Fast Bikes Magazine July 2024 issue **FREE 20 PAGE PREVIEW**

NAKED BIKE SPECIAL

YAMAHA XSR900 GP LIFE BEHIND THE BARS OF THIS RETRO-STYLED REPROBATE

JU LY ISS 202 UE 4 417

FOUR BIKES, 200 MILES, ONE WINNER

RETRO RELISH

H TRIUMPE 765RS TRIPL STREET

KTM 990 DUKE

WE GO IN HUNT OF THE BEST T NAUGHTY NAKED FOR THE ROA AD MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 800RR

DUCATI 2 STREETFIGHTER V

TT RACER

LIFE OF A PRIVATEER

GREAT REAT BUT GONE...

GON

RELIVING THE JOYS OF SUZUKI’S LAST GSX-R600

ISSUE 417 JULY 2024

60

88

TESTS

COLUMNISTS

Scrapping it out on four of the best sub-litre nakeds to find the king of the road.

Two rounds in and Iddon’s got a lot to be happy about… but also a few grumbles.

Sub-litre shootout........................... 16 Retro Relish.....................................60 Yamaha’s pulled a blinder with its old-school influenced XSR900GP.

Used Bike Guide..............................54 Gone but never forgotten, here’s why Suzuki’s GSX-R600 is still one of the best 600s for the road.

Yamaha Tenere 700 Extreme .........88 If you like your adventure bikes a little fruity, you’ll love what this Tenere has to offer.

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GEAR

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Christian Iddon ...............................96 Steve Parrish...................................98 More madness and wisdom from the man they call Parrish.

FEATURES

Life of a privateer ........................... 70

Ever wondered what it takes to race the TT on a shoestring? Our Joe’s tale will open your eyes, that’s a given.

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16

WELCOME

Springing into action...

I

t only seems a few days ago that the weather consisted of different shades of wet and the temperature was shy of breaching double figures, but in the toss of a coin, spring has sprung and the roads around me are littered with bikers going about their business. For me, this is a real high point in the year, seeing people getting stuck in with their mates, riding for the sake of riding in a bid to escape the likes of gardening, housework or, even worse, the in-laws popping over. I daresay that for most of you reading this, motorcycling is a way of life, and it brings access to a world that shuts tighter than Johnny’s wallet at a bar when winter hits, which is why it’s so good to see folk out and about quite simply for the sake of it.

While I’m super-lucky to ride yearround, there’s something really special about being back on a bike on your favourite back roads. This is something I’ve done non-stop this past month, making up for lost time thanks to a winter that’s dragged on worse than one of my jokes. Trackdays are back in full flow, roadside cafes are rammed, and if you pop down the local MoT centre, chances are you’re in for hefty wait to get your weapon of choice certified for another year of shenanigans. I say so with conviction, as I’ve just had a month’s wait to get my 999R in for such an appointment that’s due to happen this weekend, and I’m absolutely gagging to get back out on that thing. Like a

first-born child, I’ve spent the past six months keeping it warm and cosy through the winter, with a topped-up battery and more polish than Mr Sheene, ready to pounce at the first signs of dry roads and summer warmth. And now the time has come, so stay tuned for lots of spam in the coming issues when I show you where we’ve been and what we’ve been up to. Likewise, I hope you keep us up-to-date with your antics too, in You and Yours, Letters and the Trackday comp pages. This is your mag, after all, so don’t be a stranger.

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WORDS: SIR ALAN OF DO

ST BIKES – NEW ME TAL PLA NET FAS

WDS

, NEW S & REV IEW S

KTM 990 RC R KTM GETS BACK ON TRACK Austrian firm KTM has been out of the road-going sportsbike sector for nearly a decade, having dropped its quirky yet acclaimed RC8R 1195 V-twin in 2016. And though it’s played its part in MotoGP during those years, while building some very nutty naked roadbikes like the Super Duke 1290 and Duke 890, the Matighofen outfit seemed to set its face against the very notion of superbikes on the road. There was no place for 200bhp-plus faired sports weapons outside pure competition, so seemed the company line, much to the

10 JULY 2024

sadness of all. A crack is appearing in that high Alpine dam, though – in the form of a new supersport bike, the KTM 990 RC R. It’s been hinted at over the past couple of years with the release of track-only versions, sold in super-limited editions at hefty prices. For 2025, though, we are getting a proper working class, road-going version. It’s being trailed as a supersport machine, and if you think of Ducati’s V2 Panigale, that’s sort of the ballpark. We’re only seeing a prototype at the moment, with limited specs: a 127bhp/76ft-lb

version of the LC8c parallel twin engine, in a steel tube trellis frame with WP suspension, Brembo calipers and Galfer discs, Michelin tyres and a full fairing. There’ll probably be some orange colour options. And black. And white. The headlight will give industrial design students a hard-on/wet-on, but everyone else will suck their teeth when they see it. You get the picture. In the meantime, they’re going to drip out deets right up to the autumn shows – expect more on pricing, weight, availability and equipment through summer.

Keep an eye on our online channels – Facebook, Twitter, and the Fast Bikes website (www.fastbikesmag.com) – for news as it happens.

REACTIVE MART

BMW ASA

BMW’s been at the forefront of lots of high tech down the years. It was the first with ABS in the 1980s, was using fuel injection across its range in the early 1990s, and pioneered factory-fit quickshifters with the K1200 models 20 years ago. And now it has another new piece of transmission technology – the automated shift assistant (ASA).

It’s basically an advanced quickshifter: the main parts of the gearbox are the same as a manual bike, with a sequential dog gearbox, shifter forks and drum, and a wet multi-plate clutch. But instead of a manual clutch lever and foot pedal for shifting, there are a pair of cunning new robotic actuators.

These are controlled by a computerised Transmission Control Unit (TCU), which controls the clutch and gearshift operation.

There are two modes: D, which is fully automatic, and M, which gives you control over gearshifts with the foot lever. There’s no clutch lever at

all; the TCU looks after all the clutch operations when pulling away, stopping, and changing gears. And in automatic mode, the TCU also shifts up and down the gears. In manual mode, the rider’s foot makes the gear changes – although it’s still an electronic action since the pedal is only connected to a switch and has no mechanical linkage to the gearbox.

We watched the ASA system demonstrated on an R1300 GS near Munich last month. You couldn’t tell anything unusual was going on, with the test rider whizzing up and down, until he stuck out his left leg and arm in the air and the bike pulled away, changed gears up and down, and then came to a halt with no intervention at all.

BMW says the new ASA system alters its shifting algorithm according to both the rider mode the bike is in and how you’re riding it. So, in a road or rain riding mode, the shifts will come sooner and

smoother, while if you’re pushing hard with big throttle openings in sport modes, the motor will rev out much higher before shifting.

We didn’t get a chance to test the system so can’t report on that, but watching the test rider, it seemed to be smooth and easy when pulling away and stopping.

On the practical front, ASA was developed alongside the new R1300 Boxer engine, so the hardware fits easily into the motor.

There’s nothing to stop the tech appearing on other layouts though, including the S1000 inline-four and F850/900 parallel twins.

The set-up adds about 2kg of weight, and around £900 in cost as a factory-fit option – and will also offer an extra level of theft protection. When the bike is left in ‘park’, the clutch and gearbox are locked in gear and you can’t take it out of gear without turning on the ignition, so scrotes won’t be able to kick off the steering lock and push the bike away.

On the downside, you can’t bump start a bike with a flat battery either.

The new ASA system will appear later this year, probably on a new 2025 model like the R1300 GS Adventure or R1300 RT, and will be available on the standard 1300 GS too.

SO, HOW DOES ASA ACTUALLY WORK? The BMW ASA uses two clever robotic actuators for the clutch and gear shift. The clutch unit features a gear with a spiral groove on one face and a triangular pivot arm. A pin on the pivot arm engages in the spiral, and when

the gear turns, the pin moves in and out, which in turn moves the pivot arm, and that pushes the clutch slave cylinder, engaging and disengaging the wet clutch pack.

The gear shift uses a Maltese Cross gear, which has two unusual

gears. One has a pin, and the other has six slots, and as the pin engages in the slot, the gearchange moves through 60 degrees, then stops. That gives the six positions for each gear position – clever stuff.

Tired of the usual internet auction and online selling sites? Well, here’s something that could be about to shake up the world of selling and buying bike bits online. Ex-TT racer and the owner of Reactive Parts, Steve Heneghan, is launching Reactive Mart, his own online marketplace, which he says will revitalise the sector for new and used bike parts and kit.

“We’ve been in the motorcycle parts and accessories industry for over 25 years,” he said. “And we’ve recently been getting feedback from dealers and sellers [about online selling], with complaints including increased costs, final value fees and increased shop costs and reduced visibility for listings.

“We have also seen the requirement for promoting listings and less customer data passed over, with the exclusion of Paypal.”

Heneghan reckons he’s come up with an answer: the Reactive Mart online bike, parts, clothing and accessories selling platform.

“Over the last 24 months we’ve developed an entirely new focused sales platform, available to both trade and private, to buy and sell new and used motorcycles, clothing and helmets, parts and accessories.”

On the face of it, the Blackburn-based firm is offering good deals, including auctions and fixed price and classified ads, with zero listing fees for auctions and fixed price ads, final value fees of 7.8%, and a classified ad for just £9.99. Heneghan also promises no other hidden fees, and sellers only pay the final value charge when they sell.

His payment partner is global giant PayPal, and Reactive says it can reproduce a seller’s listings from their current platforms.

“We do all the hard work,” said Heneghan. “We can mirror your existing listings, set up your account, and even replicate your user name and feedback score from elsewhere. Additionally, we have a database of more than 250,000 contacts to whom we will promote your listings.”

Interested? Check out Reactive Mart at www. reactivemart.com or search for @reactivemart on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

JULY 2024 11

PLANE T FAST BIKES – NEW METAL

, NEWS & REVIEW S

BMW HECHLINGEN ENDURO PARK Fancy some off-road larks in a slightly different spot from the usual Wales/Scotland/Spain? Then check this out – the Hechlingen Enduro Park. It’s the BMW factory’s very own off-road and training ground, located about 60 miles from the firm’s Munich HQ, and it’s also where the R&D test riders take new off-road models for testing.

But it’s also the Bavarian venue for BMW’s factory off-road school and runs hundreds of courses every year, aimed at all levels of rider from novices up to world-class racers. We grabbed a day at the school while seeing the new ASA automatic gearbox and were

impressed by the set-up.

It’s based in an old stone quarry, and there are hundreds of different riding trails and training spots, with a wide variety of difficulties – climbs, descents, water crossings, rutted trails, forest runs... the lot.

As you’d expect, the facilities are superb, with a new main building containing showers, lockers, great food options and plenty of kit support. The bike fleet is, of course, immaculate, with big lines of new R1300 GS and F900 GS bikes waiting (they also have

smaller 310 GS bikes and even Beta trials bikes available). You can fly in and hire a bike for about £350 a day for all-inclusive training or stop in on your way to the Austrian Alps on your own bike. More info: www. twtmoto.com/en/bmwmotorrad-enduro-park/

14bhp peak power, a 70mph top end and 80 miles between charges of its dual battery packs. The styling definitely grabs you; we had a few ‘proper’ bikers admiring the Maeving parked up near Smithfield Market. And they go well, too. The skinny chassis penned by those ex-Triumph engineers is light and agile, the wheel-mounted hub motor delivers instant drive, and the combined brakes are really strong. Once you adapt to the slightly bicycle-like handling, it’s a hoot to throw around in traffic, and with useful aspects like the ‘fuel

tank’ storage space and USB-C phone charging port, it’s a solid option in town. We took a brief jaunt up the A12 to see how the RM1S coped on dual carriageways, and it was definitely up for the 50mph cut and thrust.

So, if you have a mid-distance daily commute and want to try something a bit different, the Maeving is well worth a look. RRP is £7495, which would get you two cheapo petrol scooters. But they’re not made in Britain by a team of ex-Triumph engineers… www.maeving.com

MAEVING RM1S If we told you there was a brand-new British bike firm making interesting new models with a team of ex-Triumph engineers who cut their teeth on the Rocket 3 and 765 Street Triple, you’d be asking for more info, we reckon. Sure, we’d say, there are two new neo-retro roadster models, they look great, and are on sale now for less than £8000.

It’s all true – but there is a slight catch. The firm is called Maeving and the bikes are electric urban mobility tools rather than high-octane tarmac-slayers. We spent a day in that there London on the latest model, the RM-1S, which has 125cc-plus performance, with

12 JULY 2024 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

ALL THE LATEST, CO OL ES T & TRICK

ES T PERF ORMA NC E PRODUC TS

OXFORD NEXUS LEATHERS A new range of mid-priced leather suits from British firm Oxford Products, the Nexus leathers come in a one-piece or zip-together two-piece, in a range of colours, with triple-A CE certification and level two CE armour in shoulders, elbows, hip and knee. The main construction uses 1.2mm cowhide, with double-layer panels in impact zones, reinforced seams, and abrasion/tear resistant stretch textiles. There are replaceable knee sliders and protective external TPU sliders, as well as a pocket for a back protector, with optional CE level one or two protectors available from Oxford.

Alternatively, you can wear the suit with a standalone protector/ airbag vest. The designers have

added plenty of premium comfort details, too: neoprene collar, accordion leather stretch panels, stretch mesh inner liner, and loads more. A solid set-up for the price, and available in black, black/red or black/white.

RRP: £499.99 (one-piece); www.oxfordproducts.com £299.99 (jacket); £249.99 (trousers)

ALPINESTARS COROZAL BOOTS Need a proper protective off-road boot for some greenlaning or the like, but don’t want to go full MX or enduro race fitment? Then something like this Alpinestars Corozal Drystar boot is the answer.

It’s a super-chunky piece of footwear, with loads of tough outer armour and rigid internal structure, but with a waterproof membrane and the armour dialled down a notch from the likes of a Tech 10 MX boot. Adjustable dual buckle and Velcro fastening gives the ideal

RRP: £310

fit, and they are comfy after a short break-in period. These are Triumph-branded Corozals, but you can get them in plain Alpinestars form too.

www.alpinestars.com

GIVI S-510 BATTERY CHARGER Italian firm Givi is best-known for its luggage, of course, but it is branching out all the time and has come up with this new multi-mode bike battery charger. It looks smart and claims to work automatically with all types of battery, including traditional lead-acid, GEL or AGM, and the latest lithium-ion technology or LiFePO4 units, from 1.2 Ah up to 100 Ah. Peak output is one amp, there are multiple programmes to rejuvenate completely flat batteries or stay on trickle charge, and the S-510 even has a built-in temperature sensor so it can bump up the charge rate in cold conditions. A smart piece of kit – and made in Italy, with a three-year warranty.

RRP: £76 14 JULY 2024 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

www.givi.co.uk

PRODUCTS

OPTIMATE DUAL USB CHARGER We are old enough to remember when all you could plug into a USB socket was a keyboard or a mouse, and they were bugger-all use for anything else. Now they’re powering everything, from phones and satnavs to sex toys and air-con nditioned ties. Keep your gadgets on poin nt with these USB charrgers from Optimate,, designed for that weird DIN powe er socket. It used to be restricted to BMWs but

is now on Triumph and Ducati bikes as well. USB-C and USB-A sockets, loads of power, waterproof construction, and solid build.

We recommend.

RRP: £32.90

ARAI SCHWANTZ 30TH ANNIVERSARY RX-7V EVO HELMET No, you’ve not picked up a 1993 editio on of the mag by mistake. Arai’s brought out thiss lush, updated replica of the classic Kevin Schwantz lid, marking 30 years since Revvin’ Kevin was celebrating his 500GP world title. Under the superb Aldo Drudi interpretation of that Schwantz scheme is the latest top-end Arai RX-7 Evo race lid, with all the firm’s protective know-how.

www.optimate.co.uk

RRP: £799.99 £799 99

www.whyarai.co.uk

DUCATI GP TEAM REPLICA 24 DIADORA TRAINERS

MINT WATERLESS BIKE CLEANER Summer’s here (yes, it is) and so this Waterless Clean and Shine product should be just the job for a quick post-ride clean-up. It claims to have a powerful foaming action that quickly lifts dirt and grime without needing to get the hose and bucket out. It’s suitable for all bodywork, paint, and plastic parts – and even smells great. Biodegradable, not tested on animals... what more do you need?

RRP: £9.99

www.oxfordmint.co.uk

The genuine Ducati Corse trainers, as worn by the Ducati Corse team this season, and produced by Italian sneaker-guru Diadora.

We can tell you how the spec says they are ’stable and lightweight with a sport sole in dual-density polyurethane with ESD characteristics, resistance to oils and hydrocarbons,’ and we’re sure that’s all true. But we just like them because they look proper cool…

RRP: £149

www.ducati.com

SW-MOTECH PRO BLAZE PANNIERS FOR YAMAHA MT-09 We’ve been using the Blaze pannier set-up for years now; it’s a great option for occasional tourers, combining soft-luggage flexibility with some of the capacity of hard cases. You get a pair of quick-release mounting rods which attach to the pillion pegs and give the 40-litre semi-hard panniers extra support on the bike. It’s more secure and takes more weight than simple throwovers but is also super-quick to remove. This fitting is for the latest Yamaha MT-09 and SP, but there are fitments for loads of other bikes.

RRP: £346

www.sw-motech.co.uk

SIDI NUCLEUS BOOTS Neat new urban riding wear from Sidi, the Nucleus boot comes in GTX Gore-Tex and Suede WP versions, both of which are waterproof and also feature solid CE-approved protection in short ankle boot form. There’s a Vibram sole, D3O ankle protection armour, reinforced heel, toe and gearshift areas, and a locking lace design. They come in some tidy colours too.

RRP: £199.99 (GTX) £169.99 (Suede WP)

www.feridax.com

JULY 2024 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 15

NAKEDS WORDS: DA

NGEROUS

PICS: CHIP

PY WOOD

TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 765RS • POWER 128bhp • WEIGHT 188kg • PRICE £11,495

KTM 990 DUKE

• POWER 123bhp • WEIGHT 179kg • PRICE £12,999

16 JULY 2024 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

J

ust like the weather, relationships, and the state of your healthy-looking bank statement, nothing stays the same… and that’s especially true of the bike market.

In fact, the one thing we’ve seen above anything else in recent years are more twists than an Agatha Christie novel when it comes to capacities, styles, and what we’ve known as convention regarding motorcycling norms.

Manufacturers have been rubbing hard on their mystic balls, hoping to hit the jackpot with an abundance of unexpected offerings, slowly but surely moving the goalposts in the process and making us think a little harder before gathering an obvious gaggle of bikes together to form a solid shootout. Perhaps the naked market is the most diverse of them all, rammed to the rafters with everything from

125s to the likes of KTM’s ginormous 1390 Super Duke, with a healthy showing of middleweights for good measure, as well as this group of machines here, which we dub sub-litre nakeds.

True as it may be that no two of these machines are of the same capacity and are formed by a mixture of V-twins, parallel twins and triples; nonetheless, some things they all have in common is that they are among the best of their breed, they each make well over 100bhp, and they tick the box for being cracking alternatives to bigger, costlier and uber-focused supernakeds. As much as we love that larger-than-life field of fiends, it’s true that not everyone needs 200bhp and a minimalist fly screen for company, which is why the bikes you see before you are big sellers for their respective brands.

DUCATI STREETFIGHTER V2 • POWER 153bhp • WEIGHT 200kg • PRICE £16,395

MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 800RR • POWER 140bhp • WEIGHT 187kg • PRICE £17,000

In the exotic corner we’ve got MV Agusta’s audacious Brutale 800RR, while Ducati’s naked baby Panigale, aka the V2 Streetfighter, brings a whopping 153bhp to the party. And then there’s Triumph’s Street Triple 765RS, which has been a firm favourite in this field for many a year now, prompting the question of whether KTM and its box-fresh 990 Duke has done enough to topple the British brand’s naked masterclass.

Well, there was only one way to find out – and it involved crafting a three-day onslaught, out on a mixed bag of roads, in all conditions, to see which would have us trading the family silver for a life behind bars on one of these worthy protagonists. Here’s what we made of them…

WORDS: BIG MAC PICS: CHIPPY WOOD

MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 800RR A taste of the exotic, with a triple soundtrack to back it up.

T

his particular version of the MV Agusta Brutale – the third generation – has been around since 2012, which means it is by far the oldest bike in the test, but that doesn’t mean it’s not got something to bring to the party, and far from it. 187kg fully fuelled and 140bhp are the sort of numbers which should make some of the newer opposition blush, and so it means that it absolutely belongs in this company.

MV Agusta’s history of lurching from one financial crisis to another means regular model updates are generally few and far between. Instead, MV regularly releases so-called limited-edition models as a sleight of 18 JULY 2024 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

hand to distract from the fact that the bike has the same architecture. Cue an endless line of ‘specials’ – no less than seven in the case of the Brutale 800 alone – all adorned with various trinkets and paint schemes as a quick and easy way to keep the model fresh while being the same bike mechanically. However, MV has recently been taken over by KTM, so time will tell if this approach continues.

Now, this may sound like I’m being really down on the MV Agusta, and I’m genuinely not – because you can get away with that practice if the basic package is good to start with. If you go back to 2001 when the Brutale was first introduced, by my reckoning there’s been 43(ish) different models offered with

10(ish) different engine capacities across just three generations of Brutales. Even today, there are five different Brutales available, of which the 800RR is one, and is arguably the pick of the bunch.

At £17,000, the MV is the most expensive bike on test. However, there is a promotion available right now that if you trade in your bike against any MV Agusta – which is the case in the very vast majority of sales transactions; you’ll get £2000 knocked off the price of any 2023 bike. So, the Brutale is effectively available for £15,000, and while this is still a chunk of change, it slots the MV into the price order probably where it belongs, based on spec.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

I was at the press launch when MV Agusta launched the third-generation Brutale in 2012 when it was initially available with the 675cc engine and can vividly remember just how focused the Brutale was compared to everything else that was around at the time.

The MV formula for pretty looks, big power and very focused chassis was applied to the Gen3 Brutale in spades. It was inevitable that MV slotted the 800cc three-cylinder engine from the F3 into it just a year later to boost power from 108bhp that the 675 made (a decent amount at the time) to 125bhp.

Just a couple of years later, MV unlocked more power from the engine by adding 50mm throttle bodies and twin injectors per cylinder to get it up to 140bhp, which can become 150bhp with a race exhaust as proven by the Brutale 800 RC, which is just a Brutale 800RR with an SC-Project exhaust.

Pretty much all of the Brutale’s upgrades over the years have been of the software variety. It still has the same 798cc three-

cylinder engine with counter-rotating crankshaft which has an effect on a bike’s handling, specifically as anti-wheelie. It’s still got the massive 50mm throttle bodies and twin injectors per cylinder. The chassis is still the same steel trellis design and suspension is still Marzocchi fully adjustable front and rear, but the Brutale 800RR you see here now has a full suite of electronic rider aids with an IMU at their heart to make everything lean angle sensitive. There are rider modes, power modes, eight-stage traction control, antiwheelie, cruise control and launch control, none of which were on the original Gen3 Brutale. There’s also a snazzy full-colour display that highlights lean angle and the amount of g-force you’re managing under acceleration and braking.

All of the electronics can be accessed and adjusted via the MV Ride app, which also allows you to write custom maps on your phone and send them to the bike via Bluetooth. As far as we are aware, this is a

first, and in many ways makes a lot of sense.

The interface between the rider and all the electronic functions is generally okay these days, but manufacturers are restricted to just the space available on the switchgear cluster to provide that interface. By making the electronic functions accessible via a phone app, it’s massively easier to understand and navigate.

Even though on paper, the Brutale 800 could be viewed as a bit long in the tooth, its basic ingredients were so good from the outset that it really doesn’t matter – it still looks fresh, it’s still got plenty of power, and has a chassis with all the right numbers. Its electronic systems have moved with the times, which, curiously, was at the heart of my verdict of the original Gen3 bike back in 2012.

I noted that it had a lot of potential to be a great bike, but that it just needed a good fettle and finishing off. I didn’t realise it would take 12 years.

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This bike will cost you a fortune in sliders.

WORDS> DANGEROUS

MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 800RR

B

OUT ON THE ROAD...

oasting a hefty amount of power, with a respectable weight and a wheelbase so short you can imagine how agile this thing is just by eyeballing it, there’s a lot to like about the MV. And then there’s the look of it, which is as exotic as its price tag, hammering home the point that this triple-cylinder beauty is not your everyday naked… it really is something quite special. Of course, there are always two sides to every story, and while it could be argued that how a bike rides is less important than how it looks or sounds, I beg to differ. Yes, there is a lot to lure you to this machine, not least of all the irresistible soundtrack that screams its way out of the bike’s stacked triple silencers, but when push came to shove and the throttle got turned in anger, the MV proved to be more ‘show than go’.

Allow me to elaborate, starting with the motor. It is something of a beast and undoubtedly the showpiece of this Italian stallion, cranking out a claimed 140bhp and

a hefty 87Nm of torque to back things up.

Lacking in firepower it most certainly is not, or technological features, with a counterrotating crank in the mix, plus an abundance of fancy engineering features that’d put many a racing bike to shame. But refinement and usability out on the road is a whole different conversation.

While I should point out that the MV is kitted with several rider modes which can be altered between if you have the patience of a saint and the capacity to conquer Rubix cubes with your eyes shut (the switchgears are not the most intuitive), then you can dumb down the power delivery on tap from this thing, but even in ‘sport’ mode (which was a step down from ‘race’ and a viable selection for the enthusiastic nature of our test), the Brutale felt a bit brutal and took some getting used to. Admittedly, there are many worse examples of fuelling on the market, but the urgency of the engine, which delivers way more torque than you’d expect it to when you roll on the throttle, is enough

to put false teeth to the back of your throat.

The funny thing is that as much as I found myself initially awed by the engine, it’s on/off nature soon wore thin and began to pee me off. On track, it’d make much more sense, but on the road, it was too keen for me – and especially so for the bike’s suspension.

The forks felt softer than butter and the rear shock wasn’t much more supportive, reminding me of a kid’s seesaw down the park. As Issac Newton once said, ‘Every action has an equal and opposite reaction’, which is especially true on the MV. We tried hard to alter the adjustable units to suit our masses and riding styles, but the damping on tap just wasn’t enough to cope with the respectable amount of abuse being put through the units. The truth is, every crack of the throttle saw the rear end squat and the ‘bars go light, while every grab of the front brakes was met with an equally undesirable amount of travel being used. To get the best out of this bike, you had to be super-