Here’s the thing about desirability. It is a fickle emotion that will never let you settle on one thing. There are a plethora of highly desirable motorcycles that we can choose from right now (the Indian biking scene is exploding), but then something else comes along that will have us lusting after it. Adding to that growing list is yet another desirable Italian icon. Yes, MV Agusta is coming to town. Known for making two-wheeled sculptures, it is a marquee whose bikes are equally at home in an art gallery as on a racetrack. The F4, when it was launched, was hailed by critics as the most beautiful bike in the world, and the name itself is enough to spark animated discussions, replete with hand gestures. You know, because Italy.
Bringing this hallowed marquee to India via the CKD route is Kinetic Engineering. Known for giving India the Luna, the Kinetic Honda, the first 4-valve bike engine and the first V-twin motorcycle (remember the Hyosung Aquila 250?). Kinetic is currently finalising launch plans and dealership locations. What is for sure is that they will launch two models in the coming months (some say Diwali) – the F4 and the Brutale 1090. While we wait to get our hands on those bikes what we have here is the Brutale 800 which will soon be sent for homologation, a lengthy process which means it won’t go on sale before the year end at the earliest.
The 800 is an intense blob of scarlet and when you walk up to it, the first thing you notice is how compact it is. I can’t help but compare the dimensions that are so similar to the KTM 390 Duke. In fact, at just 167kg it weighs as much as the RC390 with one small difference. The MV has three times the power! Gulp!
Design-wise the Brutale comes with all the right ingredients. The signature trellis frame, single-sided swingarm and gorgeous ten-spoke wheels, upside down forks and a heavily sculpted fuel tank replete with large radiator shrouds. The lines flow gracefully into the minimal tail section and end in a sharp tail. Then there are the three-barrel exhausts that grab eyeballs wherever you go. It even comes in the traditional MV shade of red and silver.
Yet, as a whole, the design is 98 per cent there. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a beautiful motorcycle; it’s just not heart achingly beautiful. MVs are supposed to make you go weak in the knees and leave you gasping for breath and the Brutale comes close to doing that. I guess it is the extensive use of plastics that are throwing me off. While they make the Brutale ridiculously light, they simply don’t have the visual appeal of an aluminum panel. This is in no way a deal breaker though. Swing a leg over and you’ll be glad for the way the bike feels built around you. The seat is narrow allowing you to place both feet on the ground. The bike gets a comprehensive all-digital console, quality is top notch and there are these really nice soft touch buttons for the electronics. There is extensive use of highgrade thermoplastics to keep the weight down.
The 798cc, in-line triple is a powerhouse with 123bhp and 81Nm of torque enclosed in a compact package. That translates to a power-to-weight ratio of 736bhp per tonne! Compare that to the Veyron SS’s piddling 627bhp per tonne. Hah! Trying to keep all that pent up energy in check are a comprehensive array of electronics. There is ride-by-wire, eight stage traction control, switchable ABS, electronic quick-shift and four riding modes– Normal, Sports, Rain and Custom – which adjusts throttle sensitivity, engine response, torque output, rev limiter and engine braking. Torque output lets you choose between 80 per cent and the full-fat 100 per cent torque and engine braking is sort of an electronic slipper clutch that allows you to modulate engine braking.
Inspite of all these electronic aids, the Brutale remain motorcycle with velociraptor-sharp reflexes. The riding position is upright and surprisingly comfortable. The seat though tapers towards the tank so that all your weight is canted towards the front end and this takes some getting used to. The narrow tank could also make do with thigh grips. Fire her up and the Brutale settles into a moderately loud and staccato idle. At low revs the Brutale is deceptively docile and linear. There is a hint of grumble at low revs which smoothes out as the revs rise.Once past 4000rpm, no matter how progressively you wind the throttle, the front wheel just aims for the sky. In fact, it accelerates with such ferocity that your mind goes into survival mode, instinctively signalling the right wrist to back off, yet hold on and past 11,500rpm you are rewarded with another almighty shove that injects adrenaline straight into your cranium. At high revs, the glorious in-line three cylinder scream fills up your helmet. I wish I could bottle up this symphony and hear it at will. Snick up the clutchless quickshifter, feel the Brutale do a little headshake as the front goes light and before you realise it, you are on the north side of 200.
It is a good thing then that the Brutale handles as well as it surges forward. Suspension comes in the form of fully adjustable bits like the Marzzochi forks and Sachs mono rear that can be easily tuned for compression and rebound. The current setup is jarringly stiff on bumpy roads at low speeds but the ride improves at speed. This though is mainly due to the relatively low weight as the bike ends up hopping over bumps. What the stiff setup translates to is a lightweight naked that is super agile. The light front is very sharp and the short wheelbase makes it quite flickable. On the smooth stretch of tarmac that we are very familiar with near Pune, the Brutale comes alive. Drop a gear, lean into a corner, pick an exit line and wind the throttle open. You feel the traction control cut in for a split second and then the bike rockets forward with untamed ferocity and precision. Halfway up is a deceptive set of esses that ends in an uphill hairpin. If you are going fast, that final hairpin is bound to catch you out, as it did me. A sharp dab on the brakes has the rear lighten up as the speeds drop rapidly from triple digits to a controllable level. The Brembos have fierce bite as well as a lot of feedback emanating from the lever. The ABS works well and is nonintrusive. In fact all the electronic riding aids allow some leeway for hooliganism. That’s what I love about this bike. It’s mad.
So where does the Brutale 800 stand exactly. It is a serious bit of machinery, offering litre-class performance in a package that is as compact and as easy to handle as a KTM 390. Be warned though, this is not for the novice rider and despite the rider aids it can scare the living daylight out of you. Which has me thinking – the Brutale 1090 which you will be able to buy very soon must be absolutely bonkers.