Brutale 910

BRUTALE 910

CW RIDING IMPRESSION

MV's big buck-Naked

When MV Agusta crammed its radial-valved 750cc inline-Four into a beautiful naked streetfighter chassis we applauded. After riding it, we hooted and hollered. But now that MV has shoehorned a 909cc version into the trellis framed Brutale we're speechless.

The original Brutale was fun, don’t get us wrong, but with stiff competition from Ducati’s Monsters, Yamaha’s FZ1 and Triumph’s

Speed Triple, it just wasn’t packing enough firepower to satisfy our cravings.

Situation remedied. The Brutale 910 has upped the ante substantially with 120.5 rear-wheel horsepower and 64.1 foot-pounds of torque (the 750 made 105.8 hp and 50.1 ft.-lbs.), providing more than enough oomph despite the bike weighing 14 pounds more than the 750 (447 vs. 433 lbs.).

To keep the front end from ending up behind you, MV made second gear, primary and final-drive ratios taller. Good idea. With a very sporting 55.6-inch wheelbase (a touch shorter than the 750’s) and that torquey powerplant, this bike likes to wheelie. A new quick-change rear sprocket will speed up gearing changes if you feel so inclined.

The engine features higher-compression 13:1 pistons (up from 12:1). The dohc, radially arranged 16-valve head design is unique to MV Agusta and helps maintain a compact combustion chamber and narrow included valve angle for improved fuel-mixture burn. Top-end performance is impressive, but what really makes the 910 stand out is bottom-end torque. At 4000 rpm the bigger engine makes a whopping 16 ft.-lbs. more than the 750, and the torque curve stays flat and usable all the way up to 10,000 rpm before tapering off.

Riding the MV is a different experience compared to most other Fours. The engine has a very light flywheel, which makes the tach needle snap to attention, but also makes compression braking rrr* throttle is barely

cracked off. Missing from the 910’s bag of tricks is MV’s EBS (Engine Brake System) as found on the F4 1000 repli-racer. This eliminates back-torque by injecting air into the no. 2 cylinder downstream of the throttle body, maintaining a small amount of drive torque when the throttle is closed and thus reducing engine braking. In normal street riding, EBS isn’t missed, but hard chargers on track days will probably wish it was on the standard-equipment list.

EBS or no, the Brutale is a hardcore, focused performance machine, so those of you looking for a less-aggressive sporty standard need not apply. Suspension is firm (bordering on harsh) for commuting and everyday riding. Even with the high-speed compression dialed completely out and the low-speed set to “plush," the Sachs rear shock can deliver some pretty good jolts up your spine. Likewise, the 50mm Marzocchi upside-down fork is taut. Ah, but hit the curves and the 910 carves like Apolo Anton on a Torino short-track ice rink. Suddenly the bike is transformed into a precise, purposeful cornering machine. Wallow apparently doesn’t translate well into Italian. The Brutale likes sweepers-not that it has a beef with the tight stuff-the bigger the radius the better. Stability and grip from the front is exemplary, giving the rider confidence to twist that wrist a bit farther.

Getting the bike slowed down isn’t an issue with the six-pot Nissins, but as on other MVs we wish the front master cylinder would provide more feel and stronger initial bite.

With the $14,495Brutale 910, MV set out to finish what it started with the 750, giving the competition fits. The additional engine performance combined with an already great chassis makes the bike more nasty than nice; exactly what we were hoping for in the first place. -Blake Conner