MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster 2014 — Specifications

What drives an Italian factory to take an already edgy roadster and hacksaw its rear end off? At MV Agusta, the answer comes down to one word: Dragster. The 2014 MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster takes the mechanical foundation of its Brutale cousin but condenses it into a shorter, squatter, more aggressive silhouette. The result is a naked bike that looks like a clenched fist set on two wheels, with a chopped tail that gives it the appearance of a transalpine hot rod. The stitched seat, belly pan, and redesigned wheels add a level of finish that the standard Brutale didn't offer. At €13,490, MV positions this version somewhere between a simple restyle and a true sport variant.

Beneath the 16.6-litre tank beats the same 798 cc inline three-cylinder, set at a 13.3:1 compression ratio. The 125 horsepower at 11,600 rpm and 81 Nm of torque at 8,600 rpm are identical to those of the Brutale 800. The difference lies in the mapping: MV reworked the power delivery to achieve a response that is both sharper and more progressive. On paper, the MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster's spec sheet breaks no new ground. In the saddle, the improvement shows through the ride-by-wire's spontaneity and smoother engine braking management. The MVICS 2.0 electronic platform includes four riding modes, traction control, an EAS quickshifter, and Bosch 9MP ABS. Enough to reassure riders who want to exploit the claimed 245 km/h top speed without ending up in the scenery.

The mixed steel trellis and aluminium plate chassis remains the same as the Brutale's, with a short 1,380 mm wheelbase that promotes agility on corner entry. The Marzocchi inverted fork and Sachs shock offer full adjustability in preload, rebound, and compression. The Brembo brakes with twin 320 mm floating discs and radial four-piston calipers bite with conviction. 167 kg dry — the same figure as the Brutale — is remarkably contained for a machine of this displacement. By way of comparison, a Triumph Street Triple R from the same era posted a similar weight with slightly less power, while a Yamaha MT-09 played the budget card with a different kind of engine character. The Dragster sits above them in terms of exclusivity and finish, but the price tag reflects it.

The real story with this machine is its identity. The MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster is not a fundamentally new model. It's a knife-sculpted Brutale, with a minimalist seat where the passenger is little more than a token presence, a handlebar adjustable in three positions, and a rear end that turns heads at every red light. The 810 mm seat height and 160 mm ground clearance make it accessible without being low, comfortable without being a tourer. It targets the urban rider who wants Italian character and is willing to pay the price of exclusivity. Those looking for a review of the MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster will find a bike that's a pleasure to take on twisty roads, lively and vocal thanks to the characteristic melody of its three-cylinder engine. The RR version that followed, then the Lewis Hamilton RR edition, pushed the bar further in terms of prestige and equipment. On the used market, the Brutale 800 Dragster RR remains a sought-after machine. But this original 2014 iteration lays the foundation for a distinctive temperament in the mid-displacement sport roadster segment: that of an Italian bike that favours sculpture over a numbers war.