The other day, the KTM group called us to ask whether we’d like to use the MV Agusta Superveloce for a couple of days. Duh? Of course we would! We grabbed the bike and spent a very pleasant few days in the saddle.
There is something emotive about riding an MV. It’s not only the styling and sheer beauty of the bikes – it’s also got a lot to do with the way that they make you feel. Somehow, they feel different and it’s quite difficult to explain just how unique they are.
They aren’t, however cheap by any stretch of the imagination, so it was with some trepidation that we climbed aboard and pointed the bike in the direction of Bikeshop Rivonia to join them on the Carbon Cover breakfast run.
The ride to the shop from our base is around 50 KM’s down a very quiet Sunday morning freeway is exactly why we ride motorcycles. Open roads and an Italian operetta as you open the throttle to very definitely exceed the speed limit. The Superveloce 800 is a fun, road-going sportbike. Its riding position is sporty but it isn’t overly extreme. There’s plenty of midrange grunt surging from that rowdy three-cylinder motor.
This bike is all about style, emotion and sound – the three things that make this bike such a desirable thing. Oh yes – the triple unleashes 147 hp of maximum power at 13,000 rpm. Yup! She loves to rev.
“You look a bit nervous!” was one of the comments passed as we rolled into the parking lot and found a spot a little bit away from the crowd. We could only imagine the phone call we’d have to make should someone accidently bump the bike or something similar.
A 200 plus kilometre ride was waiting for us – and doing the whole press thing involved pulling over to the side to get pics and vids, allowing the mass of bikes to pass – and then playing catchup and overtaking to get up front again.
Honestly, this was not the ideal bike for this because at every stop, you look around for a good solid footing where you can park without fear of dropping or scratching her, clamber off, get the shots, climb aboard and whizz away again. The catch up part of it is where the bike sings as you open the throttle and just enjoy the flowing roads.
The wide clip-ons are slightly raised and the pegs are quite low so it’s quite comfortable for a sportbike, especially for taller riders. The small, firm suede-covered old school racing seat isn’t the plushest we’ve seen, but it’s padded enough that your butt will survive a ride like this.
She loves to go fast and she sings along when you open the throttle. The 798cc inline three-cylinder boasts titanium valves and a counter rotating crank. It makes 146bhp that delivers smooth power especially at low revs. But it’s an MV and is still beautifully raw and aggressive which is what makes it unique. The little screen keeps most of the wind at bay, although, if they do offer a higher option, we’d have a look at fitting one.
The fully adjustable Marzocchi forks, Sachs shock, Brembo monoblocs and Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II rubber all worked perfectly for the ride that we did… until we hit the harshly bumpy road just before our lunchtime destination. That’s where you’ll realise that you need to set the bike up because the rear particularly is pretty harsh. The good news however is that these days, you seldom need to go to a bike shop to do your setup – a couple of turns of compression and a turn of rebound slowed the damping down enough to make it all a bit more pleasant. We’d spend a bit more time on it if this bike was to make its way into our garage. Just like the engine, the faster you ride, the happier the suspension and handling is.
Stop, take photo’s climb aboard again. Open up, catch up, overtake… that was the day and it was so much fun. At the lunch stop we saw more than one or two envious glances as riders sauntered past, some even shooting sneaky pics. Naturally a few wandered over to shoot the breeze about the sexy Italian. That’s the beauty of motorcycles.
The ride home was even more fun – wide open freeways all the way home, no need to stop anywhere except for those pesky toll gates, which were joyfully “Skieted” much to our German visitor, who was on Suzuki’s naked 800’s amazement.
The bike is plastered with rider modes and completely up to date technology including:
- Ride-by-wire throttle
- 8-level traction control
- ABS
- Four riding modes (Rain, Normal, Sport, Custom)
- Up/down quickshifter
- 5-inch TFT display
The very cool display keeps you informed as you tear along, the engine sings the song of our people – it’s a very immersive experience. This is one of those delectable motorcycles that could very easily make its way into our garage. We’ve said it before and chances are good we’ll say it again. The Italians do know how to stir your soul – and this bike is no exception.
From prototype to production, everything takes place in Varese, allowing the company to proudly claim to be truly Made-In-Italy.
This one will set you back a cool R419 000
I guess you understand why we looked a bit nervous…
MV in South Africa:
MV Agusta is imported by the KTM Group and for now there is one dealer, Fast in Alberton and now also in The Cape.
