VOLUME 59 ISSUE 23 JUNE 7, 2022 P117
IRON FIST
WITH A WHOLE
FOODS
BAG
THE MV AGUSTA
BRUTALE 1000
RS PACKS
ONE BRUTAL
PUNCH BUT IN
A PACKAGE
FAR MORE
APPLICABLE
THAN THE NO-
HOLDS-BARRED
1000 RR
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN NITZEN & SCAYSBROOK
T
he upper echelons of an MV Agus-
ta Brutale 1000 RS's rev range is
not a place to hang out if you don't
like things happening real fast.
From 8000 rpm onwards, the
$26,600 RS develops such a brutal kick
in performance it reminds me of a time
many years ago I rode a heavily worked
Yamaha RZ500 V4 two-stroke motor in
an R6 chassis, when the best part of 100
horsepower was dumped onto the rear
tire in what felt like about 1500 rpm.
This kick in the RS's power comes
after another kick, which happens about
2000 rpm earlier. Like the more expen-
sive Brutale 1000 RR (although not quite
as bad), the RS has a bastard of a flat
spot at about 5000 rpm, making traffic
light getaways an exercise in fast launch-
es rather than sedate clutch releases.
Once that 5000-rpm dead spot is
cleared, the MV wakes up and punches
through the next 2000 rpm, at which
point you're bracing yourself for the real
frat party at 8000 rpm. The surge in drive
is immense, and proof my internal feeling
is this motor is just not a great example of
a flexible street engine.
