How can anyone forget about MV Agusta? We might do because the brand has been a little quiet of late. KTM, as part of the boss man Stefan Pierer’s attempt to conquer the motorcycling world, bought the Italian brand and now we await its plans for it. It could be very exciting, but until then there’s been a lack of new models, news or anything about MV, so you are forgiven for the brand not exactly being top of mind.
Except when you ride one. Suddenly you wonder how the hell you forgot about MV.
Exactly this happened – Glenn and clan wandered into Bikeshop Boksburg where the ever jovial Jannie Jordaan offered us a go on two bikes gracing his showroom floor.
By Donovan Fourie
The first is a Rivale, a supermoto-themed bike built by MV Agusta in the 2010s. It uses the brand’s 800cc triple motor pushing 125hp, all bundled into a beautiful MV chassis and is a sight to behold. The name comes from a super yacht in the French Riviera called the Riva Rivale.
MV got permission to use the name and aptly gave it to its newest, beautiful supermoto machine.
A couple of years later, MV decided that a more touring version of the Rivale could be fun, so they built one. It had a screen, higher bars and luggage. Unfortunately, the weight of the luggage didn’t mix so well with the sharp handling supermoto chassis, so MV made some mods to keep things in line, and so the Stradale was born.
An example of one happened to be parked next to the Rivale at Bikeshop Boksburg.
Luckily we did some research into these motorcycles because, for the casual onlooker, they appear exactly the bloody same.
Where the Stradale, (on this occasion without luggage), had a noticeable difference to the Rivale was in that it had an aftermarket exhaust, plus mirrors that sit under the handle bars and look magnificent provided you are happy with not knowing what is going on behind you…
Nonetheless, we rode the duo through Boksburg and about our business, and immediately had an epiphany – there’s a reason why we always liked MV Agusta. Since the brand re-emerged in the late Nineties, its models have always possessed that strange aura of inexplicable attractiveness that surmounts even the most robust logical mind. Basically, they make you fall in love, or lust with them.
And, man, were we in love. Or was it lust?
The seating positions on our two MVs were your typical supermoto, high-up, almost-on-the-handlebars style, and with that comes a notion of comfort and control…. And naughtiness. Especially when you open the throttle and that triple spins into life.
The 800 triple motor from MV is one of the most exciting engines ever made. It’s lively, fast, ferocious and – good heavens that sound is glorious. Especially from the Stradale with its aftermarket exhaust, coupled with the two-way quick-shifter.
It’s pure love, the wail of the motor climbing revs, the pop as the quick-shifter notches up a gear and the bark as the auto-blip changes back down again….
Luckily I was sitting down or I might’ve had a small crisis.
These two models are around ten years old, with the Rivale having fewer than 3,000 km on the clock, and the Stradale is only just run in at 17,000km, and yet either can leave Jannie’s floor for around R100,000.
They’re nearly brand bloody new, they are pure love to ride and they cost the same as a little 300.
I’d genuinely buy one if the bank manager hadn’t stopped taking my calls…. Bastard!
Lots of other delectable machines are on the floor at Bikeshop Boksburg. Go and have a look…
