Brutale Dragster 800

The 3-cylinder Brutale 675 and 800 have introduced countless riders to that awesome buzz that goes with riding a high-performance naked bike. Outstanding ridability, power under constant control, lightness, great design, and exceptional value for money. This unmatched combination has made the 3-cylinder Brutale a huge success. Now, the Brutale 800 Dragster takes a big step forward into the future, yet does so with an attentive eye to the past. The most extreme Brutale ever is no fan of compromise: irreverent and brash, it is essential, brusque, outspoken and irascible.

Packing a powerful punch, the Brutale 800 Dragster takes exhilaration to a whole new level. At the same time it draws on the ideas that shaped the first 4-cylinder Brutale bikes, the very essence of the naked concept and monuments to incomparable styling. Linking yesterday and tomorrow, the Brutale 800 Dragster embodies both experience and intuition, symbolising motorcycling past, present and forever. Pure essence. Pure thrills. 100% Brutale.

With consummate Italian craftsmanship, the Brutale 800 Dragster re-evokes the epic DNA of the “dragster” race bikes, specifically built to release their explosive power in the few seconds that separate clutch release from the chequered flag. Seconds as scorching hot as the rubber left smoking on the tarmac. Seconds that speed by in the blink of a tachometer. In pursuit of unforgettable sensations. The Brutale 800 Dragster flings open the doors to the idea that freedom is attainable. On two wheels. Or even on just one.

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ENGINE

Engineering that enhances manufacturing efficiency: the 3-cylinder MV Agusta platform demonstrates how conscientiousness at the concept and design stages can result in the development of completely original models from the same, shared technological base. The new Brutale 800 Dragster is no exception to that rule, once again highlighting the versatility of the cutting-edge MV Agusta platform centred on a 3-cylinder engine that has made the greatest developmental progress in its market segment. The goals laid out in the project brief were highly ambitious: performance at the top of the respective displacement categories (675 and 800), maximum elasticity, low fuel consumption and a torque curve spread evenly across the power range. And unprecedented compactness: the three-cylinder MV Agusta engine, built to achieve all these goals, weighs just 52 kg, giving improved output flexibility and better load distribution on the axles, on both the new Brutale 800 Dragster and the other models that already mount this feisty in-line 3-cylinder Italian engine.

Key technical features include the shell-cast closed-deck crankcase with integral bore liners; the need for compactness has also imposed full integration of the water and oil circuits and their respective pumps. Just as significant – and exclusive – is the counter-rotating crankshaft, a solution from the racing world where ride responsiveness has absolute priority and the only judge of performance is the stopwatch. The counter-rotating crankshaft reduces inertia during changes of direction because it lowers that inertia during deceleration; this enhances handling, the excellence of which is already a built-in top-priority feature on every MV Agusta chassis set-up. Compared to previous 3-cylinder configurations, the one specially developed for the Brutale 800 Dragster focuses on fast-response, linear power output, putting a mighty roar into this roadster. The 125 hp power peak is reached at 11,600 rpm, while the maximum torque of 81 Nm comes at 8,600 rpm. Completing this highly sophisticated package is the removable 6-speed gearbox, with ratios designed to ensure awesome acceleration and a sports-category top speed should the bike be unleashed on the track.

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ELECTRONICS

The new MVICS (Motor&Vehicle Integrated Control) injection-ignition system features the very latest software and an engine control strategy first implemented, with great success, on the Rivale 800 and now extended to the entire 3-cylinder MY2014 range. The MVICS platform also features the Eldor EM2.0 engine control unit and a Mikuni Full Ride-By-Wire throttle body. Fully integrated control allows, via instrumentation and switchgears, easy adjustment of numerous user-settable parameters. More specifically, the system lets the rider configure the torque setting with 4 different mappings. Three of these are set directly by the manufacturer and named according to the relative riding conditions (Sport, Normal and Rain) while the fourth leaves the rider free to define, within established limits, all the individual parameters: engine response, rev limiter, engine torque response, throttle sensitivity, engine braking. As you’d expect, 8-level traction control (which can be disengaged) is also included: the relative algorithms have been tweaked perfectly to ensure maximum precision, a must on a bike such as the new Brutale 800 Dragster as one of its defining characteristics is astounding acceleration.

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CHASSIS SET-UP

The frame configuration, which has characterised the 3-cylinder platform since its inception, features an ALS tubular steel load-bearing structure, supplemented by lightweight aluminium alloy plates. This combination forms part of the production flexibility concept which inspired the 3-cylinder project and consequently allows the design of specially-developed frames for each model without disrupting the underlying look or essence. Note that this same set-up has characterised MV Agusta models since the launch of the astonishing F4: today’s 3-cylinder Italian-built MV Agusta bikes offer an even more highly evolved version of the concept.

The front, tubular section employs a steel alloy with exceptional metallurgical qualities that, while extremely lightweight, provide outstanding torsional rigidity, especially in those areas most subject to stress, such as the steering head. The aluminium alloy plates close off the structure at the rear and act as the fulcrum for the single-sided swingarm. A compact wheelbase of just 1,380 mm, identical to that of the Brutale 800, strikes a perfect balance, ensuring excellent handling and stability; the 95 mm trail boosts the already outstanding front end performance, making for enhanced ridability and bike control. Another eye-catching feature perfectly in keeping with the Brutale 800 Dragster design ethos is the attention-grabbing Pirelli DIABLO Rosso II rear tyre with a width of 200 mm and a /50 aspect ratio.

The suspension system features fully adjustable units, allowing personalisation of compression and rebound settings, as well as providing a selection of spring pre-load options. The Ø 43 mm upside-down Marzocchi fork provides 125 mm of travel; the Sachs rear shock gives the single-sided swingarm – also in aluminium alloy – 125 mm of travel. The 811 mm high seat has been redesigned to improve comfort and practicality and boasts a craftsman-like finish with stylishly stitched seams. Riders can also count on even more functional foot pegs and supports, and new heel guards which, just like the wheel rims, have been specially customised for the Dragster. Equipped with first class Brembo components, the braking system relies on a pair of Ø 320 mm floating front discs, equipped with 4-piston calipers (Ø 32 mm); the rear unit, instead, has a Ø 220 mm steel disc and mounts a 2-piston caliper (Ø 34 mm).

SPECIFICATIONS

In detail, the main features of MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster:

• In-line three-cylinder engine, 798 cc
• Bore 79.0 mm, stroke 54.3 mm
• Maximum power 125 HP-EC (92 kW) at 11,600 rpm
• Maximum torque 81 Nm at 8,600 rpm
• Limiter at 13,000 rpm
• Dry weight 167 kg
• Power-weight ratio 1.34 kg/HP
• Tyres Pirelli DIABLO Rosso II 120/70 – ZR 17 front, 200/50 – ZR 17 rear

MSRP $14,798