MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 Rosso 2021 — Specifications

Do we still need to believe in Italian geniuses when the market for sport touring motorcycles is dominated by Japanese and Austrian machines designed for efficiency? Asking the question is already brushing the handlebars of the 2020 MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 Rosso, a bold gamble that categorically refuses to blend in. Here, we're not talking about a high-end utility vehicle, but a mechanical work that embraces its roadster nature disguised as a tarmac adventurer.

From the outset, the design strikes like a flag. It's not a trail bike, it's an F3 that has gained altitude and torque. The aggressive front end, the tapered rear with its suspended passenger seat, the LED chevrons as a light signature: everything exudes sportiness. The Rosso version, with its red and black livery, is an assumed pricing stripping that cuts back on the finishes to reach €13,990. A price that puts it directly in the sights of the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT or the BMW F 900 XR, but with an unbeatable argument: the status of a desirable object.

Because the heart beats to the rhythm of exhilaration. The 798 cm3 three-cylinder engine, inherited from the F3 and Brutale, is nothing like a large-displacement engine tamed for touring. It delivers its 110 horsepower at 10,150 rpm with a vehemence that has nothing to do with tranquil rivers. Its torque of 80 Nm, announced as boosted in the middle of the range, promises fierce acceleration rather than placid flexibility. In practice, you can tell it's a motorcycle more comfortable sculpting a series of turns than swallowing highways. With its 191 kg dry weight and a 21.5-liter tank, the range is there, but it is its sporty temperament that dominates.

The real revolution for this version lies in its electronic equipment. The adoption of an IMU unlocks an arsenal worthy of a hypersportive: cornering ABS, adjustable traction control to the nearest sensitivity, anti-wheelie, bidirectional quickshifter, and four riding modes, including one customizable to the extreme. The new 5.5-inch TFT dashboard and Bluetooth connectivity via the MV Ride app complete a hypermodern picture. On the other hand, for semi-active suspension and GPS, you will have to turn to the Lusso version, which is more expensive.

So, who rides this MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 Rosso? Certainly not the pure touring rider who seeks absolute comfort and placidity. The seat, even redesigned, displays a height of 850 mm, and the riding remains tense, a legacy of its steel and aluminum trellis frame. It is a machine for the demanding aesthete, the motorcyclist who places sensation and character above impeccable versatility. It will seduce those who, on a mountain road, prefer the thrill of an explosive engine to the regularity of a twin-cylinder. A compromise? No. A passionate choice, in the image of the Varese brand.