MV Agusta 750 S BRUTALE 2005 — Specifications

When Massimo Tamburini draws a motorcycle, the result is not up for debate — it is to be admired. The same man who designed the Ducati 916 and the MV Agusta F4 laid his ruler on the Brutale, and it shows in every curve of the tank, every cut of the seat, every millimeter of that chrome-molybdenum trellis frame breathing in open air, with no fairing to hide it. Stripping the bodywork from an F4 to create a naked roadster is a bold gamble. Tamburini won it.

Technically, the lineage from the F4 is direct: same engine architecture, inline four-cylinder of 749 cc, short bore of 73.8 mm with a stroke of 43.8 mm, compression ratio of 12:1, four valves per cylinder. The airbox differs, which keeps power at 126 horsepower at 12,500 rpm — a few horses fewer than the supersport it descended from. Torque peaks at 73.5 Nm at 10,500 rpm, figures that already spell it out: this engine lives at high revs, not low ones. At 185 kg dry and a seat height of 805 mm, the Brutale strikes a balance between track toy and urban roadster, without fully belonging to either camp.

Starting it up sets the tone. The four-cylinder awakens with a nervousness that Japanese roadsters of the same era simply did not know. Between 4,000 and 10,000 rpm, the engine lacks body — it hesitates, it searches. Then the curtain rises. Beyond that point, every fraction of throttle triggers a rev climb that takes your breath away, and the 13,000 rpm limiter calls you back to order before you completely forget to change gears. The six-speed gearbox is notchy to the touch, but precise and well-spaced. The ultra-rigid chassis demands physical commitment to change direction: you do not ride this machine with a tourist's gentleness — you guide it, you work it. It is a sportbike disguised as a roadster, not the other way around.

The braking matches the temperament: two 310 mm discs gripped by six-piston calipers up front, a 210 mm disc with four-piston caliper at the rear. The 50 mm inverted fork absorbs impacts with authority. The single-sided swingarm — that sculptural piece exposing the star-spoke wheel and its central nut — is justification enough for purchase on its own, for those who appreciate mechanical aesthetics. At a top speed of 250 km/h, the Brutale clearly has not finished its day.

Then there is the uncomfortable question. At €14,700, the MV Agusta 750 S Brutale makes no claim to reason. Fuel consumption ranges between 9 and 12 liters per 100 kilometers depending on how freely you use the 126 available horsepower — and the honest answer is that you use them often. The tires, a Pirelli 190/50-17 at the rear, wear quickly if you enjoy yourself. The comfort is that of a sportbike, not a versatile roadster. Compared to a Ducati Monster S4R or an Aprilia Tuono from the same period, the Brutale is less accessible, less suited to daily use, and more demanding in terms of maintenance. This is not a motorcycle for everyone, and it does not try to be. It is a piece of Italian craftsmanship intended for enthusiasts who accept its quirks in exchange for sensations that the competition simply cannot replicate. Some purchases cannot be justified by a spreadsheet.