Motorcycles

First ride: 2015 MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster, Dragster RR and Turismo Veloce

First ride: 2015 MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster, Dragster RR and Turismo Veloce
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: ugly collector box beneath the exhausts is a rare blight on a beautiful machine
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: ugly collector box beneath the exhausts is a rare blight on a beautiful machine
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: headlight and blood-red Marzocchi forks
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: headlight and blood-red Marzocchi forks
MV Agusta Dragster 800 and 800 RR: brutish, snub-nosed and evil looking. Just my type!
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 and 800 RR: brutish, snub-nosed and evil looking. Just my type!
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: pure aggression from any angle
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: pure aggression from any angle
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: spoked rear wheel looks better in white, but is probably much less of a pain to keep clean in black
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: spoked rear wheel looks better in white, but is probably much less of a pain to keep clean in black
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: 800cc 3-cylinder engine roars in its 140-horsepower RR configuration
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: 800cc 3-cylinder engine roars in its 140-horsepower RR configuration
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: triple exhaust sunds fantastic, even if the collector box is ugly as sin
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: triple exhaust sunds fantastic, even if the collector box is ugly as sin
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: Marzocchi forks and Brembo monobloc brake calipers
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: Marzocchi forks and Brembo monobloc brake calipers
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: one of the best looking tails on the market
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: one of the best looking tails on the market
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: I just want to look at it all day
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: I just want to look at it all day
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: spoked front wheel with radial monobloc Brembo calipers
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: spoked front wheel with radial monobloc Brembo calipers
MV Agusta Dragster 800 and 800 RR: the RR is the best looker in a family of stunners
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 and 800 RR: the RR is the best looker in a family of stunners
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: hub-mounted license plate holder lets the rear wheel really float in space on its single-sided swingarm
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: hub-mounted license plate holder lets the rear wheel really float in space on its single-sided swingarm
MV Agusta Dragster 800 and 800 RR: probably slightly better looking from the back, so make sure you ride faster than your mates
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 and 800 RR: probably slightly better looking from the back, so make sure you ride faster than your mates
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: an aggressive machine in the corners
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: an aggressive machine in the corners
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: steering is slightly slowed by the presence of a wide, flat 200/50 rear tyre
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: steering is slightly slowed by the presence of a wide, flat 200/50 rear tyre
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: if your regular pillion has any cushion for the pushin', they're not going to like this bike
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: if your regular pillion has any cushion for the pushin', they're not going to like this bike
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: ugly collector box beneath the exhausts is a rare blight on a beautiful machine
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: ugly collector box beneath the exhausts is a rare blight on a beautiful machine
MV Agusta Dragster 800: compact, quick and light
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MV Agusta Dragster 800: compact, quick and light
MV Agusta Dragster 800: built for real-world fun
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MV Agusta Dragster 800: built for real-world fun
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: a grown-up bike with all-day comfort and brimming with practical touches
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MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: a grown-up bike with all-day comfort and brimming with practical touches
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: motor is a little blunted, but the handling is superb
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MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: motor is a little blunted, but the handling is superb
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: MV's version of a gentleman's express
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MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: MV's version of a gentleman's express
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: dash menu is quite involved, and takes some getting used to
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MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: dash menu is quite involved, and takes some getting used to
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: stopping power is exceptional, with standard ABS
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MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: stopping power is exceptional, with standard ABS
MV Agusta Dragster 800: a bike for naughty people
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MV Agusta Dragster 800: a bike for naughty people
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: fold out bar-end mirrors offer excellent visibility, but make the bars annoyingly wide in traffic
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: fold out bar-end mirrors offer excellent visibility, but make the bars annoyingly wide in traffic
MV Agusta Dragster 800: looks absolutely tiny with a big boofer like Loz on it
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MV Agusta Dragster 800: looks absolutely tiny with a big boofer like Loz on it
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: enjoys fast sweepers, but handles surprisingly well at walking pace
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MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: enjoys fast sweepers, but handles surprisingly well at walking pace
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: dash is a slight upgrade to the Dragster 800, but still quite busy
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MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: dash is a slight upgrade to the Dragster 800, but still quite busy
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: unique looks include a tall, hollow tail section
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MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: unique looks include a tall, hollow tail section
MV Agusta Dragster 800: LCD dash is too busy and hard to read for my tastes - then again, it's rarely in view unless you're chucking a giant wheelie
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MV Agusta Dragster 800: LCD dash is too busy and hard to read for my tastes - then again, it's rarely in view unless you're chucking a giant wheelie
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: TFT dash allows access to a wide range of electronic options
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MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: TFT dash allows access to a wide range of electronic options
View gallery - 32 images

For the last 10 years, it's been hard to tell whether MV Agusta has been making motorcycles or art projects. The Brutale and F4 series were heart-breakingly beautiful, designed by the late, great Massimo Tamburini, probably the most famous motorcycle designer of all time. Every detail was sumptuous, and peak power figures were always right up there with the best in the business. But they were expensive, they weren't competing in World Superbike, and they were notoriously peaky, physically punishing and challenging to ride. Rarely would you see one ridden in anger – you were more likely to see them mounted and lit as lounge room ornaments.

But a brand can't coast forever on good looks and a racing history that ended 40 years ago. In 2014 the company re-established its racing division and went back to World Superbike competition. And with the diversification of its 800cc triple range, it feels like MV is finally ready to step down from its lofty historic throne, roll up the sleeves and get busy competing in a bunch of different segments.

At an Australian press launch event, we had a chance to take a quick ride on three of the 2015 800cc bikes: the Turismo Veloce sports-tourer, the Brutale Dragster streetfighter and its stupidly gorgeous Dragster RR big brother. What follows is a quick seat-of-the-pants impression, but we're planning full reviews with video for the coming months.

MV Agusta Dragster 800 and 800 RR: the RR is the best looker in a family of stunners
MV Agusta Dragster 800 and 800 RR: the RR is the best looker in a family of stunners

2015 MV Agusta Dragster 800 and 800RR

It's no secret that I've had a raging motorection for the Dragster 800RR ever since the first photos leaked back in October last year – and the standard model is a hot little number in its own right. Sawn-off, snub-nosed, bob-tailed and muscular little beggars they are, with pillion seats almost big enough to sticky-tape a wallet to. They're incredibly minimal, probably the closest thing on the market to my "two wheels, a seat, a whopping big motor and a handlebar" streetbike ideal, and yet what parts have been added are exquisitely shaped.

As small as they look, they feel even more compact on board. The tiny dash and headlight simply vanish when you're riding, giving you that wonderful magic-carpet feeling of flying through the corners as if the bike's not there at all. This feeling is further enhanced by both bikes' super light weight of just 167 kg (368 lb) dry, which gives them a lot of agility and makes them a ton of fun to throw around.

MV Agusta Dragster 800: looks absolutely tiny with a big boofer like Loz on it
MV Agusta Dragster 800: looks absolutely tiny with a big boofer like Loz on it

The engine on both bikes has a streetfighter's attitude and loves to rev, to the point where low-end torque suffers a little. Put next to, say, Yamaha's MT-09, the Yammy feels much stronger at the bottom. You've even got to rev the Dragsters a bit to get them off the line. On the move, though, keep them singing and there's plenty of excitement to be had. The throttle response is crisp and aggressive, and the standard Dragster's 125 horsepower (93 kW) encourages full-throttle shenanigans.

The RR version is a significant upgrade. Aside from the gorgeous spoked wheels and cosmetic upgrades, it gets an extra set of injectors closer to the airbox to beef up the midrange and top end by about 15 extra horsepower. The difference is fantastic, it's hard to go back to the standard Dragster once you've tasted the RR.

MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: one of the best looking tails on the market
MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR: one of the best looking tails on the market

Making matters worse is the RR's electronic quickshifter, which is the first on a production nakedbike to "go both ways" with auto-blip downshifting as well as full-throttle upshifts. It's awesome. Remember the first time you used a quickshifter on the road, how intoxicating those upshifts were? It's even better with the downshifter, because if you're riding the thing hard and revving it high, it absolutely screams as you bang it down through the gears.

The RR gets a steering damper as well, which is a welcome addition as the standard Dragster's front end can get a little flighty on full-throttle corner exits.

In short, I knew I loved the Dragster RR before I met it, and this quick ride did little to quell my throbbing heart. But that doesn't mean it's perfect. When I did bother to look down, I found the dash on both bikes quite busy and confusing, with too much going on. While the RR's is nicer, both bikes have gone for a liquid crystal look that does no favours to legibility. And the wide, flat profile 200/50 rear tire is a purely cosmetic choice; it makes the back end of the Dragsters look cool, but noticeably slows down what could be a sharper steering setup. I wonder what this bike might feel like with a 190/55 on the back…

MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: motor is a little blunted, but the handling is superb
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: motor is a little blunted, but the handling is superb

2015 MV Agusta Turismo Veloce

The Turismo Veloce might just be the first "grown-up" bike MV has made in a long, long time. It's not a racer, it's not a hooligan hellraiser, it's a proper mile muncher with all-week comfort and all the electronic goodies. Promising "emotional touring," it takes the 800cc triple engine in an entirely different direction from the Dragster bikes.

It's a tall and substantial machine, about the size and weight of the Yamaha FJ-09 Tracer, but smaller and some 18 kg (40 lb) lighter than a Ducati Multistrada. Comfort-wise it gets an A provided you're tall enough to flat-foot it. It's got a relaxed ride position, plenty of leg room, decent pillion accommodation and a great cruise control system to spare your right wrist during transport sections. There's also a speed limiter function to help you relax even further if you're riding in a heavily policed area.

The engine is completely reworked for touring duties, with new pistons, crankshaft, cams and gearbox. Peak power is down to 110 horsepower (82 kW), but torque is boosted by some 15 percent through the midrange compared to the Brutale and Rivale. It feels markedly different from the Dragster; less aggressive, more calm and composed.

MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: enjoys fast sweepers, but handles surprisingly well at walking pace
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: enjoys fast sweepers, but handles surprisingly well at walking pace

I need to declare my biases at this point: I'm not a grown-up. I tend not to like grown-up bikes as much as stupid-young-person bikes. I couldn't feel a massively improved low-end or midrange; perhaps it's been swallowed up by the 24 kg (53 lb) the Turismo Veloce carries over the Dragster bikes. To me the engine feels and sounds muted in Turismo Veloce format, I found myself wanting that raging Dragster RR top end – mind you, I wasn't out gliding through the alps for a week, I was on a quick backroads blast. Still, touring riders with serious acceleration addictions will want to check out the barnstorming Multistrada instead, which can scare OR charm the pants off you in equal measures.

MV has put a lot of thought into making the Turismo Veloce light and narrow for a long-range tourer, including panniers that sit no wider than the handlebars. It's also a fine handler, tipping into corners more willingly than the Dragster bikes, presumably by virtue of its narrower, taller 190/55 rear tire. Rapid progress on faster roads feels easy and relaxed, and slow speed handling is equally impressive.

I'm not entirely sure this kind of bike needs an up/down quickshifter like the Dragster RR, but it gets one anyway, and it works just as nicely. It's not as much of a laugh, though, because the engine character tends to keep you lower in the rev range, making downshifts less hectic and entertaining.

MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: TFT dash allows access to a wide range of electronic options
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: TFT dash allows access to a wide range of electronic options

The dash goes full TFT, with a ton of options and features available through a thumbswitch on the left bar. It could be brighter, and features that aren't on the bike shouldn't appear in the menus, but it's a big step forward from the LCD units on the Dragster bikes. The bike also features enough Bluetooth gear to connect up to nine (!) devices, giving you the ability to see who's calling on your mobile phone, for example, and letting you accept or reject calls through your Bluetooth headset using the bike's thumb switches. This is something I think offers a lot of promise and I'm looking forward to playing with it more.

But the goodies don't end there for connected touring riders. It's got two USB ports, two 12-volt sockets and a beefed-up alternator to keep all your Facebook machines charging as you ride. Nice!

MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: unique looks include a tall, hollow tail section
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce: unique looks include a tall, hollow tail section

All in all, the Turismo Veloce feels like a well thought-out and solid bike for sports touring riders. I don't think it's the looker that some of its MV Agusta stablemates are, but it's got some nice touches and it's vastly more practical. It'll be interesting to see how the bike buying public reacts to it.

It's a new year and a new approach for MV Agusta. These new 800s feel more road- and rider-focused than ever before. Here's hoping they spark a revival of this historic brand because we want to see more MVs on the road! Make mine a Dragster RR, in red and white. Yessss... Come to papa.

View gallery - 32 images
3 comments
3 comments
GrahamKissell
Love your work Loz cant wait to see you on the Sexy Dragster RR.
mokkybear54
I note the R1200R BMW also has up/down shift assist with blipper, so I'm not sure MV was the first (in Australia at least)
mokkybear54
Really like the idea of a speed limiter in addition to cruise control - it's all too easy to find yourself over the speed limit when powering naturally out of a corner. C'mon BMW - catch up. ;-)