Motorcycle specifications MV-Agusta800 RIVALE 2016 Physical domination

MV-Agusta doesn't play the motorcycle game like every other manufacturer. When so many models want to be beautiful, MV-Agusta's models all strive for the same goal: to look exceptional! The sporty F4 sublimated its generation, while the Brutale roadster left its mark on the "grèges" clan. To open up a 3rd way, the Varese brand is trying to seduce with a machine that's fun, pleasurable and offbeat; its own vision of the big supermotard: the Rivale.

don't let it grab you just yet. Approach it, turn it, look at it, be critical before you step back. Admire it not for what it is, but for its remarkable interplay of angles and lines. Because strength isn't just in the muscle, it's also in the design. Stretched lines, taut edges, curves that play with tortured forms to the end; the Rivale allows itself to be both beautiful and mischievous, while the essence that defines it seems to get lost in its convoluted effects.
You think I'm dragging your critic towards the single-sided, open-rimmed rim, just embraced by the triplet of exhaust flutes, as on the 675 / 800 Brutale? Not at all. I'm talking about shoulders flirting with the front mudguard to unite in a single connecting line. The raptor's head, slashed by a rhombus of glass and light. From those handlebar grips so rich in appendages, when the LED turn signals merge into the hand guards, ending with telescopic, retractable mirrors (Ducati Hypermotard, have you been there?!?). Rear road fittings that move to the mudguard to clean up the beast's posterior. It becomes more venomous, its sting spurting menace between the hips of red light.
Philosophy fades once emotion has conquered the gaze. Simply admirable.

not quite trail and not quite roadster, the Rivale is inspired by both. Enhanced suspension and a copious chassis - that's promising. It's pure MV, with its chrome-molybdenum tubular trellis frame mounted on aluminum plates, Brembo radial brake calipers, Marzocchi upside-down forks, Sachs shock absorbers and adjustments in every direction. The suspension can be adjusted for compression, rebound and preload. All the essentials of a Brutale are there. With the exception of handling, which the factory claims to have improved with a better steering angle than on the roadster.

the chassis is inviting, the heart palpitates. The engine, too, comes from the 800 Brutale. It's a 3-cylinder developed for the 675 F3 and B3, then re-bored to 798 cm3, and still fitted with its original counter-rotating crankshaft. With its bulging belly, it can be found in two jewel cases: the Brutale roadster and this Rivale hypermotard. Ask him to be sporty, and he'll give you an impressive 125 horsepower, perched just shy of 12,000 rpm. And with only 178 kilos to carry, the ride promises to be as much fun as it is rhythmic, with a healthy dose of satisfaction.

an MV-Agusta is all about a desirable silhouette, a muscular engine, and electronics at the service of moderation (so to speak). The Rivale, for example, does away with all needles on its dashboard, displaying only a single, completely new digital window. On the engine side, the MVICS panoply regulates adrenalin with 8-level traction control, ride-by-wire throttle and 3 fuel injection maps + 1 customizable. The EAS shifter is fitted as standard. After becoming standard on 4-cylinder models, ABS invaded the Tre Pistoni range in 2014. The Bosch 9MP control unit is small, light and disconnectable.

the 800 Rivale is sultry, opening up a new niche for the Varese-based manufacturer, but it's inevitable to draw comparisons with certain Ducati products. Some will scoff, many will praise the charm and aggressiveness of this model. The star of the 2012 EICMA show, this hybrid was quite simply voted the most beautiful bike at this year's Milan show.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos