You probably know MV Agusta as a manufacturer of high performance motorcycles, notably sport bikes and naked bikes. MD tested the MV Agusta Brutale RR last year, which makes an extraordinary 140 hp from 800cc.
Now, MV Agusta is entering the popular adventure bike market with the Enduro Veloce. In the process of developing this new model, MV Agusta has developed an entirely new engine that will almost certainly appear in sport/naked models in the future.
This new engine deserves some analysis. It is a 931cc triple, which represents a very substantial displacement increase versus the 800cc triples MV is known for. In this adventure model, it is tuned for stronger low and mid-range power, and therefore makes a peak horsepower of 124. One can imagine that future sport versions of this engine will make more than 150 hp.
Rather than peak horsepower, MV Agusta focused on torque delivery, and this engine is very impressive in that regard. MV claims 75 pound/feet of torque at 7,000 RPM, and 85% of that peak number available all the way down at 3,000 RPM.
As a three-cylinder engine, you can expect smooth, broad power coupled with a delightful exhaust note. We can tell you that this new engine delivers on both counts. It also features a counter-rotating crankshaft to reduce the gyroscopic effects of the wheels. From experience, we know this makes the bike more nimble than it otherwise would be.
There’s much more to this bike than the new engine, of course. As you would expect from most new motorcycles these days, and certainly from premium brands like MV Augusta, electronics play a big role. To begin with, the bike features a six–axis IMU. This works in conjunction with several of the electronic rider aids.
There are four riding modes, including Urban, Off–Road, Touring and a Custom setting that you can set up as you like. Traction control is featured, and is adjustable over eight levels, and can be turned off completely.
For riders who like to fine tune performance, you can select different levels of engine brake control, throttle response, wheelie control, and other more esoteric settings. Or, of course, you can simply get on the bike, select a ride mode and take off.
You can also adjust the performance of the brake system to the particular circumstances you are facing. There is a setting that reduces ABS intervention at the front wheel, and disengaging ABS altogether at the rear wheel, best for off-road conditions. Another setting optimizes ABS performance for street riding. You can also turn the ABS off completely.
Cruise control is also present and, once again, is adjustable to some extent by allowing the rider to select whether speed increases or decreases by small or larger increments when adjusted at the handlebar.
The big 7 inch TFT color display is crisp, legible and allows the rider, with the pod controls at the left hand grip, a relatively intuitive interface for making setting changes. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity are part of the package, and an MV ride app can be used as an interface. Two USB ports sit up front as standard.
We tested primarily in the Touring and Custom modes, and focused on street performance – doing very little off-road testing. On the street, this bike is a pleasant surprise.
The seating position is upright and comfortable – the seat is very comfortable even on long rides. The seat height feels fairly tall for a 5’11” rider, and the bike also feels relatively top-heavy.
As soon as you are moving on the road, however, that top-heavy feel disappears. Despite the off-road focused 21/18 inch wheels, the bike feels relatively nimble and surefooted. Part of this has to do with the counter-rotating crankshaft, no doubt.
Brake power and feel are outstanding, as you might expect, with the top-drawer Brembo Stylema calipers upfront. These brakes are class leading.
The quick-shifter works well, and the engine … well, it is quite impressive. There is power from very low RPMs that builds so smoothly it is deceptive. The bike is fast, but a very smooth fast. Oh, and the sound it makes is glorious, as confirmed by one of my riding buddies following close behind.
This engine is superb, and really is the highlight of this bike. The fuel injection tuning is spot on, with smooth roll on from a closed throttle. From 3,000 RPM to red line just north of 10,000, the bike just pulls with no real peaks or valleys, but still excites as you get into the upper RPMs.
Although the handling on-road is very good, the Bridgestone AT41 tires lack a bit of feel on this bike despite gripping well, even at steeper lean angles. The tread on these tires are focused on tarmac, not dirt.
We very briefly took the Enduro Veloce off-road. The longer travel suspension soaks up bumps well, but it’s too soft to push hard through rough terrain, particularly for our 210 pound pilot. But is this really an issue for most buyers? We think not.
These big, relatively heavy adventure bikes are really street/touring mounts for most purchasers. With a wet weight well north of 500 pounds, and spring rates clearly designed for street use, the MV Agusta Enduro Veloce is far from a hard-core dirt bike.
But with decent wind protection and that upright, comfortable ergonomic equation, this is an excellent street mount for commuting or touring. It is a bike I would be happy to jump on and traverse a few hundred miles in a day, or even a couple thousand miles in a week. All the while, I would be enjoying some of the best engine performance and sound available from a two-wheeler.
MV Agusta no longer has KTM as its majority owner, but we understand that KTM is still distributing MV in the United States, so dealerships and parts should not be difficult to find.
At an U.S. MSRP $21,998, this is an expensive motorcycle, but certainly in the ballpark with competing Ducatis and even the big BMW GS models. If you want Italian style, exclusivity and a very capable street performer, you should take a look at the MV Augusta Enduro Veloce. MV Augusta’s website has additional details and specifications.
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