Limited numbers, unique livery, thrilling performance – a fitting tribute to MV Agusta’s legendary legacy
MV Agusta celebrates its 80th anniversary this year and to mark the occasion it has introduced the limited-edition Ottantesimo (literally, ‘80th’ range. The Italian manufacturer has produced six models: the Brutale 1000 Ottantesimo, Brutale 1000 RR Ottantesimo, Superveloce Ottantesimo, F3 RR Ottantesimo, Dragster RR Ottantesimo and the bike we test here, the Brutale 800 RR Ottantesimo. Each one is produced in limited numbers with a unique, identifiable laser-engraved plate.
For those of us who might not be MV aficionados, back in 1945 the Agusta family was a key player in the Italian aviation industry, but after World War II it was not permitted to produce planes and instead turned its passion for speed towards motorcycles. The first MV98 was officially launched at the end of 1945. Hence, the 80-year anniversary.
During the 1950s and 60s, the family focused on producing highly desirable bikes rather than just basic transportation. Boosted by racing success, the MV name became synonymous with exotica and speed, with the likes of Franco Bertoni, Cecil Sandford, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Gianfranco Bonera, Phil Reed and obviously Giacomo Agostini among the factory’s star-studded cast of winning riders. The Agostini/MV partnership was particularly epic, claiming 13 world titles, 18 Italian championships and 10 Isle of Man TT wins. From Mugello to Douglas, it’s a rider/bike partnership still regarded by many race fans as the greatest of them all.
Today, MV Agusta continues to produce high-end bikes in northern Italy. Despite multiple changes of ownership and having to navigate some choppy financial waters, the factory has not only survived but, at times, truly thrived. Now, fully independent again after a two-year association with the troubled KTM group, MV is throwing a party in the shape of the Ottantesimo range, which celebrates eight decades of arguably the most Italian of all the Italian manufacturers.
We travelled to the factory in Verese, Lombardy, to throw a leg over the very special MV Brutale 800 RR Ottantesimo.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Where better to celebrate MV’s anniversary than at their home in northern Italy on the shore of Lake Varese, just half an hour north of Milan? This is a stunning location, which in recent years has been the playground for hard-riding MV testers. Just think of the bikes that have been developed at this stunning location, and you know the roads must be good.
In the bright Italian sunshine, the limited-edition Brutale RR Ottantesimo looks spectacular. I don’t think MV can produce an ugly bike; they just have a knack of creating poster machines for each generation. In the flesh, the Ottantesimo is on another level compared to the competition. Line it up next to anything from Japan or even from their nearby neighbour, Ducati, and there would be only one winner on the motorcycle catwalk. The distinctive red (Rosso Ago/Argento Ago) and silver livery is tantalisingly reminiscent of the legendary MV bikes of old.
At £15,700 (around $A32,500) on sale now in the UK, this RR is expensive, as you would expect from MV, but not a massive price hike over the standard £14,900 800 RR ($A30,800). Ducati’s less powerful but lighter Streetfighter V2 S is £15,990, and the standard V2 £13,990, so you could argue that the MV is more than competitive on price, especially when you consider the MV’s higher spec includes cruise control as standard.
Significantly cheaper alternatives from Triumph, KTM and the Japanese manufacturers are of course available, but I would argue that those who want an exotic and exclusive bike from MV are willing to pay a few extra bucks.
On board, that sense of exotica and quality continues. There’s a neat little steering damper with the eight-way adjuster in the middle, a smart full-colour 5.5-inch TFT dash with Bluetooth, and the heritage MV logo, which is only available on the Ottantesimo model. The 801cc inline three-cylinder engine with a counter-rotating crank is Euro5-plus compliant and now receives a new nine-plate slipper clutch which should, say MV, result in a 50 per cent lighter feel at the lever.
But the most attractive thing of all is the noise it makes.
ON THE PROWL
Three-cylinder engines always have a distinctive snarl, but despite its emissions compliance the MV barks and howls on another level. At tickover it sounds a little mechanical, not smooth like a highly refined inline engine from Japan, but with a blip of the throttle, 140 Italian horses come alive. I don’t like to blip bikes at a standstill but can’t help it on the MV. Those triple silencers sound as good as they look.
Into the tight streets of Varese, and the feeling couldn’t be any more Italian. The exhaust tone reverberates around the old stone buildings, and I can’t help but check my reflection at any opportunity. It feels special to ride an MV in its hometown, as it should.
Despite the lighter clutch, it’s not really a city bike. That said, the EAS 3.0 quickshifter is excellent, changes are smooth both up and down, meaning you only need to use the clutch lever for stopping and starting or at very slow speed to smooth out the fuelling. The fuelling itself is okay at lower revs, especially in the muted Rain and Road modes, and nowhere near as spiky as MVs of old, but you can feel the engine wants to be used.
At low speeds, the suspension isn’t quite as harsh as I remember and, for a short rider like me, the riding position is fine.
But, as you might expect, it’s not particularly pleasant to ride over the bumps and cobbles of the ancient streets of Lombardy villages. It’s unyielding, unhappy. You know it wants to be free.
Drive a million-dollar supercar around the same streets and it would feel uncomfortable, too. Ferraris, Lamborghinis and racy MV Agustas are designed for the open road and, with crazy Italian traffic behind us, it was time to let the Brutale RR loose.
FRICTION FREE
The switchback mountain roads proved the perfect playground in which to explore its raucous and rev-happy triple. You can ride the mid-range between 4000rpm and 8000rpm (or thereabouts). It’s more than happy to deliver smooth usable drive, accompanied – of course – by that fine Italian orchestra. But it feels like bit of a waste because this massively oversquare and seemingly friction-free engine just loves to rev.
On the public road there is absolutely no need to use all the revs, but shifting at 10,000rpm, right in the middle of the peak torque, is gloriously rewarding. So many times I could have simply thrown in another gear between corners but instead remained in a lower gear and allowed the RR to rev all the way to the limiter. I cannot overstate how much it loves to rev.
When you think you’re surely about to hit the limiter – that this screaming must stop! – it simply continues to blare out more noise, pile on more revs. With 12,000-plus rpm on the dash and even the goats on the mountainside taking an interest, you end up riding this MV like a naked race bike, using empty endless switchback mountain roads with never-ending hairpins as your own personal racetrack. It’s intoxicating.
I found the power delivery more usable in Sport mode than the sharper Race. I also created my own Custom mode, turning down the eight-stage TC and removing the anti-wheelie control for obvious reasons. That’s the thing, you see: you can soon start to get a little carried away on this limited-edition Brutale. It encourages you to ride a little harder, rev a little higher, and enter corners with ever-growing confidence.
The Marzocchi front fork and Sachs rear shock are fully adjustable and work better the harder you push. As mentioned, the suspension package is not as harsh at everyday speeds as that of Brutales of old, but it’s set up sporty, not for comfort, and likes to be worked. Ride hard, and the suspension comes back with all the correct answers.
Ground clearance is excellent, too, the steering fast and precise, and the way the bike jumps to the apex is class leading. A short wheelbase and counter-rotating crank add up to a bike that feels supremely agile, fun and fast. You have to drop into an MV mindset to make it all come together, though – to focus on maintaining rpm and generally putting the hammer down. When you do, I’d argue it’s the sportiest in its class and, on track, would possibly set the fastest time in stock trim.
There were occasions when I was thankful for the excellent rider aids like the Continental controlled cornering ABS. In its Race ABS setting, the braking is no longer lean sensitive with ABS on the front wheel only, which I guess would be useful on track in perfect conditions. But for the road, the standard Sport mode is excellent. The Brembo stoppers work extremely well and it’s good to know you have lean-sensitive ABS in the background, just in case.
When you’re not fully dialled in to a fast ride, the Brutale RR invokes something of a love-hate relationship, one dependent on how and where you ride and your physical size. Riding in Lombardy around the stunning lakes, which look like a backdrop to a James Bond car chase, I for one was constantly falling in and out of love with the MV. All was blissful until I had to negotiate more narrow, cobbled streets in hilltop towns. Suspension a tad harsh, seat not very comfortable, fuelling not perfect (especially if accidentally left in Race mode). But at least your reflection looks good in every shop window…
Then you clear the traffic and townsfolk, scream the triple to the redline, hit half a dozen hairpins back-to-back, dance up and down the smooth gearbox via the sweetly set up quickshifter before you have to hit the powerful stoppers for the next village – and the relationship is back on. One minute you’re wishing you had something a little roomier and softer, the next you’re thinking life doesn’t get much better.
VERDICT
The MV Brutale 800 RR is the most powerful bike in this middleweight class and, I’d argue, the most desirable, even more so in this limited-edition Ottantesimo livery. Yes, most of the power is towards the top end, you have to use it to have fun – but when you do it’s so rewarding.
The chassis matches the rev-happy engine. It handles like a naked race bike that’s short, fast steering, and works better the harder you ride. It would set the fastest lap around a track in this category.
The combination of stunning looks, desirability and racy handling make for an impressive package. It is so much fun to ride when the mood takes you and makes you do things you really shouldn’t. Mischievous doesn’t begin to describe it.
There are, however, bikes in this class that are cheaper, easier to ride, comfier, have much more useable torque lower down, and even more state-of-the-art technology on board. For a lot of riders, Ducati’s Streetfighter V2 is cheaper, no less Italian, and easier to ride. Bikes like Triumph’s Street Triple 756 RS and Yamaha’s MT-09 SP – also triples, of course – are considerably cheaper, sound great, and are fun to ride but have more everyday practicality.
If you are buying with your brain and want a bike for an occasional sporty ride and daily commute, and will never venture on track, then the MV probably isn’t for you. But for those riders who want something different, are likely to do the odd trackday, will put up with a few flaws in exchange for those special moments, and want a bike that makes you smile every time you open both the garage door and the throttle – then maybe it’s the Brutale 800 RR.
✅ PROS – A bike that makes you smile every time you open both the garage door and the throttle.
❌ CONS – Lacks everyday practicality but that’s not the intention of a bike built for empty backroads and race tracks.
Rest of the Range
To celebrate MV Agusta’s 80th anniversary, the Italians have produced six commemorative models, all produced in a limited series of 500, identifiable by the laser engraving on the triple clamp or tank protection plate. In the 800cc three-cylinder range, you have the Brutale RR, Dragster RR, F3RR and Superveloce S Ottantesimo. In the 1000cc four-cylinder range, the Brutale 1000 and Brutale 1000 RR Ottantesimo.
All 800 models are Euro5-plus compliant and feature the new clutch and special livery. The 1000cc models benefit from a new ECU and new camshafts, which have increased torque and power. They also benefit from a new four-outlet exhaust developed in partnership with Arrow.
four rivals
Ducati Street fighter V2S
from $24,700 (ride away)
KTM 990 Duke R
$17,590 (2024 ride away)
Triumph Street Triple 765 RS
from $21,990 (ride away)
Yamaha MT-09SP
$21,349 (ride away)
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
Type Liquid-cooled, 4v per cylinder, four-stroke, three-cylinder
Bore & stroke 79mmx54.5mm
Capacity 801cc
Compression ratio 13.1:1
Transmission Six-speed
Clutch 9-disc wet clutch with back torque limiting device, assist and slipper
PERFORMANCE
Power 103kw (140hp) at 12,300rpm (claimed)
Torque 87Nm at 10,200rpm (claimed)
Top speed 244km/h (claimed)
Fuel consumption 5.9L/100km
ELECTRONICS
Type Injection system MVICS 2.1 with six injectors. Ride-by-Wire 50mm throttle bodies
Rider aids Four rider modes, 8 levels of traction control, launch control, front lift control, cruise control, up and down quickshifter, plus cornering ABS.
Rider modes Race, Sport, Rain, and Custom
Frame Steel tubular
Trail 103.5mm
Wheelbase 1400mm (std)
SUSPENSION
Type Marzocchi/Sachs
Front 43mm, USD, fully adjustable, 125mm travel
Rear Single rear shock, fully adjustable 130mm travel
WHEELS & BRAKES
Wheels Aluminium alloy
Front 3.5X17in
Rear 5.5X17in
Tyres Pirelli Diablo Ross IV
Front 120/70/x17
Rear 180/55/17
Brakes Cornering ABS, two settings
Front: Twin 320mm discs, Brembo four-piston radial calipers
Rear: Single 220mm disc, two-piston Brembo caliper
DIMENSIONS
Weight 195kg (in running order, no fuel)
Seat height 830mm
Width 875mm
Length 2045mm
Ground clearance 135mm
Fuel capacity 16.5L
BUSINESS END
Price £15,700 (around $A32,500 TBC)
Colour options Ottantesimo red/silve
Contact mvagusta.com
