Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Test Ride: MV Agusta Brutale 910
So lucky me, I got to test ride a 2006 MV Agusta Brutale 910. This was my 2nd time riding the 910, thanks to a local shop that sells only Italian bikes but does "demo days" a couple of times a year to try and entice buyers. It's tough business selling expensive bikes that can get their butts kicked by cheaper Japanese alternatives, but the Italian builders have such a flair for design and sound that one ride is all it takes for some riders.
MV Agusta was reborn in the late 90's thanks to Massimo Tamburini, the man behind the brand's stunning designs. Tamburini also designed the legendary Ducati 916, a bike so revered that some call it the best looking sport bike of all time. It debuted in 1994 and set the standard for modern sport bike design. Put it side-by-side with its Japanese rivals of the day and it just plain makes them look old. But enough about the history lesson. On to the Brutale.
Unfortunately this wasn't one of those flashy test rides at the track like the big sport bike rags get, but at least the unsupervised ride over surface streets, a freeway on-ramp (YEAH!) and a few twisty spots of road gave me a taste of the bike's character. I did this same test ride last year and spent the whole time being overwhelmed by the bike's quick-revving engine. This time I paid attention to the bike's handling abilities as well.
The first thing I noticed about the Brutale is the seating position. It's a standard as far as ergonomics are concerned: there's a riser and handlebars instead of clip-ons, the seating position is upright and the foot pegs are located mid-ship. That's where the "standard" part ends. Start the engine and goose the throttle once, and you'll probably say what everyone else that rode it did. "Holy sh**..."
To say this bike revs up fast is a ridiculous understatement. It makes my R6 feel like a moped. Blipping the throttle on downshifts was almost comedic; I would badly over-rev the engine on every attempt. It's also one of the louder stock exhaust notes I've heard.
Speaking of the sound, that alone was almost enough to make me walk back into the shop and purchase one right there. Roll on the throttle at street speeds and it sounds like you're revving a race car engine beneath you. The sound is so amazingly grunty and aggressive for a four-banger I couldn't understand how they accomplished it. The (supposed) answer came from one of the sales people who told me that the engineers had help from Ferrari. Whether or not that's true I have no idea, but it sure sounds like it's true. In addition to all this sound and fury is a good helping of fast. That's to be expected from a 910cc quasi-sport bike and it doesn't disappoint.
As far as the bike's handling goes, I can't really comment too well on that. It would definitely require a longer ride on canyon roads and a track day to make a fair assessment. What was immediately noticeable is that it doesn't seem as sharp or quick as my R6, but then again the loss of feel attributable to the use of risers and a handlebar instead of clip-ons probably has a lot to do with that. That's not to say it's a slouch, because it certainly isn't. It just doesn't have the feel of a supersport bike. That's probably a fair trade off though considering the Brutale's more humane riding position and ergonomics.
So does MV Agusta deserve almost $15,000 of your hard-earned money for this bike? If style, substance and an amazing sounding engine all wrapped in easy ergonomics are your thing, and you can get over the price tag, this stunner is for you. It's so unlike anything coming from Japan that you'll certainly stand out at the local biker hangout. Except for that one other rider that beat you to the punch. Like that guy I see at Newcomb's Ranch on occasion. Bastard. ¶ 11:44 PM
So lucky me, I got to test ride a 2006 MV Agusta Brutale 910. This was my 2nd time riding the 910, thanks to a local shop that sells only Italian bikes but does "demo days" a couple of times a year to try and entice buyers. It's tough business selling expensive bikes that can get their butts kicked by cheaper Japanese alternatives, but the Italian builders have such a flair for design and sound that one ride is all it takes for some riders.
MV Agusta was reborn in the late 90's thanks to Massimo Tamburini, the man behind the brand's stunning designs. Tamburini also designed the legendary Ducati 916, a bike so revered that some call it the best looking sport bike of all time. It debuted in 1994 and set the standard for modern sport bike design. Put it side-by-side with its Japanese rivals of the day and it just plain makes them look old. But enough about the history lesson. On to the Brutale.
Unfortunately this wasn't one of those flashy test rides at the track like the big sport bike rags get, but at least the unsupervised ride over surface streets, a freeway on-ramp (YEAH!) and a few twisty spots of road gave me a taste of the bike's character. I did this same test ride last year and spent the whole time being overwhelmed by the bike's quick-revving engine. This time I paid attention to the bike's handling abilities as well.
The first thing I noticed about the Brutale is the seating position. It's a standard as far as ergonomics are concerned: there's a riser and handlebars instead of clip-ons, the seating position is upright and the foot pegs are located mid-ship. That's where the "standard" part ends. Start the engine and goose the throttle once, and you'll probably say what everyone else that rode it did. "Holy sh**..."
To say this bike revs up fast is a ridiculous understatement. It makes my R6 feel like a moped. Blipping the throttle on downshifts was almost comedic; I would badly over-rev the engine on every attempt. It's also one of the louder stock exhaust notes I've heard.
Speaking of the sound, that alone was almost enough to make me walk back into the shop and purchase one right there. Roll on the throttle at street speeds and it sounds like you're revving a race car engine beneath you. The sound is so amazingly grunty and aggressive for a four-banger I couldn't understand how they accomplished it. The (supposed) answer came from one of the sales people who told me that the engineers had help from Ferrari. Whether or not that's true I have no idea, but it sure sounds like it's true. In addition to all this sound and fury is a good helping of fast. That's to be expected from a 910cc quasi-sport bike and it doesn't disappoint.
As far as the bike's handling goes, I can't really comment too well on that. It would definitely require a longer ride on canyon roads and a track day to make a fair assessment. What was immediately noticeable is that it doesn't seem as sharp or quick as my R6, but then again the loss of feel attributable to the use of risers and a handlebar instead of clip-ons probably has a lot to do with that. That's not to say it's a slouch, because it certainly isn't. It just doesn't have the feel of a supersport bike. That's probably a fair trade off though considering the Brutale's more humane riding position and ergonomics.
So does MV Agusta deserve almost $15,000 of your hard-earned money for this bike? If style, substance and an amazing sounding engine all wrapped in easy ergonomics are your thing, and you can get over the price tag, this stunner is for you. It's so unlike anything coming from Japan that you'll certainly stand out at the local biker hangout. Except for that one other rider that beat you to the punch. Like that guy I see at Newcomb's Ranch on occasion. Bastard. ¶ 11:44 PM
