MV Agusta Enduro Veloce
Not too long ago, MV Agusta threw itself into the Adventure bike ring. It debuted the LXP Orioli, which it named after Edi Orioli, who won four Dakars. It was a strange christening, given Edi did not win any of those Dakars on an MV, but rather astride a Honda, a Cagiva (twice) and a Yamaha, and was the first Italian to do so.
Like everything MV Agusta does, the LXP was all about exclusivity. It was a big-dollar rig which pushed the “luxury” chimera of Adventure riding, and while it’s highly unlikely any of the LXPs sold would ever see a metre of dirt, that’s not what owning one was ever gonna be about. After all, how many F4s do you see racing?
Not content with offering the world the exclusive Orioli, MV has now unveiled the Enduro Veloce. It’s pretty much impossible for any bike manufacturer to ignore the expanding Adventure market, and it may surprise you to know that MV has some skin in the off-road game.
The Enduro Veloce is a tribute to the tale of Vincenzo Nencioni, who took a MV Agusta 98 to victory in 1946, when he won an off-road reliability race called the Golfo di La Spezia. Bear in mind there would not have been a lot of sealed roads in Italy back then, so everyone raced everything on dirt roads.
Unlike the Brutale 800, F3, Dragster, Superveloce, and Turismo Veloce, which use the previous 798cc triple, the Enduro Veloce is powered by the new three-cylinder 931 cc engine that first saw the light of day in the LXP. MV quote this engine as making 124 horsepower at 10,000 rpm and 102 Nm at 7000 rpm.
MV has stated it has reduced vibrations and ensured the engine runs at a consistent temperature, which is clearly something it has needed to do since the company resurrected itself all those years ago. Its bikes have always tended to run a bit hot, which is maybe why they sound so angry.
The most interesting thing here is the noise we have been promised. And anyone who has heard an MV on song will understand how wondrous a sound that can be. The factory has installed a by-pass valve on the exhaust, and when this is opened, we’re told the bike sounds more like a Superbike than an Adventure bike. This is a development which should bring a lot of aural magnificence to a market that’s all about gently thrumming twins.
MV has also jammed the Enduro Veloce with all the electronics it could get its hands on. There are eight levels of Traction Control – five for the road, two for off-road, and one for when everything is wet and there’s no grip and the sun is setting and the wolves start to howl.
Or you can turn it all off and go full rogue. Just remember you can also adjust the ABS for two levels of interference, which sounds pretty good for off-road use.
Up front is a full 21-inch rim shod with a proper dirty-sized 90/90 hoop, while the rear is an equally dirt-suited 150/70-18. The rider can also adapt the Traction Control to the tyres he or she chooses to fit, if the standard Battlax A41s don’t suit.
There is also two levels of engine braking intervention, which can be managed independently of the ride mode you put it in.
And because one day you might want to drag-race the thing on some fire-trail, you are also provided with launch control and wheelie control. MV promises you can get from 0 to 100 in 3.72-seconds, so that might be worth betting pink slips on the outcome.
And of course, there is rear-wheel lift mitigation for when you’re on all the brakes as hard as you can and you’d really like your rear hoop to stay on the ground.
The controls are all LED back-lit, the 7-inch TFT dash is configurable, and in today’s modern world, if there’s not an App you can pair your bike to, you’re just not in the game. MV’s rider app allows turn-by-turn navigation, the ability to plan and share routes, and customisation of the bike’s many parameters – which hopefully include challenging anyone nearby to a drag-race.
The steel frame is a closed double-cradle, and we’re told its design lends itself to extreme off-road use, while the rear-subframe can be removed for maintenance or replacement.
There’s 230mm of ground clearance, and 210mm of travel front and rear with the Sachs adjustable suspension, with the rear shock connected to the frame via a progressive linkage. The pre-load can be dealt with via an easy-to-access adjuster knob. And of course, the brakes are Brembo Stylemas.
Seat height is 870mm, but can be adjusted down to 850mm, and we’re told the seat is designed to maximise comfort, and there’s a good range of aftermarket goodies you can add, like a titanium Termignoni exhaust can, extra lights, and a bash-plate.
And you will also get a Mobisat anti-theft system free for the first year for when you’re in hillbilly country and happen to go to sleep.
The Enduro Veloce comes with a four-year factory warranty, which MV would like you to know shows how much faith it has in its 100 per cent Made in Italy range of bikes.
The Enduro Veloce will be arriving in dealerships throughout Australia and New Zealand from late August 2024.
MV Agusta Enduro Veloce Specifications
- Engine – 931 cc, three-cylinder
- Bore x Stroke – 81 x 60.2 mm
- Compression Ratio – 13.4:1
- Valvetrain – 12 valves, DOHC
- Claimed Power – 124 hp (91 kW) at 10,000 rpm
- Claimed Torque – 102 Nm at 7,000 rpm
- EMS – MVICS 2.1
- Induction – Eldo Nemo 2.1 47 mm throttle bodies, Mikuni RbW
- Front Suspension – Fully adjustable 48 mm Sachs inverted forks. 210 mm travel
- Rear Suspension – Fully adjustable Sachs monoshock. 210 mm travel
- Front Brakes – 320 mm rotors and radial four-piston Brembo Stylema
- Rear Brake – 265 mm rotor and two-piston Brembo rotor
- ABS – Continental MK100 with RLM (Rear Wheel Lift-up Mitigation) and with cornering function
- Wheels – Spoked tubeless, alloy hub, Takasago Excel rims. 2.15 x 21″ (F), 4 x 18″ (R)
- Tyres – 90/90-21 (F), 150/70-18 (R)
- Wheelbase – 1610 mm
- L x W – 2360 x 980
- Trail – 118 mm
- Main Frame – Double beam frame structure, composed by high-tensile steel pipes and forged components. Bolt on double cradle
- Sub Frame – Trellis structure, composed by high-tensile steel pipes and forged components.
- Seat Height – 850-870 mm
- Ground Clearance – 230 mm
- Fuel Capacity – 20 litres
- Dry Weight – 224 kg
- Available – August 2024
- Price – TBA
