Middleweight supernaked gets Euro5 engine mods, updated chassis and electronics updates – plus new ‘Rosso’ entry-level variant
Times are hard all round these days – so it’s maybe no surprise that MV Agusta is extending its offering downwards a little, with a new entry-level Rosso variant of its sweet Brutale middleweight super-naked.
The Rosso uses a detuned 112bhp version of the firm’s three-cylinder 800cc motor, but keeps almost the same levels of chassis and electronic tech (minus launch control and steering damper), and is part of the 2021 range update. There’s also an A2 compliant version available with 46bhp for riders with an A2 restricted licence.
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The main model is the Dragster 800 RR, with a 140bhp Euro5 compliant 798cc engine, a new stiffer frame design, and a fully overhauled electronics package. That features a new IMU Inertial Measurement Unit from Milan firm e-Novia, which allows cornering ABS and traction control, wheelie control, launch control and a general updating of the entire rider aids package.
It’s controlled via a bar-mounted joystick and extensive switchgear, plus a 5.5” TFT LCD dashboard. There’s also Bluetooth connectivity to the MVRide smartphone app for full integration, settings and datalogging, and a cruise control system for easy distance work.
Engine revisions are minimal, and mostly aimed at reducing friction and maintaining power and torque while meeting those tough Euro5 rules. The valve gear now has super-slippy Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coated parts, the fuel injectors work at higher pressures and there’s a new ECU controlling it all, while the most obvious change for 2021 is probably an all-new triple-exit exhaust system.
The rear swingarm has a new linkage setup, and both the Marzocchi fork and rear Sachs shock have revised damping. Add in Brembo brakes and an adjustable steering damper, and you have a fairly high-end chassis kit package. Dry mass is a commendable 175kg.
Together with the Rosso and the RR, Agusta is also offering an updated version of the SCS Smart Clutch System on the 2021 Brutale range. The SCS uses a centrifugal operating plate, which gradually locks up the clutch as the engine revs increase, and releases as you come to a halt, giving a simple automatic transmission that’s akin to a twist-and-go scooter in town.
You still have a normal clutch lever and can use it whenever you fancy, as normal, but the automatic clutch simply adds an extra level of ease for urban start-stop trips.
There’s no word on prices or availability as yet, but we’d expect the new 2021 bikes to be available soon. More, as ever, when we get it.