majority of its mass shifted toward the front wheel to aid handling during aggressive cornering maneuvers, and the minimalist rear end leaves you with an unobstructed view of the rear wheel, exhaust and single-sided swingarm.

Chassis

The frame uses an ALS steel tube trellis design up front with aluminum components in the rear end, and an aluminum, single-sided swingarm to keep the weight off the rear tire. The inverted 43 mm Marzocchi forks with a Sachs mono-shock on the swingarm handle suspension. Both the front and rear suspensions are adjustable, allowing the rider to dial the bike in to the riding conditions, be it on the open road or a closed-circuit race track. The all-Brembo brake system gives the bike incredible stopping power, and the addition of ABS ensures that you can control the machine during aggressive braking. This braking power is further boosted by a pair of huge, 320 mm brake discs with four-cylinder, opposed-piston brake calipers up front, and a single, 220 mm disc with a two-cylinder opposed piston in the rear, which is controlled by an eight-level traction-control system. In an unusual move, MV Agusta equipped this ride with attractive laced wheels as opposed to the more common cast-alloy wheels, giving the bike an even more unique flavor within the naked sportbike category.

Drivetrain

MV Agusta used its newest in-line, 798 cc, three-cylinder engine to power the Brutale 800 Dragster RR. Proving that big things can come in small packages, the engine puts out a whopping 140 horsepower and it weighs in at only 114 pounds (52 kg). Of course, you have to wind it out to 13,100 rpm to develop maximum power, which is kind of scary when you consider that lesser engines would be suffering from valve float by this point. A full ride-by-wire Mikuni throttle body handles fuel delivery with two fuel injectors per cylinder. All this power is controlled by the MVICS (Motor and Vehicle Integrated Control System) with up to four performance mappings saved within, allowing the rider to quickly switch between the sport, normal and rain modes with a fourth rider-programmable profile for custom settings. Shifting is aided by the all-new Quickshifter EAS 2.0 system that allows for clutchless shifting, up or down, and prevents the damage and embarrassment associated with missing a shift while all bowed up on the throttle, kind of like the air-shifters drag bike->ke2395 pilots used back in the day, only better.

Price

The Brutale 800 RR is available for €16,945, and comes in Pearl Shock Red/Pearl Ice White or Pearl Shock Red/Carbon Metallic Black for that price.

He Said

This is a serious machine for serious and experienced riders. Definitely not what you would call an entry-level bike by any stretch of the imagination. I have ridden fast and powerful machines before and I can tell you that someone should write me a ticket and pistol whip me for even thinking about riding this bike as I would like to!

She Said

My wife and fellow writer, Allyn Hinton, says, "Go fast! Go fast! Go fast! That's what I think of when I look at this bike. If you're not going to go fast, what's the point of riding an MV Agusta? The Brutale 800 Dragster RR has a wider rear tire and nicer wheels than the 2015 MV Agusta Brutale 800, but even still, I'm more of a touring->ke2669 gal and with a seat height of nearly 32 inches, I'm not riding it anyway. You guys go ahead. I'll wait here for a bagger. It does look like a superhero should be riding it, though, doesn't it?"

Specs