MV Agusta Rivale 800
Just ahead of unveiling its new Brutale 800 earlier this month, MV Agusta teased a sketch of a motard-style bike that also uses the 800 inline three – the Rivale 800.
And on Monday, MV Agusta released all the info ahead of the bikes official unveiling at the EICMA in Milan this week.
The Rivale 800 takes a clear aim at one competitor – the Ducati Hypermotard. The styling attributes of the Rivale 800 display this; the front appears like Ducati’s Hypermotorad. But what’s also interesting is the rear tail section – it takes styling from Ducati’s Diavel.
The Rivale 800 builds on MVA’s line of inline three motorcycles, joining the F3 675, the Bruatle 675 and the all-new Brutale 800. These bikes are all younger siblings of MV’s F4 and the new Brutale 1090.
The new 800’s engine is basically a bored-out version of the 675. The 800 pushes 125 horsepower at 11,600 rpm, which is 12 ponies more than the 675, and 60 ft. lbs. of torque at 8600 rpm. The engine features the counter-rotating crankshaft, something once only used in MotoGP. The design reduces inertia while changing direction, helping the bike’s overall balance.
The Rivale 800, which weighs 375 lbs., also features MVICS (Motor & Vehicle Integrated Control System) technology, which “allows for performance, smoothness of power delivery, ease of riding and extreme personalization, with three engine maps and a custom default.” The bike also features Ride-By-Wire throttle control.
Like the Brutale 800, the Rivale features the signature steel-trellis frame and single-sided swingarm, all united through two aluminum-alloy plates. MV Agusta says the angle of the steering head on the Rivale 800 is half of a degree more open than the Brutale 800. The excursion of the fork and shock have also been increased to provide more comfort and conformity to the road surface.
As for suspension, the Rivale 800 uses Marzocchi and Sachs components, which feature adjustable spring preload, hydraulic compression and rebound damping.
Stopping the Rivale 800 are dual, 320mm discs up front from squeezed by Brembo four-piston radial calipers, and a single 220mm disc out back squeezed by a twin-piston Brembo caliper.
Speaking of the Rivale 800’s design, MV Agusta says the bike features “harmonious and ‘discordant’ lines, tense yet voluptuous, bordering on futuristic while retaining synergy with our past. Volumes are perfectly balanced, containing areas that draw your eye to an incredible level of attention to detail. A sculptural composition where the engine and the chassis are always at the focal point. The front-fairing is compact and discreet yet able to characterize the front ends exuberant personality.
“Three elements, the mudguard, the side panels and the fuel tank are individually united to form a strong visual shield graphic that makes this machine instantly recognizable. Singularly MV Agusta.”
The Rivale 800 also features a new dash. The compact “monochrome” fully-digital, mult-function dashboard was optimized for not only looks within the front fairing, while offering maximum info.
MV Agusta says the Rivale 800 should be available in the second half of 2013, and retails for around $13,970 (10,990€).
