MV Agusta Brutale 800 RR: Brutale Truth
The Brutale 800 RR is as much motorcycle as it is art. Its sharp lines and aggressive stance leave no doubt you’re dealing with top-shelf performance – as you’d expect for your hard-earned $24,990 (rideaway). But my time with MV Agusta’s recently overhauled Brutale was filled with such mixed emotions, it’d be best described as a love-hate relationship.
Thing is, I’m no stranger to MV Agustas or the Brutale, having ridden several examples in recent years, and they’ve all had a similar story: mouth-watering looks, earth-shattering performance, heart-wrenching flaws.
Poor throttle connection has been the boutique Italian brand’s Achilles heel. Every motorcycle marque has faced the same challenges since EFI became commonplace, but it seems MV has struggled more than most.
Other common complaints have been gearboxes that shift inconsistently, twitchy handling at speed and noisy engines. None of this is a secret and there isn’t much of the Brutale that hasn’t changed. The alloy subframe is all-new, the chassis has a more relaxed geometry (less rake and more trail) and the 798cc triple has been overhauled.
Company engineers had quite the task to comply with strict Euro 4 regulations, which they achieved by reducing exhaust gas and noise emissions by a whopping 50 per cent. This involved revising the cylinder head with new camshafts and valve guides as well as fitting a harmonic-damping bolt to reduce vibration. Exhaust manifold valves and extensive engine case covers also have been added to reduce noise. Other redesigned engine components include a mechanical cam-chain tensioner, countershaft, starter motor, primary gear drive, transmission gears and a hydraulic clutch.
LOOK, SOUND, FEEL
This mid-spec Brutale 800 RR was in our possession for several weeks. This not only allowed me to ride it in various environments and conditions, but it also gave me the chance to get to know its multiple personalities.
But first, have Euro 4-compliance changes strangled the Brutale 800 RR’s performance? Not in the slightest. It hauls arse from the moment you open the taps. Admittedly, I have a soft spot for triples, but this impressive engine has the go to match the show.
After all the talk of reducing noise, I found the bike still on the loud side. The amount of mechanical rattle while stationary is still alarming. But the measures taken to help quieten it for admirers on the sidelines are noticeable. From the seated position, however, she isn’t quiet, and as it passes 6000rpm the mechanic noises are drowned out by the induction howl. Then, as revs reach around 10,000rpm, the exhaust note gains your attention.
The ride experience is where my emotions are mixed. During initial rides in and around town, I was immediately impressed with the huge improvement in throttle connection. The hydraulic clutch has a light action on take-off and the up/down quickshifter can’t be faulted.
This new Brutale was showing itself to be easier in every way. In the comfort department, however, it’s not so different – the seat is bloody hard. Its sleek design is obviously there to achieve the artistic open space beneath it. It looks so good I can happily accept it as form over function. Also hard is the suspension, which, combined with the thinly padded seat, transfers jolts from the road up your spine. The riding position is otherwise upright with a forward tilt to the wide handlebars, which positions you like a sprinter ready to launch from the starting blocks.
The Brutale is quick to remind you it’s a star athlete, and one without compromise. Its ferocious performance constantly goads you to misbehave even with the ride mode set to ‘Normal’ (there’s also traction control, engine braking and ABS thresholds to be fettled).
Traffic lights become race starts and, once red goes green, it’s easy to get carried away with an airborne front wheel as the howling triple rapidly builds revs. Upshifting the gearbox is silky smooth under positive throttle, and it only gets smoother with more revs.
After quickly reaching straight-to-jail speed, the Brembo brakes with the latest Bosch ABS with rear-wheel mitigation have the rapid stopping power and excellent lever feel to get you back to the right side of the law.
I returned from these rides grinning from ear to ear relieved in the knowledge that the problems of previous models were gone.
For the next ride, I selected ‘Sport’ mode and headed for the hills to let the Brutale 800 RR stretch its legs. On your typical-Aussie bumpy road, the suspension goes from hard to harsh. I was shocked at how lively the suspension was at speed, so I stopped to make adjustments. Softening compression and rebound on the fork is simple. Unfortunately, though, the Sachs shock adjuster is behind the chassis and near-impossible to access with a regular screwdriver. Post-adjustment, the fork was a bit better, but the rear remained the same.
MV Agusta Australia technical manager and regular racer Chas Hern had already removed three turns of spring preload from the shock and fork before I took delivery. And to think the Brutale comes off the production line with an even firmer setting than what I was testing.
The sense of throttle connectivity is considerably better than before, but it still reacts too much to minor inputs. On bumpy roads, that means unintentional throttle spikes. Changing from ‘Sport’ to ‘Normal’ ride mode does reduce the sensitivity, however.
The quick steering of old is still there, but this model doesn’t shake its head and remains reasonably stable.
That’s just as well because, as flashy as the adjustable steering damper is, its eight levels of adjustment appeared to have no effect on steering resistance.
THE REAL WORLD
When the roads straightened, I got a chance to drag race the MV against a mate on his new BMW S 1000 R. From a standing start, the bikes were neck and neck for the first 100 metres, and from there the bigger-capacity BMW barely gained a bike length with each gear change. The Brutale 800 RR’s engine indeed proved itself as extremely strong in acceleration.
Upping the ante, I chose some technical sections of road I knew well to see how the MV fared. I wasn’t smiling as I was again being jarred by the suspension. My diagnosis wasn’t that the springs are too stiff but the initial damping doesn’t open soon enough to allow the suspension to work through its full stroke.
Frustrated, I went digging for answers and discovered a possible explanation for the bike’s handling: MV Agusta conducted the bulk of the bike’s development at the famous Misano GP circuit. The problem is, Misano is one of the smoothest circuits on the MotoGP calendar, which means it’s a far cry from a real-world road surface, let alone the typical bumpy ones we ride in Australia.
Our remaining time together seemed to mirror these previous rides: a smile around town or clenched teeth on the open road.
MV Agusta has been held on a pedestal since Giacomo Agostini began winning world championships on them, and it’s positioned as a premium brand. In the styling department, this may be so, but I struggle to accept that a motorcycle with a premium price still has such niggles. I figure some of my frustration comes from seeing how brilliant this bike could be. It’s 2018, we live in a global society with many brilliant bikes to choose from – we can no longer accept foibles as being ‘Italian characteristics’.
I can appreciate the huge amount of work involved in technically overhauling the Brutale 800 RR for 2018, from its new chassis to its intoxicating engine performance in the face of strict Euro 4 emissions. Not to mention the styling, which has gone from superb to sublime. It’s a shame MV’s engineers have brushed over some vital points like the stiff suspension and whimpy steering damper which, when combined, let the overall package down.
But if none of that is of concern and you can get the suspension dialled in – and like to stand out in a crowd – then your Italian supermodel awaits at your nearest MV Agusta dealership.
