2017 MV Agusta Brutale 800 review, test ride

The exotic motorcycle specialist, Meccanica Verghera or MV Agusta has been at the drawing board again and we now get a revised version of its street naked, the Brutale 800, for 2017. While the Varese-based manufacturer has been creating stunning motorcycles since 1945, the updated version of this simple, yet muscular looking street naked was first seen at EICMA 2016.

The styling changes are subtle and give the Brutale 800 a smoother overall look. It gets a slightly redesigned version of its trapezoidal tank, a new LED headlight with a newly designed cowl, revised fenders, and a new tail section (including the subframe). Other minor changes are visible all over the bodywork of the motorcycle like the double saddle, concealed passenger grab rails, a new handlebar and the addition of the clutch pump. The instrument panel has also been updated, along with the switchgear and handlebar buttons.

The signature three-pipe exhaust has also been redesigned, and is slightly larger now, which produces a minutely stronger exhaust note from the 798cc, inline-three cylinder engine. The engine gets 12-valves and a counter-rotating crankshaft. Power, however, is down from 123hp on the older model to 109hp now; although it wasn't exactly noticeable on our short test ride. There is however a bump in torque to 83Nm, with 90 percent of that available from low down in the revs at 3,800rpm.

This updated Brutale 800 also gets a new electronics package. This includes four power modes – Rain, Normal, Sport and a Custom setting. There is also an eight-level traction control system with switchable and adjustable ABS. While this creates a major improvement in terms of refinement when compared to the raw nature of the older model, the throttle is still a little glitchy at low revs in Normal power mode. This is a little more evident in Race mode, and the on-off throttle transitions are a little abrupt for typical road use.