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occasionally tooled around with the two-piston rear reduce lurching, as does selecting Rain mode, or fine-
Brembo caliper to see how much the 220-millimeter tuning personal preferences via the Custom engine
disc controlled by my right foot managed, too. But then map. The clutch weight for my left hand took a bit more
when I reached the Brutale's full pace, even just a few muscle than the Dragster (when I even used that bike's
times, the brakes hauled me back to reality without clutch, strictly as an experiment) but never so much as
breaking a sweat (pun fully intended). to make my hand sore while battling regular
Hustling up the tight roads of Malibu, even reaching full traffic.Meanwhile, the undeniable aura and presence
of the Brutale turned heads perhaps more than any
bike I've ridden yet, even despite the flat gray paint.
Sure, some of that comes down to the barking
exhaust, but multiple friends pointed out the exotic
design, too. I enjoyed the attention, even if I personally
wouldn't want my own bike to attract eyeballs quite so
much, since some eyeballs live in the skulls of police
officers eager to ask awkward questions about how
fast, exactly, a 208-horsepower bike can go in the
space of a city block.
All in on tech, too
I never felt too nervous giving the Brutale 1000 RS a
throttle on the Brutale requires a scouting run first to hard tug on the throttle, thanks in part to the serious
make sure the road has been cleared of debris from suite of tech that MV added alongside the engine
recent rains and mudslides (not to mention any law upgrades for model year 2023. The 5.5-inch screen
enforcement presence). And still, only the longest, allows for fairly easy use of eight-level traction control,
straightest straights truly give the Brutale a chance to including what MV calls "front wheel lift" (the
stretch its legs. Instead, I discovered how happy this equivalent of wheelie control), the semi-hilarious
bike becomes while leaning over hard, extra weight on electronically adjustable Öhlins steering damper (on a
the outside peg since the higher handlebars prevent bike with otherwise manually adjustable suspension),
full low slung counter steering, and my posture rides a cornering ABS, an app for smartphone connectivity via
bit more upright. The flow, or at least a staccato Bluetooth, and nav mirroring.
rhythm, sets in quickly and even pulling through to half
or three-quarters throttle above 10,000 rpm seems
more than plenty for the kind of fun that public roads
afford.
Just livable as a daily rider
That comfortable posture combines with smooth
2024 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RS Verdict
As addicting as liter-bike power in the modern age
gets—quickly, I can admit—the 600-class bikes of
today seem to occupy a perfect middle zone of weight
and power for me. But this Brutale 1000 RS finds a
happy balance between comfort and sporty dynamics,
suspension to produce just enough of a daily rider hitting with a serious wallop at a serious price. My few
personality, too. The Marzocchi forks and Sachs weeks with the Brutale left me very curious about other
damper prevent too much front-to-rear nosedives liter sport bikes from MV, but alas, the company years
despite the prodigious power and bitey brakes, not to ago bid arrivederci to the iconic F4 RR. Instead, the F3
mention the hornet's nest of an inline-four seemingly now sports a similar three-banger as the Dragster. And
mounted right between my knees. And yet, the if I wanted that powerplant in a sporty package, the
firmness never requires enough of a sacrifice in stunning style of the Superveloce still sits at the top of
compliance to make cracks in the road or speed the list, even if neither can match the freakish Brutale's
bumps unruly. outright assault on the senses. LHR
Keeping the engine below about 8,000 rpm helps to
Bike Review
