Revealed: 2021 MV Agusta Brutale 800 and Dragster 800

Aditya Chatterjee Published: February 15, 2021, 11:12 AM IST

Italian exotic motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta has updated its naked triples, the Brutale 800 and the Dragster 800 to comply with the stricter and cleaner Euro V emission norms. But the changes have not been limited to the engine alone as the Varese based manufacturer has also worked on the design, added a host of electronics and have also tweaked the chassis design to ensure the handling characteristics of these machines are not compromised.

Starting with the electronics. MV Agusta has equipped the Brutale RR and Dragster RR with an IMU that has been exclusively developed for the bike manufacturer by an Italian brand called e-Novia. This has brought in cornering traction control, ABS along with wheelie control. There's also the addition of launch control and cruise control along with LED headlights featuring corning lamps. The company will also be offering cornering ABS and IMU in the lower-spec Rosso models. The motorcycle have also received a new 5.5-inch TFT dashboard that gives the multiple options and information that the rider can access to tweak the settings according to his/her preference.

Mentioning the tweaks done to the chassis, the 2021 updates will see an updated frame design with new side plates at the swingarm which as claimed by the manufacturer has improved the overall stiffness. Retaining the overall suspension setup, the rear suspension gets a new progressive linkage that claims to have improved the ride quality. Even the seating has been bolstered with more padding to curb the disturbances thrown at the rider from the surface.

Underneath the gorgeous design, is the 798cc triple which thankfully has retained the 140PS and 87Nm from the previous even though its cleaner as it complies with Euro V norms. While the overall component design has been retained, the company has gone in for higher pressure injectors, redesigned bearing shells consisting of countershaft bearings, rod bearings and main bearings and new DLC (Diamond-Like-Carbon) coating for the tappets, along with an updated exhaust unit, all of which have helped to reduce the friction and also maintain the power and torque numbers. The triple is mated to a new clutch while the quickshifter mechanism has been updated too for smoother shifts. As seen in the previous models, the SCS (smart clutch system) auto-clutch can be availed as an optional feature.