We imagine that there’s been a fair level of turmoil at the MV Agusta company over the last 12 months. The Varese-based exotic bike maker has had to cope with the massive upheaval caused by the financial implosion at then-parent firm Pierer Mobility/KTM. Now, Agusta is back on its own, under its previous owners once again, and is having to get back into the groove.
And here’s part of that: the new 2026 MV Agusta Brutale 950 Serie Oro limited edition super-naked. It’s based on a highly-tuned variant of the company’s 931cc inline-triple 950 EVO engine, now making a heady 148bhp@11,200rpm and 107Nm@8,400rpm.
The engine is bolted into a traditional Agusta chassis, with a hybrid steel tube trellis/aluminium swingarm pivot plate frame, and the usual top-drawer running gear.
The engine is now Euro 5+ emissions compliant – another headache that Agusta has had to manage alongside other woes. But it’s had a full overhaul, with a fully re-engineered cylinder head, optimized cooling circuit, larger-diameter steel valves, redesigned intake and exhaust ports, and an optimized combustion chamber for improved drivability and combustion stability.
New valve seats made from a tougher material, together with finger-follower lifters and redesigned cam profiles, helps boost output at mid- and higher revs. There are stronger internals too, including newly designed bridged-box pistons giving a fairly high 13.4:1 compression ratio, a fire-ring cylinder head gasket to withstand higher combustion pressures, and a reworked oil cooling system.
Add a new slipper and torque-assisted clutch that reduces lever effort, and 50mm full ride-by-wire throttle bodies with top-feed injectors and you have a pretty tasty spec on the powertrain front.
Chassis-wise, there are few surprises. Suspension is by Öhlins, with a fully-adjustable 43mm NIX30 upside-down fork featuring TiN-coated stanchions and all adjusters on top of the forks (left leg for compression, right for rebound), making setup changes easy.
Out back, a new, longer, single-sided swingarm operates the Öhlins TTX 36 shock absorber with dual-tube technology and external piggyback reservoir, again all fully adjustable for preload and compression/rebound damping, and there’s a matching steering damper too.
Brakes are by Brembo, with the latest premium Hypure four-piston radial mount front calipers, 320mm discs and a radial master cylinder, and there are new cast aluminium wheels, shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres. All up weight is a decent 195kg wet, without fuel.
The electronics have had an update too, with a new larger 5” TFT LCD dashboard, integrating the high-end riding aids package and phone link functions – tracker, navigation, media, calls etc. Cruise control, launch control, wheelie control, quickshifter, cornering ABS and traction – it’s all here.
In terms of design, there’s a fresh look, with a redesigned back end (note the sleek pillion pegs) and new LED headlamp unit. The titanium three-exit silencer is by Termignoni, a refreshing change from the now-ubiquitous Akrapovic pipage, and there’s carbon fibre exhaust guards, belly pan, front fender and engine protector.
Add in a Dragster-style rear numberplate bracket and you have a fairly distinctive design job. Colours are, of course, Agusta pearl red and Ago silver.
Critics will point to the slightly lower spec of this bike compared with previous Serie Oro variants: there’s no magnesium frame plates or forged wheels, and the main bodywork is plastic not carbon. We’ll wait to see what the RRP is before deciding on the value proposition of course.
Just 300 of the new 2026 Brutale Serie Oro will be made, in Varese, and while that price is still TBC, we imagine they’ll sell the lot worldwide.
More info: www.mvagusta.com