VOLUME 59 ISSUE 4 JANUARY 25, 2022 P93
bars is at odds with the tradition-
al naked bike demeanor.
Those handlebars help the
Brutale rider load the front tire
up in a far superior manner than
on something like a KTM 1290
Super Duke R. Your body is
lower to the front axle and you
can properly bury the front under
braking, pushing the Pirelli into
the tarmac as you sail around
long, sweeping bends.
In tight city streets, however,
the ride position is, shall I say,
a case of form over function.
Unless you're pushing hard, and
measure less than 5'9" in height,
the Brutale is about as comfort-
able as a trip to the chiropractor,
which you'll need after a few
rides, anyway.
It's here the exhausts play
a bigger role than they should
in the ride position. Wait. Ex-
hausts? What the hell have they
got to do with the ride position?
Put simply, when you get in the
attack riding position, your feet
will clatter against the backs of
the mufflers on the black heel
guards and passenger pegs,
making it near impossible to find
a comfy place to rest your feet.
Combine this with the plank-hard
seat and the extra weight on your
wrists with the aforementioned
handlebar position, and I can
only conclude this is a naked
bike that is far more uncomfort-
able than even MV Agusta's
own F3 supersport bike, thus
negating the benefits of like, you
know, naked bike riding. There's
a first time for everything.
Anyway, moving on.
It should be of no surprise to
know the Brutale comes with all
the electronics you'd expect for
a $35K-plus naked sport bike,
but in typical MV fashion they
are bloody irritating to use. The
radially mounted 5.5-inch dash
is a jewel of industrial design,
the unit looking like it's floating
above the tank, but accessing
the various modes and settings
like TC and wheelie quickly is not
(Insert Crocodile
Dundee voice) That's
not a triple-clamp. This
is a triple-clamp!
Gotta love that nine-
spoke webbed wheel.
