MV Agusta Brutale 800 Review
Bike Tested: MV Agusta Brutale 800; Road Test No. 923
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 19.46 lakhs
The MV Agusta Brutale 800 remains true to its name, and how!
Home to many a great motorcycle makers including Aprilia and Ducati amongst others, Italy is rightly known as the nerve centre of automotive design. The European country holds a special place in the hearts of many because of its mean-spirited motorcycles. At MotorBeam, we are having the time of our lives astride the intoxicating MV Agusta Brutale 800 that is as Italian as a streetfighter gets. Brought to the country by Kinetic-owned MotoRoyale outlets, this monster has been priced at Rs. 20 lakhs! This brings us to the million dollar question that whether or not it’s worth the massive premium it commands over its competitors. Well, we have a definitive answer to that! Read on to find out.
Motor Quest: Based out of Varese in Italy, MV Agusta traces its roots back to 1945 when the manufacturer was involved in the production of low-displacement cafe-racer motorcycles. After a lot of ups and downs, the company went through a complete overhaul in late 90s. The revamped Brutale 800 came into being in 2013 and made its India debut last year via the SKD route. Besides being the most disciplined Brutale ever built, this one is also the most affordable MV Agusta product in India. Other models in the Brutale range include the 1090 and 1090 RR.
The slashed three-pipe exhaust looks as good as it sounds
Despite minimal body panels owing to its naked body style, the Brutale 800 is so damn gorgeous!
Styling – The Brutale 800 measures 2045 x 875 x 1100 (length x width x height, in mm) in outer dimensions and one has to admit that every inch of it is crafted with perfection. Boasting off precise attention-to-detail all around, the motorcycle’s design revolves around the muscular tank that comes with pronounced knee recesses. MV Agusta has focussed on demonstrating the Brutale’s brutal intentions through accentuated mechanical bits such as the partly-exposed trellis frame, three-pipe exhaust, air ducts up front, massive brake rotors, single-sided swingarm and fat rubber. Both the fenders are minimalist with the rear one holding the rear blinkers and licence plate mount to allow for a tidy tail section. Design of the footpeg mounts is radical and so is the scooped out portion below the rider’s seat. Besides an elliptical LED headlamp, the bike gets a blacked out lower half to add to its sportiness.
In terms of design, this instrument console is among the better ones from MV Agusta
Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – The Brutale 800 uses a sophisticated all-digital instrument console that houses 10 telltale lights lined up below the main display. Backlit in white, the cluster isn’t exactly loaded to the gills but contains the essentials including a speedometer, tachometer, time, shift light, gear position indicator and riding mode along with set levels of ABS and traction control. However, a lot of information ends up being presented rather haphazardly due to the limited real estate on the unit. This makes it difficult to comprehend the data and one often ends up searching for the desired information, more so under direct sunlight. Switchgear quality is good and there are absolutely no rough edges. Some controls have an unusual placement though and take some time to get used to.
Unless you plan to strap the pillion in place, the back seat isn’t usable at all
Ergonomics – Italians and their love for aesthetics often ends up with ergonomics taking a backseat. Same is the case with MV Agusta Brutale 800 where form is way over function in some crucial areas such as seating. First up, the rider’s saddle sits 830 mm off the ground making it a demanding experience for the shorter ones out there. Adding to the woes are the rear-set footpegs that lend a sense of restricted space apart from making it difficult for the rider to move around. The seat compound isn’t suitable for long distances either. In spite of the wide handlebar being positioned at a comfortable height, the rider triangle is too committed for a street-fighter. This takes a toll on the shoulders and back, further aggravated by the Brutale’s stiff ride quality. There is no visor at the front and no wind protection to talk about. The pillion seat is another joke but comes with effective concealed handles to hold on to in place of grab rails.
Performance – Madness. Utter madness! The Brutale 800 draws power from a 798cc, fuel-injected, inline 3-cylinder engine that pushes out 108.6 BHP of power and 83 Nm of torque. Mated to a 6-speed gearbox, the powerplant is managed by MVICS system and comes with a counter-rotating crankshaft, hydraulic slipper clutch and EAS 2.0 quick shifter. Redline comes in at 11,500 RPM and MV says 90% of the torque is served at mere 3800 RPM! If not this, what’ll blow your mind is the way power is delivered. 100 km/hr comes up in under 4 seconds while the engine doesn’t seem to run out of breath even at 200 km/hr! The Brutale 800 has the tendency to pop a wheelie at the slightest throttle input which brings us to the other side of things. Fuelling is choppy and throttle on-off transitions are thoroughly felt, often accompanied by jerks. Due to this very reason, riding this monster in city limits becomes a task in itself.
This motorcycle lifts the front wheel at the drop of a hat!
As the name suggests, the Brutale 800 is brutal in terms of power delivery.
The bike sounds coarse lower down the RPM band but transforms into a screamer as the revs climb. Gear changes require some effort as the clutch is on the heavier side. However, EAS 2.0 quick shifter works like a charm and helps in seamless upshifts and downshifts. There are four riding modes to choose from (Normal, Sport, Rain, Custom) along with 8-level traction control and switchable ABS. Even under the umbrella of all these electronics, the front wheel tends to lift up more often than not requiring experienced hands to hold it back. Featuring a 16.5-litre fuel tank, the Brutale 800 averages around 12 to 15 kms to a litre in real world conditions.
At times, the front end feels disconnected because of the bike’s enormous pulling power
Ride quality will make you want to check if the suspension setup has fallen off somewhere!
Riding Dynamics – Sitting on a steel trellis frame, the Brutale 800 utilises Marzocchi USD forks up front and Sachs monoshock at the rear. While the setup is preload adjustable, it has been tuned for handling and it shows! The ability to handle broken roads is insubstantial and the motorcycle tends to throw you around even at the smallest of road undulations. However, it handles beautifully thanks to this underlying stiffness. It is quite easy to flick this motorcycle around corners and high speed stability is also unparalleled. Standard Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tyres offer tons of grip! While the disc brakes are sharp and powerful, Bosch 9 Plus ABS (with rear-wheel lift mitigation) definitely helps improve confidence by leaps and bounds.
One can very well sum up the Brutale 800 as the KTM Duke 390 of 800cc class!
Verdict – To be brutally honest, the Brutale 800 is nothing short of a drug. It calls for some scary moments on the road, is far from practical, has a back-breaking ride and costs a bomb. Yet, five minutes on the saddle are more than enough to transform all that hatred to sheer love. On the positive side, this machine is immense fun to ride and loaded with technology that makes it so much desirable to have! Spending Rs. 20 lakhs for the Brutale 800 doesn’t make sense unless you are a die-hard MV fan or have deep pockets and multiple superbikes at your disposal. The Street Triple S from Triumph, that costs half as much, offers comparable levels of kit and excitement. Even the more expensive and powerful Street Triple RS is better bang for the buck. Kinetic hasn’t priced the Brutale 800 that well and considering their sparse service network, this monster surely won’t work out for many!
Both the seats are high on quality but what about practicality?
What’s Cool
* Brutal performance, power wheelies become a routine
* EAS 2.0 quick shifter allows slick shifting between gears
* Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tyres stick to the road like a leech
* Cheapest option to gain some crazy bragging rights!
What’s Not So Cool
* Snatchy fuelling causes a lot of discomfort in city rides
* Suspension setup is incredibly stiff for our road conditions
* Unforgiving nature, not suited to novice riders
* Costs significantly more than similar-specced rivals
* Thin dealership network
We’ve got to give it to the Italians for aesthetics!
MV Agusta Brutale 800 Specifications
* Engine: 798cc, Liquid & Oil-Cooled, Three-Cylinder
* Power: 108.6 BHP @ 11,500 RPM
* Torque: 83 Nm @ 7600 RPM
* Transmission: 6-speed Manual
* 0-100 km/hr: 3.8 seconds (Est.)
* Top Speed: 237 km/hr
* Fuel Consumption: 17.85 km/l
* Fuel Type: Petrol
* Frame: Trellis
* Suspension: 43 mm USD Forks (Front), Monoshock (Rear)
* Tyres: 120/70/17 (Front), 180/55/17 (Rear), Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
* Brakes: 320 mm Dual Disc (Front), 220 mm Disc (Rear)
MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dimensions
* Length x Width x Height: 2045 mm x 875 mm x 1100 mm
* Wheelbase: 1400 mm
* Ground Clearance: 135 mm
* Seat Height: 830 mm
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 16.5-litres
* Weight: 175 kgs (Dry)
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