MV Agusta 800 EAS - a brief fling
Posted: 25 Aug 2018, 21:13
A lot of bikers have a mindset about certain marques of bikes. BMWs are boring, Hondas don't break down, Ducatis have crap electrics and are expensive to maintain, Triumphs are unreliable.
Mention MV and you get the same response - they're temperamental and you can't get parts.
One thing common with people who hold these views is that they've rarely owned once of these bikes. The reason they've not owned one is because someone once told them a horror story or someone knows someone who had one and they'll never have another.
At the end of 2016 I was looking to get myself a second bike. I liked the look of the MV Brutale 800RR. I mentioned it on a forum and asked for feedback on the new MV bikes. As expected I got the usual "steer clear messages" from non-owners. On the other hand, those with MVs loved them. No issues apart from 2016 models having sprag clutch problems.
I didn't get an MV, a very well priced 675 Street R came my way.
But I'm back in the hunt for another naked and today I got a ride on an 800EAS.
The dealer didn't have an 800rr which is out on loan. The EAS is the basic model. It's about 110bhp and hasn't got all of the bling of the 140bhp RR.
So I get the 800 and it's fresh back from Italy having been used for an MV event. It's still got the Italian plates on it. This bike belongs to MV, not the dealer.
First off, I'm not too keen on the colour, but I'm not buying it so it's not an issue. The screen is a bit basic, especially compared to what you get on Triumphs these days. That said, it works and you can see what you need to. It's got 4 modes - rain, normal, sport and custom. You can also change the ABS and the TC levels as well as the engine maps.
What you notice is that this bike has been built around what it needs, rather than what looks good. Given that this is the base model, there's an up and down quickshifter with auto blipper. Brembo calipers, Sachs rear shock. None of this is bling for sales, it's what works on the bike.
The seat height is spot on for me. It feels tall but both feet are flat on the floor. It's narrow. The pegs are well placed and overall it's a sporty position. The seat is firm but at no point did it feel uncomfortable. Your weight is on your hands when you're going slow. The leg position feels a bit alien at first but it becomes natural after a few minutes into the ride. Hydraulic clutch and a smooth gearbox show themselves as you pull off. The QS is really well set up and it makes a nice noise on the changes.
It's a triple engine. There seemed to be a very slight hesitation as I pulled off but there's no issues once we're off. It's got a nicer sound in stock than Triumphs triples. MV have done a better job with Euro 4 and engine noise. You're getting more of the exhaust note from this bike which sounds very sweet with a nice growling undertone to it. I had no other issues with the fuelling. I think the bike might have been sluggish at the start because it was cold.
I'm in traffic but the bike doesn't mind. Filtering is easy, the bike feels small and light and the throttle is responsive. The brakes have a nice initial bite and are certainly up to the job when you've got triple figures on the speedo and need to stop the fun. Despite it just being over the 100bhp line this thing pulls. It's not as relaxed as the 765 or Z800 or Z900 bikes. It certainly feels like it's got more power, like a middle weight boxer that wouldn't be out classed in the welterweight division. It certainly didn't mind throwing the front wheel in the air despite the TC being on. I've noticed a lot of bikes these days try to put a stop to mono fun, but not the MV.
The suspension felt top end despite not having gold and blue on the front and back. The only time it was called into question was on a very badly maintained twisty road when I was getting a shift on, but I reckon a quick change to rebound would soon sort that.
It's hard to do a write up about middleweight naked bikes at this end of the market. They're all accomplished bikes so when it comes to deciding what to buy it's down to personal taste rather than performance. The RS triumphs have lots of nice shiny stuff on them. The MV is more about what works for the bike, it's been built to a specification rather than a price. You can see that in the MV showroom as the sportsbikes want for nothing.
So would I have one? It's a tough call. The MV hasn't got the finery and accessories the Triumphs come with, but the MV has a more practical side to what's on the bike and that is carried on to the way it rides. You're more involved with the MV than you are with the Triumphs, which on their own are cracking rides, but in comparison don't have the same level of character. We are talking very fine margins here, I can see why some journos have said that the MV is too harsh and focused for the roads. But they're pussies, so feck em. Pussies.
Mention MV and you get the same response - they're temperamental and you can't get parts.
One thing common with people who hold these views is that they've rarely owned once of these bikes. The reason they've not owned one is because someone once told them a horror story or someone knows someone who had one and they'll never have another.
At the end of 2016 I was looking to get myself a second bike. I liked the look of the MV Brutale 800RR. I mentioned it on a forum and asked for feedback on the new MV bikes. As expected I got the usual "steer clear messages" from non-owners. On the other hand, those with MVs loved them. No issues apart from 2016 models having sprag clutch problems.
I didn't get an MV, a very well priced 675 Street R came my way.
But I'm back in the hunt for another naked and today I got a ride on an 800EAS.
The dealer didn't have an 800rr which is out on loan. The EAS is the basic model. It's about 110bhp and hasn't got all of the bling of the 140bhp RR.
So I get the 800 and it's fresh back from Italy having been used for an MV event. It's still got the Italian plates on it. This bike belongs to MV, not the dealer.
First off, I'm not too keen on the colour, but I'm not buying it so it's not an issue. The screen is a bit basic, especially compared to what you get on Triumphs these days. That said, it works and you can see what you need to. It's got 4 modes - rain, normal, sport and custom. You can also change the ABS and the TC levels as well as the engine maps.
What you notice is that this bike has been built around what it needs, rather than what looks good. Given that this is the base model, there's an up and down quickshifter with auto blipper. Brembo calipers, Sachs rear shock. None of this is bling for sales, it's what works on the bike.
The seat height is spot on for me. It feels tall but both feet are flat on the floor. It's narrow. The pegs are well placed and overall it's a sporty position. The seat is firm but at no point did it feel uncomfortable. Your weight is on your hands when you're going slow. The leg position feels a bit alien at first but it becomes natural after a few minutes into the ride. Hydraulic clutch and a smooth gearbox show themselves as you pull off. The QS is really well set up and it makes a nice noise on the changes.
It's a triple engine. There seemed to be a very slight hesitation as I pulled off but there's no issues once we're off. It's got a nicer sound in stock than Triumphs triples. MV have done a better job with Euro 4 and engine noise. You're getting more of the exhaust note from this bike which sounds very sweet with a nice growling undertone to it. I had no other issues with the fuelling. I think the bike might have been sluggish at the start because it was cold.
I'm in traffic but the bike doesn't mind. Filtering is easy, the bike feels small and light and the throttle is responsive. The brakes have a nice initial bite and are certainly up to the job when you've got triple figures on the speedo and need to stop the fun. Despite it just being over the 100bhp line this thing pulls. It's not as relaxed as the 765 or Z800 or Z900 bikes. It certainly feels like it's got more power, like a middle weight boxer that wouldn't be out classed in the welterweight division. It certainly didn't mind throwing the front wheel in the air despite the TC being on. I've noticed a lot of bikes these days try to put a stop to mono fun, but not the MV.
The suspension felt top end despite not having gold and blue on the front and back. The only time it was called into question was on a very badly maintained twisty road when I was getting a shift on, but I reckon a quick change to rebound would soon sort that.
It's hard to do a write up about middleweight naked bikes at this end of the market. They're all accomplished bikes so when it comes to deciding what to buy it's down to personal taste rather than performance. The RS triumphs have lots of nice shiny stuff on them. The MV is more about what works for the bike, it's been built to a specification rather than a price. You can see that in the MV showroom as the sportsbikes want for nothing.
So would I have one? It's a tough call. The MV hasn't got the finery and accessories the Triumphs come with, but the MV has a more practical side to what's on the bike and that is carried on to the way it rides. You're more involved with the MV than you are with the Triumphs, which on their own are cracking rides, but in comparison don't have the same level of character. We are talking very fine margins here, I can see why some journos have said that the MV is too harsh and focused for the roads. But they're pussies, so feck em. Pussies.