2020 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR First Ride

MV Agusta finally makes good on the Brutale’s promise.

MV Agusta’s Brutale 1000 RR finally lives up to its purpose.MV Agusta

Take cover because I’m dropping a bomb! The new MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR may be the best naked superbike in production today. The late Claudio Castiglioni and his brother Gianfranco were totally in love with the MV Agusta marque, the MV Agusta racing team, and its bikes. Once they were able to acquire it all, they wanted to not only return MV Agusta to its glory days, but to make it the Ferrari of motorcycles.

In fact, Claudio went to Piero Ferrari’s Ferrari Engineering project studio and requested they design the most advanced and sophisticated 750cc four-cylinder engine ever built in order to duly resurrect MV Agusta. Using that power unit as a base, Maestro Massimo Tamburini would then design the most elegant superbike ever, chassis and all. Maestro Tamburini fully accomplished his mission, and the MV Agusta F4 750 debuted at EICMA 1997, where its elegance made all other sportbikes seem instantly obsolete.

On the other hand, the Ferrari Engineering team did not even come close to the target. The performance they obtained from the highly oversquare unit, with its 73.8mm bore and 45.7mm stroke, was so tepid that prototype units were brought to the Ducati Racing Department (Ducati at the time was part of the Castiglioni’s Cagiva Group) in an attempt to extract power adequate to the MV Agusta legend. The production F4 750 started life in 1999 at 126 hp. The unique beauty of Massimo’s design spurred Claudio Castiglioni to turn every batch of the production run into “special editions,” starting with the Serie Oro, or Golden Series.

After the initial enthusiastic reactions, the market cooled and production numbers always lagged low, never reaching past 300 units per year. In an attempt to satisfy the market, Tamburini designed the Brutale 750, a naked variation of the F4 that many regarded as even more attractive. Again, its public reception was enthusiastic. But sales of both the F4 and Brutale combined remained inadequate to the investment; the engine displayed clear limits of reliability, and MV Agusta was unable to support its clients with adequate after-sale service.

Approximately $37,400 will get you a naked bike with more than 200 horsepower.Bruno dePrato

In 2005, the F4 power unit was enlarged to 998cc (76mm bore and 55mm stroke, 166 hp) while the Brutale received a different unit displacing 910cc (76mm bore and 50.1mm stroke, 136 hp) in order to retain the outer measurements of the original 750cc unit. In fact, the frame of the Brutale would not be able to contain the F4′s taller 1,000cc unit. The two models had no chassis commonality, which tells you a lot about the wild product policy at MV Agusta.

To patch up the problem, the Brutale was redesigned in 2007, receiving the F4 CC’s 1,078cc (bore enlarged to 79mm and stroke unchanged at 55mm, 154 hp). Given the project’s flaws, increasing displacement was perhaps not the brightest idea, but it did create “special editions” selling for very high prices in very limited numbers. The Brutale lived on the 920cc unit introduced in 2011, a small-bore version of the 1,090cc unit (73mm bore and 55mm stroke) with power down to 126 hp and intended as an entry version.

At that stage powering the MV Agusta Brutale with the F4′s four-cylinder made less sense, since the new 800cc triple was proving much more reliable than the four, even in its mild version. In fact, reliability problems were only marginally related to power level, being mostly caused by the inconsistencies in cooling and lubrication. These problems were bad enough to melt bodywork plastics and composite materials. MV Agusta factory team F4s racing in SBK Series were the only bikes in the SBK racing series routinely failing to finish due to mechanical failure.

The last attempt to evolve the unit came in 2011, when MV Agusta technicians created the short-stroke edition of the 1,000cc, mating the 79mm bore of the 1,078cc to the new 50.9mm stroke. The “short stroke” 998cc version did not solve the cooling or lubrication issues, but marked the way forward by showing a substantial power increase to more than 200 hp. Chief project engineer Brian Gillen personally took over the redesign, fixed the cooling and lubing issues, and transformed a very expensive lemon into the superb engine powering the new MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR.

The unit is known for adopting DOHC radial valve distribution to obtain a semi-hemi combustion chamber profile, which in turn results in very high thermodynamic efficiency. Titanium valves and connecting rods reduce losses due to inertia. Much attention was paid to the reduction of frictional losses. New cam grindings were developed in combination with high volumetric efficiency inlet port profiles, while combustion chambers are now CNC machined for clean profiles and volume equivalence.

The technical details of the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR are impressive—as is every viewing angle.MV Agusta

To assist in progressive torque delivery, each cylinder breathes through a pair of velocity stacks of two different lengths. Each inlet port is fed by two injectors, a Mikuni down low near the valve mushrooms and a Magneti Marelli at the top working in shower mode.

The engine is managed and controlled by a new, much more capable EM2.0 ECU offering four riding mode maps (Sport, Race, Rain, Custom) in combination with a six-axis inertial platform managing traction control over eight selectable levels. Both launch control and front wheel lift control assist rider safety by checking the angular speed differential between the wheels. This electronic suite is more efficient than anything featured on any previous MV Agusta model in managing chassis dynamics relative to engine response.

The Öhlins active suspension units feature fully digitally managed damping in compression and rebound. A Brembo braking system is managed by a Bosch 9 Plus ABS ECU that also offers a race mode. A state-of-the-art 5-inch TFT display is the heart of the connectivity system and includes digital instrumentation, as well as providing access to various menus allowing riders to configure the bike according to individual preference; the necessary switches are located on the left handlebar. The display includes a Bluetooth smartphone connection for all infotainment functions. Active cruise control is standard equipment. The MV Ride app will make it easier to configure the digitally managed functions included in the bike’s standard equipment, including traction control and ABS modes. Finally, the new display also includes navigation.

A 5-inch TFT dash is the heart of the Brutale 1000 RR’s connectivity and controls the rider aids.MV Agusta

The MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR was unveiled at EICMA 2018, with the public voting it the show’s most beautiful bike. Adrian Morton’s design is aggressive, with a touch of Alien here and there, as is often the case with recent MV Agusta models; but in this case, the lines appear well-coordinated and pleasantly balanced.

The completely revised 998cc DOHC delivers very solid performance potential with 208 hp at 13,000 rpm. Most importantly, torque peaks at 86 pound-feet at 11,000 rpm, with a generous torque curve starting from 3,500 rpm. Top speed potential approaches 180 mph, and the advanced electronics suite ensures this performance is manageable by the average motorcyclist. The frame structure retains its classic design, with a steel tubing trellis enclosing the front section of the engine and defining the front end geometry. The tubing structure then bolts to massive aluminum jaws clamping the rear section of the engine and locate the spindle of the rear single-sided swingarm suspension.

Four cylinders, four pipes. Each producing a claimed 52 hp for a total of 208 at 13,000 rpm.Bruno dePrato

There is nothing radically new in the design of the frame, but a great amount of guessing and testing has been devoted to determining the correct steering geometry and weight distribution bias. The steering axis caster angle is a very sporty 23.3 degrees, which in combination with 30mm-offset fork triple clamps returns a trail of 97.2mm (3.8 inches).

The bike is compact, with a wheelbase spanning 55.7 inches, and the extensive use of light alloys and composite material body components keeps weight down to an appreciable 410 pounds, 52 percent of which is biased to the front. Seat height, at 33.3 inches, is not particularly low, but the thoughtfully conformed seat ensures an easy reach to the ground with both feet, if needed.

As mentioned above, suspension components are all top-quality digitally managed Öhlins units: 43mm male sliders in a NIX EC fully adjustable fork and a TTX EC rear shock absorber. Twin Brembo 320mm front rotors are teamed with the latest Brembo Stylema monoblock radial calipers. The Brutale 1000 RR rolls on Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa radials, 120/70-17 front and 200/55-17 rear.

Although a real naked, the Brutale 1000 RR features aerodynamic elements aimed at improving both performance and rider comfort. The most important of these are winglets that create substantial downforce past 100 mph. The whole package is beautifully sorted out and balanced. I took a couple of very fast passes on the highway, maybe even three, because traffic was intense in relation to the 157 mph peak speed I was able to reach before having to ease out.

Although it does not look like it, the Brutale 1000 RR rider comfort is at speed high for a naked.Bruno dePrato

The bike felt incredibly firm and precise, its complete stability making my attempts so smooth that I felt sorry for not going all the way past 180 mph. The riding posture and aerodynamics combine to provide comfort even at those elevated speeds, a great virtue for a naked bike—provided that one wears one’s leathers, not a touring jacket. But full enjoyment of blinding speed is not the only turf the Brutale 1000 RR can walk with absolute competence.

The MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR feels light and precise on the track and street.MV Agusta

At the Pirelli Tires test track in Vizzola Ticino, the Brutale 1000 RR performed beyond the rosiest expectations in terms of agility, precision of steering response, and general confidence-inspiring dynamics. The riding posture is very accurate from the ergonomic point of view, with the grips located at the correct height and width for solid control at any speed, and the seat and pegs in perfect relationship. It took just a couple of laps to find myself perfectly at home and in total control.

The engine makes everything very easy, thanks to its generous smoothness and solid response from as low as, I’d say, 2,000 rpm. I was able to lean the bike around a rather tight corner while keeping the gearbox in fourth; still, the available torque assured perfect control at knee-dragging lean angles. The engine conforms to Euro 4 homologation standards, but CPE Gillen confirms that the new ECO and related software will make the transition to Euro 5 easily within reach. Gillen also plans to adapt the whole package to the three-cylinder 800 engine.

MV Agusta’s Brutale 1000 RR is a track day weapon, but it will also provide plenty of pleasure cruising through town.MV Agusta

The MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR proved extremely friendly, solid at any speed, and comfortable. As always, quality does not come cheap: price in Italy is 31,500 euros (approximately $37,400). But it’s equally at home blasting at no-prisoners speed on the highway, carving good lean angles on a twisty back road, or even cruising downtown, where its agility pays unexpected dividends. It’s about time. But this time MV Agusta has done its homework right.

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