Motorcycle specifications MV-Agusta800 Dragster R 2024 Fierce nights

"Rosso? Who's Rosso?!? Sorry, it's not with us. Or in the archives...". Truth be told, the Dragster Rosso is still around, but under the R name now. It's a little more stuffy, and as the machine is now available in several colors, it logically couldn't keep a patronymic that limited it to catalog red.

Anyway, let's move on. Let's see if the R has brought a few extras with it. There's a ride-by-wire throttle with improved feel, a more intuitive system for switching off the cruise control, an improved seat, tweaked electronics, Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires, a rear brake with improved response and an anti-friction coating on the fork tubes.

So, the MV-Agusta 800 Dragster is now an R model. It's not a special series, nor a declination, but the name of the basic model. Not everyone wants the RR, its overexcited engine and the price tag that goes with it.

It's been updated to 2023, as we've just read. But let's not forget that the factory had carried out a general update of the 800 platform not so many years ago. The Dragster benefited from improved electronics. The most visible of these was the 5.5-inch color TFT screen, equipped with GPS, Bluetooth, an integrated navigator and the MV Ride app.
Engine management was fine-tuned, while riding aids gained an inertial unit, Continental MK100 active cornering ABS, 3rd-generation Up&Down shifter and cruise control.

Its counter-rotating crankshaft engine received new internal parts, an improved clutch and a revised exhaust. The three final flutes now sport a much more prominent design.
The chassis has also had a few tweaks, including new suspension settings, a more progressive rear shock linkage and redesigned frame plates to improve torsion and longitudinal rigidity.

So this is where the Dragster begins. What's different from the RR? Less horsepower, no more spoked rims and fewer refined details.
But... What changes from the old Dragster not RR? The look! Shoulders, pelvis, silhouette. At last! You might say. The RR had given itself a new look for some time. Largely inspired by the redesign of the 800 Brutale, in fact. An upgrade completed by a price re-indexing. Does this Dragster want to flirt?

black or red are the only color choices for the R; straightforward, with no stickers or gimmicks. This borderline simplistic choice, combined with the elimination of the sabot and the optimization of parts manufacturing, means that this model can be offered at a more accommodating price. The difference with the Dragster RR is obvious, even more so now that the latter is equipped with the SCS clutch.

The three-cylinder engine installed here is common to all R models, a 798 cm3 block with counter-rotating crankshaft - rated at 112 hp at 11,500 rpm, with maximum torque of 8.67 mkg at 8,500 rpm. These figures have improved slightly since the switch to Euro5.
The Dragster has never sought to differentiate itself from its sibling, the Brutale, by its engine, but rather by its design, with a stern shaped like a Walking Dead character and a surly driving position. The 800 Dragster's cockpit makes all the difference. The handlebar arms are mounted on spindles that can be adjusted to 3 positions.

The on-board electronics are based on the MVICS 2.1 platform, which has been extended to the entire MV-Agusta range. It includes 4 driving modes that work with engine management, traction control, ride-by-wire throttle sensitivity, engine braking, torque curve, etc...
The chassis is virtually identical to that of the Brutales, with the exception of a large 200 mm rear tire. Otherwise, the frame is a combination of aluminum plates and tubular steel trellis, with a 43 mm Marzocchi inverted fork, Sachs shock absorber, monobrakes and 320 mm Brembo brakes with 4-piston radial calipers. We can't get enough of Varese's lightweight production figures. The engine block weighs just 52 kilos, and the 800 Drasgter has set its weight at 175 kilos.

The MV-Agusta 800 Dragster remains a beautiful, singularly aggressive machine. Its rear end remains a thing of beauty. But today, as yesterday, it's not a new bike; it's a Brutale with a (superb) kick in the butt, a slightly sportier temperament and a few cosmetic specificities. It's another version of the style that lets you choose between streetfighter and "Mad-Max-roadster".

M.B - Manufacturer's photos