Rocking up to a group ride on an MV Agusta has long been the kind of thing to raise eyebrows. An MV rider, eh? What are we looking at here, a dyed-in-the-wool old-school Agostini fan? A lover of fine Italian design? A fastidious bike-washer? You can be fairly sure you're not looking at somebody frugal or practical or geared up for long distance; MV's motorcycles are statement pieces. Strapping luggage on them would feel like filling a Gucci handbag up with undies and socks. These are purchases of passion, not pragmatism.
That's the regular MVs, mind you, the almost affordable ones. If you're the type that demands an extra dollop of special, MV has never been afraid to gild the hell out of a lily. Special editions pop up from this factory like whack-a-mole heads, each for a short time and solely for people willing to spend serious money on a motorcycle. Please ignore the fact that serious motorcycle money lines up pretty nicely with average new car money.
The Rush 1000 is such a special edition. It's based on the Brutale 1000 RR, a four-cylinder, 998cc, 208-horsepower monster and a very pretty and expensive bike in its own right. The Rush keeps this monster engine in the same state of tune, as well as the same claimed top speed over 300 km/h (186 mph) if you can hang onto a naked bike in that kind of windblast. You can slap on an optional racing kit if you need four extra horsepower ... Who are we kidding here? The chief value of the racing kit is that its titanium exhaust will make the bike louder, thus garnering you a little extra attention.
Visually, the standout feature of the Rush 1000 is a carbon fiber aerodynamic cover on the right side of the rear wheel. MV says it's inspired by technical solutions in drag racing, but its chief purpose here is to look cool, and it does.
Place this bike next to the Brutale 1000 RR, and you'll also notice its relatively conservative-looking round headlight bucket, a much more classic kind of look than the Brutale's futuristic, angel-eyed headlight unit. But within that round bucket sits what appears to be one of J.W. Speaker's "adaptive matrix" headlights, which throw extra light around a corner as you lean into it. Honestly, when I played with one of those I found it a pretty neat aftermarket add-on, but for MV Agusta kind of money I'd have preferred to see a self-leveling projector beam on this thing.
There's also a spoked front wheel, if you can see it behind the giant brake discs, as well as an absolutely miniscule pillion seat that will push the patience of even the daintiest size six backsides. There's a carbon cover if you wish to proclaim far and wide that you take no passengers, and ... Well, honestly, the carbon undertail piece on this bike might just be the coolest detail of them all, so you might wish to spend more time lying on the ground behind the bike to enjoy it.
All the basics are handled with flair; up/down quickshifting, traction control, wheelie control, 6-axis IMU, Brembo Stylema brakes, electronic Ohlins suspension and Bosch 9 plus race ABS.
With Italy beginning to open up a little after a horrific experience with COVID-19, MV says it's on track to begin production in June, with bikes beginning to reach pre-order customers by the end of the month.
Price-wise, you're looking at €34,000, which equates to a little over US$37,000. That makes this bike €4,010 more special than the Brutale 1000 RR, and €8,990 less special than the Brutale 1000 Serie Oro, not to mention vastly more special than anything I've ever ponied up for out of my own wallet. It sure is pretty.
Source: MV Agusta
