MV Agusta, that Italian purveyor of fine two-wheeled exotica is on a bit of a roll of late. It’s got new financial backing, courtesy of KTM’s parent firm, Pierer Mobility. There’s a slew of new British dealers, thanks to the hard work put in by KTM UK.
And there’s a new senior management team in Varese that includes some big bosses from KTM HQ in Austria. As a business, the Agusta brand hasn’t looked as solid for quite some time.
It’s got some flash new bikes on the way too, beginning with this tasty luxury adventure tourer, the Enduro Veloce. This is the long-awaited production version of the previously-trailed LXP Orioli, or Lucky Explorer, which remixed a host of styling cues from the Lucky Strike-sponsored Cagiva desert racers of old (Cagiva being the sister brand to MV Agusta historically).
The limited edition LXP Orioli has long sold out its 500 model production at £30k-ish, so it’s time for the ‘base’ model to hit the shops for less well-heeled fans of the brand (though at £21,800 it’s still not exactly cheap).
And here it is. The basics are as expected: a 124bhp version of the new 931cc triple motor, complete with reverse-rotating crankshaft and cassette-style gearbox, both of which are hangovers from the previous role as a supersport engine. MV insists that the counter-rotating crank is still an advantage in terms of handling in this application, helping counteract the effects of the large 21” front wheel, so there is that.
It’s a lightweight design, with Agusta claiming a 57kg mass for the whole powertrain, which would certainly put your back out if you didn’t bend your knees. The slick exhaust design moves away from the typical MV Agusta design of triple-outlet silencers in favour of a more prosaic single-outlet can of chunky proportions, and features an exhaust bypass valve for a fruitier sound when opened by the ECU.
The new 950 engine lives in a bespoke steel double cradle frame, which is made of tough forged and extruded parts, to give the strength needed in an off-road machine, and the rest of the chassis is a mix of off-road biased parts and road-friendly kit.
The 48mm USD front forks and rear monoshock suspension is by Sachs, and is full adjustable for damping and preload at both ends, with ample 210mm wheel travel front and rear (though that does mean a pretty tall seat height: 870mm stock, with an 850mm lower option).
The swingarm is a tough, conventional aluminium dual-sided design, and the wheels are premium Takasago Excel wire-spoked rims with stainless spokes, machined alloy hubs and aluminium rims. Stock rubber is Bridgestone’s excellent Battlax A41 (the more offroad AX41 fitment is also homologated), with 90/90 21 front and 150/70 18 rear fitments.
All that offroad chassis kit stands in contrast to the brakes: a pair of 320mm discs up front with Brembo Stylema performance calipers, which is pretty much a superbike-level setup.
The electronics setup is as comprehensive as you have a right to expect on a £21k+ motorcycle in 2024 – IMU-assisted cornering traction control and ABS, seven-inch full colour TFT dashboard, backlit switchgear with comprehensive controls, cruise control, launch control, engine brake control, wheelie control, rear wheel lift-up control, up/down quickshifter and a Bluetooth/WiFi phone link for music, comms, navigation and trip logging.
There are four riding modes: Urban, Touring, Off-Road and Custom All-Terrain, and the traction control, which can be deactivated, offers eight levels of intervention, with five dedicated to road use, two to off-road use and one for use on wet, low-grip surfaces.
Riders can also tweak the rider aids depending on the tyres fitted – more road-biased or more off-road. The ECU can alter its settings based on the tyres used – the bike has eight traction levels based on the use of Bridgestone Battlax A41 and eight based on the AX41.
There are two levels of engine brake intervention, and the launch control offers the rider real control over the incredible acceleration, which sees the bike go from 0-100 km/h in 3.72 seconds. Such acceleration is also managed thanks to the Front Lift Control (FLC) wheelie control function.
According to MV Agusta, the cornering ABS links the RLM (Rear Wheel Lift-Up Mitigation) function with brake management through the turns. This reduces rear wheel lift and keeps the wheel on the ground in the case of extreme deceleration, for greater efficiency and safety when braking.
Finally, you get two different ABS settings: Level 1 translates into a less invasive intervention on the front, perfect for sporty and off-road use, disengaged on the rear and with cornering function switched off, whilst RLM is less intrusive.
You get full ABS with Level 2, where ABS is active both on the front and rear and both Cornering and RLM functions are activated. ABS can only be deactivated completely in Off-Road and Custom All-Terrain modes.
Lighting is LED all-round, there’s a Mobisat satellite anti-theft system, and there are loads of factory optional accessories like hard luggage, a Termignoni titanium exhaust, and a tougher alloy sump guard and engine/fairing crash bars. In addition, the Enduro Veloce now comes with a four-year factory warranty, ‘underlining the faith the company has in its Made in Italy motorcycles’.
The Enduro Veloce will be in dealers soon: more info at www.mvagusta.com