Motorcycle specifications MV-Agusta800 Brutale RR SCS 2020 Hermes' feet

Do away with the clutch lever, let the bike handle the nooks and crannies, let your foot do the driving. With its SCS clutch, MV-Agusta offers all this. The parallel with robotized gearboxes from Honda or Yamaha would be tempting... But not here. Because this is not a traditional automatic-type system. It's all in the crankcase.

After the Turisme Veloce, the 800 Brutale RR can now offer this system. Developed in partnership with Rekluse, this centrifugal engagement clutch weighs barely more than a conventional clutch. To put it simply: when shifting gears while driving, the Up&Down EAS 2.1 shifter assists the shift - while the Smart Clutch System"bites" or "releases" its grip on the clutch, just as you would with the left-hand lever when starting off or coming to a stop. Except that it does it all by itself.

You can still use the conventional control, for low-speed manoeuvres for example. In addition to the comfort and time saved by combining the SCS and the shifter, the rider can concentrate more on driving, forgetting about managing the clutch.
The cost in weight is minimal. Just 36 grams. On the other hand, it's 1 bar more in the final price. Too bad it's impossible to tell this version from the RR. The Turismo Veloce SCS, on the other hand, boasts this pride of place with a transparent straight crankcase.

The system is so well designed that it integrates perfectly into the three-cylinder engine, without any modification on its part. This makes it possible to take full advantage of the Brutale 800 RR, its tone and its appetites. Let's take a look.

after a beautiful redesign of the 800 Brutale, MV-Agusta just left time to discover it before moving on to something stronger. Beautiful, bewitching, as stiff as it should be and crime-pushing with its 3-cylinder engine eager for revs, the Italian youngster perhaps lacks a few watts for sporty riders. Just as well, the B3 is also available in an RR version. And now it's time for Phase II.

The RR is the 800 Brutale, but with a few improvements. The silhouette is virtually the same, appealing to one and all. The finish, however, is a step up. On the other side of the Alps, we know how to charm, sometimes with small or subtle attentions. Thus, the roadster adds a more expressive exterior, an engine cowling, special forged rims, sportier tires and a healthy dose of adrenalin from the 3-cylinder engine.

While the 800 Brutale has lost a few horses in its Euro4 evolution, the RR has not. This is a real change of register, with watts worthy of a larger displacement. This optimized three-cylinder engine produces 140 hp at 12,300 rpm. A fine job by the engine-makers, who have given up nothing in terms of power or torque. Torque peaks at 8.87 mkg at 10,100 rpm. Since the 800 Standard, this represents a gain of 24 hp and 31 Nm, or around 0.3 mkg.
While upgrading to Euro4, the engine takes the opportunity to improve its innards. A new mechanical chain tensioner, new camshafts, new valve guides, noise-reducing crankcases, new transmission gears, as well as a new starter motor and primary drive. So, without giving up its fiery spirit, the block not only pollutes less, but is also half as noisy and causes less vibration.

the only point on which the RR has suffered is weight. 7 kilos have been added to the list of offenders. But the scales don't explode. At 175 kilos dry weight, the machine remains appreciably light.
The engine-makers have worked hard, as have the electronics engineers. The Brutale now boasts a ride-by-wire throttle, 8-step traction control, up&down shifter, disconnectable ABS with rollover protection, and several injection maps. The instrument panel, now derived from the Rivale, now includes a diagnostic function, and the steering will be controlled by a new 8-stage steering damper with manual adjustment.

When it comes to big wheels, you need an ad-hoc chassis. At MV, we know what we're doing. There's no problem with the Brutale's efficiency, with its famous aluminum plate / tubular steel trellis frame, 43 mm Marzocchi inverted fork and fully adjustable Sachs shock absorber, and Brembo brakes with 320 mm discs and 4-piston radial calipers at the front - 220 mm discs and 2-piston calipers at the rear.

No revolution for the 800 Brutale RR, but a welcome update to spice up your outings on one of the finest mid-size roadsters in production. It's a machine with a mouthful of attitude, great seductive potential, and enough guts to take you to the limits of reason. To go beyond them, you need a large dose of technique and composure. The Brutale doesn't bear its name for nothing. And the virtues of intoxication have to be earned.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos