FIRST RIDE
P68
2014 MV AGUSTA RIVALE 800
great bike for riding in town as it
allows you to see over traffic and
plan your route.
I had to pinch myself to remember what I was riding. That's because you sit almost four inches
farther forward than on the Brutale,
so that you end up with your chin
seemingly hanging over the front
fender. Combine that with the flat
bars and it reminded me of the first
generation Ducati Monster.
At first I thought the wellshaped seat sloped too steeply
forwards, so that I risked crushing my crown jewels on the back
of the tank. But once under way, I
realized that with your feet on both
footpegs your knees tuck nicely
against its flanks. Makes you feel
at one with the bike, not perched
on top of it as it initially feels when
straddling such a tall seat.
This is an extremely well
thought-out riding position, with
much reduced weight on your
arms and wrists that means it's
less tiring to ride for longer distances. Couple that with the comfortable seat that left no trace of
numb-bum syndrome after 70
some miles of carving corners
through the Provencal hills, interspersed with fast drags along
long, straight A-roads, it means
the Rivale is much more of an all-
