The Pinnacle of Italian Design: MV Agusta Debuts Brutale 1000 Serie Oro

MV raises the stakes in the naked segment with an ultra-sleek new 998cc, 205hp, 410lbs, 186mph Brutale

Next Level Motorcycle Beauty

MV Agusta’s “Motorcycle Art” slogan is far from hyperbolic. While MV Agusta’s bikes undeniably boast impressive performance, a big part of what separates the high-end Italian brand from other manufacturers is MV’s next-level design. And MV’s newest model is no exception, following in the brand’s tradition of delivering breathtaking, aggressive, yet elegant pieces of refined mechanical art on wheels.

Updating An Icon

MV’s newest offering, the Brutale 1000 Serie Oro has been updated in practically every area imaginable, with some changes being much more profound and redily-apparent than others. The tank — though it has new, sharper lines — goes largely unchanged, though the same can’t be said for the redesigned tail-section. I say “redesigned” because the new tail clearly takes ample inspiration from the original Massimo Tamburini-designed tail — especially the taillight — though the updated unit now sports tunneled sections a la the Panigale or R1. The new tail also gets a new solo-cowl with bum-stop, carbon fiber accent pieces, and a two-piece suede saddle with red accent stitching.

Mounted just beneath the new tail is the Brutale’s four-into-one-into-four, quad-pipe titanium exhaust system. The ridiculously cool exhaust, comprised of two stacked, slash-cut dual-can units capped off with honey-comb mesh, is from SC Project, MV’s regular go-to aftermarket pipe-provider (for optional upgrades and special-edition models). A set of heat-guards run vertically along the stacked pipes, with the upper section being made of unpainted carbon fiber while the bottom section consists of (what appears to be aluminum) metal pieces with a square-pattern 12-hole cutout, marching the model’s rear-sets’ heel-guards.

Moving forward we have two carbon fiber intake scoops running along the bottom of the angular fuel-cell and ending in a downward slash-cut just above the four-banger’s radiator. In place of the covers shrouding the old Brutale’s radiator are a set of MotoGP-style aerodynamic winglets — a feature that has really taken off this year — which MV says generates significant downforce at high-speeds (125mph+). And with a claimed top-speed of 186mph, a good portion of the Brutale’s speedo’s range will benefit from the additional aerodynamic advantage. And instead of the handlebars typically found on stock naked models, the new Brutale rocks a set of clip-ons, resulting in a crouched, aggressive riding position.

Fixing What Isn’t Broken

The previous generation Brutale model is considered one of the best-looking motorcycles in recent years. So MV’s designers had a major conundrum on their hands when it came to improving the appearance of an already wildly alluring bike. Fortunately, the designers in Varese managed to one-up the Brutale 1KSO’s predecessor and then some, penning a design that stays true to the original Brutale’s design language while still managing to thoroughly update and modernize the aggressive naked.

A Tradition of Trick

Keeping in line with the rest of the Serie Oro machines, the new Brutale sports a laundry-list of trick parts and components made from costly precious materials. All carbon bodywork, LED lighting throughout (with daytime running lights), five-inch TFT display, a heap of carbon covers, and the same trick five-arm carbon fiber rims found on MV’s recently released F4 Claudio.

Performance to Match

The Brutale 1K isn’t just a fancy new aesthetic design, with the new Gold Series model packing an impressive power plant under the proverbial hood. Derived from the F4 engine campaigned by MV in World SuperBike Racing, the revamped 998cc four-cylinder boasts an all-new crankshaft and combustion chamber, new sintered guide valves, and low-friction Asso compression rings. These tweaks collectively afford the Italian mill a class-leading (claimed) 205-horsepower — a figure that jumps to 209hp once the Brutale’s race-kit is slapped on.

Wrapped around the WSBK-derived mill a lightweight steel trellis frame which is partially to thank for the new Brutale’s dry weight of just 410-pounds — a figure that’s also improved via the race kit which lowers the dry-weight to 406lbs. The potent engine is kept in check via an adjustable eight-level traction-control system and wheelie control, race-starts are made easier with the bike’s launch-control system, and seamless shifting is possible in either direction thanks to a standard bi-directional quick-shifter.

High-Tech Hardware

The high-tech riding assists aren’t the only fancy electronic bits on the Brutale 1000, with the new Serie Oro boasting fully electronically adjustable Öhlins suspension — NIX forks up front and a TTX36 monoshock in the rear, supplemented by an electronically adjusted steering damper. The Brutale’s brakes — Brembo Stylema calipers biting dual 320mm discs up front and a single disc out back — are also linked to an ABS cornering unit regulated via the bike’s IMU (inertial measurement unit).

Striking Gold Yet Again

The new Brutale model is the latest addition to MV’s “Serie Oro” (Italian for “Gold Series”) models — a designation for well-farkled, exclusive, (low volume, usually 300 units) early production versions of models prior to them going into mass production. As such, we know a less trick version of the new liter-sized hyper-naked will hit showrooms in more abundant numbers at a more accessible price point in the near future. Like previous Gold Series models, the new Brutale 1000 will be limited to just 300 units, so pre-order yours now if you plan on snapping one up!