MRW Issue 1

Rider aids keeping the wheels inline.
As expected and in line with the
competition, a 6-axis IMU now sits at
the heart of operations, and communicates
with the traction control and
ABS braking. There are 8 -levels of
TC, which can also be de-activated,
again via the dash or your phone on
the MV app. MV now call their antiwheelie
‘front lift control’, and is remarkably
similar. However, rather than
dramatically cutting the power when
the front wheel lifts from the road/
track, it will now hover slightly, or the
forks will extend dramatically, power
is reduced to ‘hold’ the wheelie, or lift
rather than dramatically cutting the
power, causing pitching as the front
drops back to the track. There is also
launch control as standard, plus that
up-and-down quick-shifter and cruise
control on the right bar.
The rider aids, particularly the traction
control, are excellent. On track,
you don’t ‘feel’ them working, which
is usually an indication of a smooth
system. It’s worth noting that on track
we ran Pirelli slicks and, on the road,
conditions were perfect, this time
grippy Pirelli Diablo Rosso tyres doing
the work. It will be interesting to
see how the rider aids perform in less
than favourable conditions in winter.
And as mentioned before, the fullcolour
TFT dash is lovely to look at
and reasonably easy to navigate, but
on the move too close to the rider,
and reflects the sunlight badly. This
also makes it hard to see which mode
you’re in and how much TC you’ve
added or removed.
The new Brutale 1000 RR is sold out
worldwide and the one-and-only unit that
did make it into SA has been delivered.
Verdict
There is so much to love and appreciate
about MV Agusta’s new Brutale
1000RR. The styling, for starters, is
unique and sculpted like a work of art.
It’s exotic, and owners will be buying
into a unique brand.
It is certainly the best MV Brutale to
date with huge power and is thrilling
engine performance towards the last
third of the rev range. It handles like
a race bike without bodywork, and
the rider aids are the finest to grace
an MV to date. On track it is wonderful
to ride – exciting and involving –
but there are drawbacks. On the road
the rear is too harsh, even when you
soften the electronic Öhlins suspension,
the fuelling is a little harsh and
the TFT dash, though attractive, is
too close to the rider. And we’ve not
mentioned the price. Yes, we always
expect an MV to be slightly more than
the competition, but close to R190k
more than an Aprilia Tuono is a big
pill to swallow.
So yes, there is a lot to applaud. MV
have clearly done their homework,
and have made a stunning-looking
naked that works superbly on the
track. Would I love to own one? Yes,
but only for long enough to make my
friends envious. Would I purchase one
over the cheaper, more road focused
road competition? Sorry, no.
TECH SPEC
New price R499,000
Capacity 998cc
Bore x Stroke 79 x 50.9mm
Power 205bhp @13,000rpm
Torque 116.5Nm @11000rpm
Wheelbase 1415mm
Seat height 845mm
Dry weight 186kg