Road test of MV-Agusta800 BRUTALE 2016 The Italian with a big heart

as we head back to school and nature dons its autumn colors, it's time for a vacation! But not just any vacation: not one for frying on the beach, mine will be in Italian colors, with a test ride of the MV-Agusta Brutale 800. Stressed but eager to get to know this beautiful machine, I flew to Paris for the start of the test.
Objective number 1: pick up the bike and take it to the more winding roads of south-eastern France.
It all began on a grey Wednesday morning in Paris.... Oh no, big blue sky this morning, the Italian saints have planned everything.
Arriving at the dealership, the beauty catches my eye... Yes, she doesn't go unnoticed, you can recognize an MV straight away by its aggressive side to tame.

and then comes a moment you'd never have thought you'd experience, the kind of moment that leaves you speechless, a moment you'd think you were in a Joe Bar Team movie. I ask for a few explanations about the various maps, but it's the recommendations that will knock the teeth out of my mouth:
Recommendation 1: watch out, little lady, it's growing strong!
Recommendation 2: Be careful, it drinks!
Recommendation 3: be careful, sometimes it doesn't start right away - be patient, don't insist, it's an Italian!!!

let's cut to the chase: the stereotypical cliché about Italian women has taken a beating! Over the 2,908 km covered during the test, the bike encountered no problems whatsoever. The only casualty was my buttocks, which expressed its displeasure at the lack of comfort, but we'll come back to that later.

i leave the dealership, ready to take on 600 km via the freeway. Let's be clear, despite a good pick-up in sport mode and a smooth up & down shifter, the wild thing will deliver nothing but shortcomings.
First of all, the position: I was very unsettled to be so far forward. We're not on a sports bike, but we're not totally on a roadster either, it's a mix! That said, after the first few kilometers, you don't notice a thing, and you realize that sitting like this, the MV gives the rider a bike that's just right and precise in terms of trajectories. This, combined with the extra-wide handlebars, gives the trapezius muscles a real workout.
And don't count on the windscreen to protect you from speed - it's not an option on the 800.
Another Italian configuration we could have done without: the lack of comfort! Italian haute couture has to be earned, as I was warned! On this test bike, there was no comfort saddle. It was a rough-and-ready affair, enough to tan even the firmest of posteriors. The through space under the seat, reminiscent of the "Veloce", another MV model, could certainly have contributed to greater comfort, but that must not have been part of the specification.
The same goes for storage: forget it! Just remove the passenger seat to find out. On the plus side, MV has included tools for removing the driver's seat or the fuses, but has left no room for items such as yellow vests, rain gear or even the vehicle registration document. A final anecdote: to change the battery, you'll need time and patience, as you'll have to remove the fuel tank. We'd have expected easier access for a consumable that's frequently changed or dismantled.

as far as driving is concerned, it's a perfect communion with the asphalt. The slightest impurity is transmitted to the arms or column. The shock absorber setting could perhaps be reviewed, as smoothness is not part of the vocabulary to be used for this aptly named motorcycle. I was also disappointed by the bike's noise. The triple output of this diva certainly deserved a much more substantial and imposing vocals than the current one. In order to comply with European standards, MV has restrained its brute to the point of making it sound like a scooter at low revs, and it took more than 6-7,000 revs for it to sing more pleasantly to my ears.

another fault that jumped out at me during my long drive: the position of the indicator lights. In daylight, you need sharp eyesight to tell the difference between on and off. Positioned too low and too flat, I constantly had to step forward or hide them with my hand to check that a blinker hadn't been left on, which can quickly lead to some anxiety with the fuel reserve. Call me old-fashioned, but why have today's manufacturers, including MV, done away with the good old practical fuel gauge?
Aesthetics, some might say..... but with a range of less than 200 km (170 km was the maximum achieved during our test drive), you're almost always checking to make sure the warning light doesn't come on. On the other hand, once activated, the on-board computer instantly calculates the number of kilometers to go before running out of fuel, based on fuel consumption: pretty top-notch and practical! No more questions like: "How many kilometers will I cover with the reserve?
In short, testing the Brutale 800 on the freeway doesn't show it at its best, and it doesn't do it justice. And that's just as well, since the rest of the journey promises to be much more sinuous!

objective number 2: have fun, play, enjoy!
I decide to take the MV back to its country of origin. So, on a beautiful sunny September morning, just the way I like them, I set off for Italy, a country that specializes in pasta, pizza, gelatos and motorcycles.
Fed up with freeways, I'm craving hairpin bends and mountain passes to find out all about it. Of course, like any self-respecting Italian, she's no pushover. Every bend is a battle to see who's boss. She with her brutal front braking, me putting all my weight into turning her..... It's a real boxing match. Her featherweight and good recovery mean that at the end of this rhythmic and enjoyable match, we're on the same team - these ladies are players! However, with a turning radius of a semi-trailer, I wasn't convinced.

on the other hand, what won me over and which I adopted immediately was the up/down shifter. Particularly comfortable and smooth, you hardly ever use the clutch lever, except when shifting into first gear.
Since their rebirth at the dawn of the 21st century, MV-Agustas have distinguished themselves by their ultra-seductive lines and spirited, characterful engines. Sometimes delicate and vindictive, the Varese distillers. Today, this 3-legged berlingot seems to have reached the age of reason. From the very first turns of the wheel, it appears more civilized than its predecessor, with engine management that continues to improve. But the Brutale is still a mischievous teenager, well-behaved in front of her parents, and unrestrained when the going gets tough.
Let's weld! Once past 6-7,000 rpm, the engine climbs to the red zone with delightful hysteria, belting out vocals in the purest Italian mechanical tradition. A little turbine that takes you along in its passion, quickly transforming the speed figures. The thrust is straightforward and continuous, requiring a minimum of composure but without dismantling you like some of the segment's stars. This makes for more optimism when using the right hand. You let the revs drop on purpose, so you can savour the madness again and again as the 3-cylinder crosses the boundary between reason and joy. At mid-range, the torque is very present, polishing the TrePistone's spirited character in the process. Better for everyday use, even if some appreciated the more spectacular side of the ex-800. But rest assured. No one sleeps in the boiler, and all it takes is a little optimism for the cavalcade to resume with impetuosity.

the Italian block also has other uses. In everyday use, the brutal 800 will delight its user.
MV has provided 4 modes: rain, sport, normal and custom, so that everyone can find what they're looking for. Custom mode lets the user save his or her own settings. The other 3 modes completely change the bike's character and behavior. I've always been afraid of riding in the rain, because of the jolts, the risk of slipping, etc... but with this bike: goodbye fears! The Rain mapping transforms it into a reassuringly smooth bike, with no risk of jerking under acceleration for stressed riders like me. I found the normal mode perfectly suited to city traffic, especially Italian traffic, with good pick-up when needed.

but let's take a look at the details and aesthetics of the bike, starting with the practicality of the buttons. The position of the blinker button has been reversed compared to Asian brands. Japanese brands often place the blinker button above the horn, but this time it's the other way round, which causes some confusion at first.
The discovery of a fog light button was my best surprise. As the LED night lighting is already very effective, switching to fog light illuminates the road as if it were daylight. MV's attention to detail extends to the ignition button, which also acts as a circuit breaker and is perfectly integrated into the bike's aesthetics. I do have one reservation, however, with regard to the button used to access the trip computer settings. It's not easy to validate the selected modes, and the soft plastic of this button won't, in my opinion, last long.
Another unsettling feature is the detentless fuel filler cap. As a result, you're always in doubt as to whether you've closed it properly, running the risk of forcing the key out of place. And when you know how much it costs to make a duplicate, this is a small detail of considerable importance.
The test of this bike would not have been complete without a compulsory passage on the passenger seat, which is not as unpleasant as it may seem at first glance. The position isn't forward-leaning like a sports bike, but as a former sandbagger, I wouldn't want to go on a long outing.

after all these adventures, it's time to return the beauty... And it's with a certain twinge of sadness and a desire to continue my journey with her, that I hand back the keys. I could see that the brand had lost none of its splendor and prestige, as evidenced by the many Italians and Germans who called out to me on the road.
Despite the negative points that came out during our meeting, the Brutale is still a motorcycle I fell in love with, and it made me understand why some people are afficionados of Italian brands. To take to the road with an MV is to engage in a road duel with a beauty of strong character, where some Japanese bikes are more linear. The pleasure of driving and the banana under the helmet were clearly present when it was time to hit the road, and this is a successful gamble for the manufacturer.