MV Agusta has announced its entry into the adventure bike segment by announcing two models, the Lucky Explorer 9.5 and the Lucky Explorer 5.5. The Lucky Explorer design was presented last year at the EICMA show in prototype form, and now, both these models have been announced in production form. The two models will be available on sale in Europe in the first quarter of 2023, and the Lucky Explorer adventure bikes are inspired by the Cagiva Elefant that raced in the original Paris-Dakar rally in the 1990s.
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The Lucky Explorer 9.5 is powered by a 931 cc, inline three-cylinder engine which makes 122 bhp at 10,000 rpm and 102 Nm at 7,000 rpm. The 9.5 will compete directly with the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro.
The bigger Lucky Explorer 9.5 is powered by a 931 cc, inline three-cylinder, 12-valve, DOHC engine derived from MV Agusta’s 800 cc inline triple, by increasing the bore and stroke, and comes with a counter rotating crankshaft and six-speed cassette-type gearbox. By the specifications, the engine seems to be a relatively high-revving one with 122 bhp at 10,000 rpm and 102 Nm of peak torque at 7,000 rpm.
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Three riding modes, cornering ABS, fully-adjustable suspension and Bluetooth connectivity all come in the 9.5
There are three riding modes; urban, touring and off-road, and the bike comes with an inertial measurement unit which controls the Continental cornering ABS, which is adjusted automatically with each riding mode, but can also be deactivated completely or only on the rear wheel for dirt use. The 7-inch screen gets Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity to communicate with the MV Ride app that offers a long list of features.
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The 9.5 gets long-travel suspension, good ground clearance and fully-adjustable suspension
The 9.5 runs on 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel combination, offering spoked wheels with tubeless tyres, and suspended from 48 mm upside down fully adjustable Sachs forks with 220 mm travel, and Sachs monoshock with rebound, compression and spring preload adjustability at the rear, with 210 mm travel. Ground clearance is 230 mm and the bike’s dry weight is 220 kg.
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The smaller MV Agusta Lucky Explorer 5.5 is a result of the Italian brand's partnership with QJMotor. The engine and frame are based on the Benelli TRK 502.
The smaller Lucky Explorer 5.5 is the product of MV Agusta’s partnership with China’s Qianjiang Group, owner of the Benelli and QJMotor brands. The 5.5 features a 550 cc, parallel-twin, which is a derivative of the Benelli TRK 502’s engine. The engine is tuned to produce 47 bhp at 7,500 rpm and 51 Nm at 5,500 rpm. Even the 5.5 has a dry weight of 220 kg, and suspension is from KYB, with a 43 mm fork with rebound and preload adjustability and a fully-adjustable monoshock.
Both the Lucky Explorer 9.5 and 5.5 come with design inspired by the 1990s Cagiva Elefant.
Both the MV Agusta Lucky Explorer 9.5 and Lucky Explorer 5.5 are expected to be launched in Europe sometime in March, or April 2023, and are expected to be introduced in the North American market as well. So far, MV Agusta doesn’t have presence in India, but that could change with KTM acquiring 25 per cent stake in the Italian brand.
