P88
2020 MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 1000 PROTOT YPE
RIDE REVI EW
tion at any revs, thanks to the effective gear-driven
counterbalancer installed.
Finesse to match the power
So, powering through the gears and shifting at
14,000 rpm delivers warp factor acceleration—but
the Brutale goes around corners well, too, and in
some ways this was the most impressive aspect
of the new bike's development. I've ridden the fac-
tory F4 Superbike in the form it was in when Leon
Camier took it over, and let's just say he had work
to do to make it remotely competitive, because
it steered like a truck—heavy and hard to change
direction with, and seemingly unpredictable in the
way it fell on its side into turns. That he and Gillen's
technical team succeeded in redressing that was
proved by the bike's race results in Leon's hands—
and the benefits of that development have been
incorporated in the new Brutale.
This now handles in an improbably agile manner
for such a powerful and frankly meaty motorcycle—
and it's forgiving, too. You can make an error of
judgement with your turn speed halfway around a
bend, finger the front brake lever to cram off a little
speed, and the Brutale just slows, without sitting
up and heading for the hedges—or the yellow and
red painted tires lining the Pirelli test track.
Yet get your judgement right, and it sails around
turns one gear higher than you might have ex-
pected, the front Pirelli glued to the track surface,
and the Öhlins suspension working in perfect
concert. The engine mapping is ideal in both Sport
and Race modes, and though throttle response is
notably more aggressive in the latter, pickup from
a closed throttle is strong rather than snatchy, and
you feel a sense of control that's very welcome
with such a potent performance package.
Has MV just created the
ultimate naked bike? Alan
certainly thinks so.
