MV's brutal Brutale Dragster 800

The MV Agusta Brutale Dragster brings the streetfighter scene to the MV brand. Photo / Mathieu Day

Well with this bike the name says it all. This thing is Brutal. Absolutely beautiful, but essentially like using a hammer on a thumb tack - which makes the MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800 a bike for those who love ride a wave of adrenalin through life and feel most other bikes on the roads these days are just a little bit vanilla.

Image 1 of 15: MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800. Photo / Mathieu Day

The Brutale Dragster 800 as the name suggests is derived from the MV Agusta Brutale 800 and shares most of its components with that bike. The main differences between the two is the shortened subframe and rear section on the 800 which gives it a futuristic, if slightly alien look in line with the streetfighter movement.

The engine is MV's 800 triple with 93kW on tap via 4 different rider modes. You have Normal, Sport, Custom and of course Rain. For street use on the daily commute I actually found rain mode to be the most suitable option as it really smooths out throttle response and fueling so the bike doesn't shoot you into the stratosphere if you sneeze and twitch the throttle.

Photo / Ted Baghurst

Seriously, this bike WANTS to go fast and I found at low speeds it was quite twitchy and would shudder in low rpm like a V-Twin would. During these times it had a tendency to feel like it had a minor case of fuel surge when I held a constant throttle position in 1st and 2nd gears. Once moving at over 40kph however the MV smoothed out considerably and at highway speeds it was almost a completely different bike.

Thankfully the Dragster 800 like many bikes coming out of Europe these days comes with plenty of electronic rider aids to help you from getting into too much trouble. Connected to the wicked Brembo Monoblock radially mounted brakes is Bosch ABS stopping the giant brakes from locking up in an emergency. In the rear as well you've got traction control preventing wheel slippage under heavy throttle and also acting as wheelie control.

In the time I had the Dragster 800 I again went for full rider aids around town as the bike wanted to lift the front wheel up at the slightest twitch of the throttle. Great if you're wanting to show off for your mates. Not so great if you're in the middle of the CBD surrounded by cop cars...

In terms of being an attention grabber the MV Dragster is right up there with the Indian Chieftain I tested a couple of months ago, with plenty of heads turning to get a good look and just about everywhere I stopped people (mostly guys sadly) were coming up for a closer look to find out more about the radically styled bike.

Photo / Ted Baghurst

What first attracts people is the radical muscular look of the bike. MV have styled the Dragster as a streetfighter to take on Ducati's 848 Streetfighter. Having not ridden the Ducati yet I can't compare the two but I can say I prefer the styling of the MV over the Ducati. The MV just has a wicked look to it with that shortened rear end and low 811mm high sculpted seat, combined with low flat bars and wide aggressively shaped 16.6-litre fuel tank is mixed with the raspy tunes of the signature MV triple exhaust which exits next to the 17 inch wheel mounted on a single sided swing arm.

Sound like an absolute mouthful? That's because there are so many details on this bike to drool over.The beautiful trellis frame is made just how the Italians like, showing plenty of the workings beneath.

Also like the rest of it's Italian breathren the Dragster 800 has brilliant name brand parts adding to the bling factor as well as ensuring you're buying a high quality motorcycle. You've got the aforementioned Brembo monoblock radially mounted calipers which are actually actuated by a Nissin master cylinder bringing you to a stop, while helping you carve up corners like a superbike is 43mm Marzocchi USD forks and a Sachs rear mono shock. Both are fully adjustable so you can dial in the bike to your liking.

Riding the bike in corners it really does feel more like a supersport rather than your traditional naked. You really have to move your body around to get the bike to turn. This is in part because of the stubby flat bars but also because of the rake of the front forks. At low speed around town much like those full fairing super sports you have to work a lot harder to balance the bike, but once moving again it really comes alive.

With the bar end mounted mirrors you really do have a great view behind you compared to the majority of bikes in the sports segment, enabling you to actually see behind you without your elbows taking up a third of the mirror. They do blurr a little as the revs rise but you can still see whats behind you, just not in the same amount of clarity. The mirrors also fold inwards so that if lanesplitting is your thing you can actually bring them in and fit through gaps a lot easier which did help during my time commuting to the office on the MV.

Photo / Ted Baghurst

Over all would I like the MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800 in my garage? Definitely!
Would I ride it every day? Probably not... You see, the bike is just too aggressive for everyday use and I am pretty sure after a couple of months you'd be looking for something a little more tame for the daily commute. If you're after a bike that is truly a sight to behold, an absolute animal on the road with real track-day credentials the MV Dragster is definitely worth a look if you have the $25,990 asking price.

FAST FACTS:

ENGINE:

798cc inline 3-cylinder

POWER:

92KW at 11,600rpm

WEIGHT:

167KG (dry)

SEAT HEIGHT:

811mm

PRICE:

$25,990 + ORC