The next MV Agusta bike to be launched in India will be the much-anticipated MV Agusta Brutale 800. Italian motorcycle brand MV Agusta is marketed and sold under the MotoRoyale initiative of the Kinetic Group, and the Brutale 800 will be launched in July, at around Rs. 15 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The Brutale 800 was supposed to be launched last year, but now the 2017 model is undergoing homologation and the bike has been brought to India as semi knocked down (SKD) kits, and assembled here at the Kinetic plant, MotoRoyale Managing Director Ajinkya Firodia told CarandBike.
"The SKD route essentially means the engine won't be assembled here, but we bolt on the engine to the chassis and body here. Homologation formalities are almost done and we will launch the Brutale 800 in July," Firodia said. "The price isn't finalised yet, but we intend to price it around Rs. 15 lakh, plus-minus 10 per cent," he added.
2017 MV Agusta Brutale 800
The 2017 MV Agusta Brutale 800 gets some styling updates and meets the current Euro 4 emission and noise regulations. Overall, the new Brutale 800 gets some subtle but noticeable changes - newly sculpted lines on the fuel tank, full LED headlight, new fender, and redesigned tail section. The passenger seat has been redesigned too, and now gets concealed grab handles, revised tail light, LED blinkers and a new instrument panel, handlebar and controls. The signature slashed three-pipe exhaust has been retained, but the chassis gets some changes as well, with a longer wheelbase and extended trail. Overall, the muscular lines of this naked middleweight are retained and the Brutale 800 looks as desirable as ever.
798 cc in-liine triple engine of MV Agusta Brutale 800
The powerplant is a revised, 798 cc in-line three motor with 12 valves and counter-rotating crankshaft, which makes 109 bhp at 11,500 rpm and peak torque of 83 Nm at 7,600 rpm. MV Agusta says 90 per cent of that torque is available from as low as 3,800 rpm. Then there's an integrated multi-map ride by wire system with different riding modes, eight-level traction control and an electronic EAS 2.0 shift assist for clutchless shifts and a hydraulic slipper clutch.
2017 MV Agusta Brutale 800
Suspension includes a 43 mm Marzocchi fork up front, and a Sachs monoshock unit at the rear, tied to the single-sided swingarm. Braking duties are carried out by dual 320 mm floating discs up front gripped by four-piston Brembo calipers and a 220 mm single disc at the rear wheel gripped by a two-piston caliper. There's a switchable ABS system from Bosch and the wheels are shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso III rubber.
In India, the new MV Agusta Brutale 800 will compete against the likes of the Ducati Monster 821, Kawasaki Z900, Yamaha MT-09 and the updated 2017 Triumph Street Triple. The Brutale 800 will be more expensive than any of these bikes, but it offers the legacy associated with the MV name, and will certainly appeal to some who want a premium middleweight naked with exotic Italian lineage, and the looks and performance to back it.
