I rode a 2016 MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 today... my impressions

[JulesMaximus]

[FONT=&quot]I dropped my Ducati off for the 7500 mile service this morning and Moto Forza let me take this home for the day. It is a 2016 MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800. It has an 800cc 3 cylinder inline engine making 110hp at 10,000rpms and 61ft lbs of torque. It is a sport touring bike and comes with bags but their demo model didn't have them on the bike.[/FONT]
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Holy crap this thing is gorgeous. Every detail was poured over. Why use a run of the mill round brake fluid reservoir when you can design one that curves with a teardrop shape that follows the lines of the handlebar. You could look at this bike for hours and not tire of it. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
It is a very very attractive design and looks and feels much more compact than my Multistrada 1200 S (because it is). I'm not sure what this bike weighs but it feels much smaller. Despite that compact feeling it is still a tall bike with 33" between the seat and the pavement. Riding it felt like I was riding a tall naked bike.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
I personally feel that the handlebar is a bit too high and a bit too close to the rider. Wind protection also wasn't great. Like every other MV Agusta I've ridden the engine is very touchy on the throttle. It's like an on/off switch and it requires a smooth hand and some slipping of the clutch to be smooth when taking off from a stop and shifting gears. Also, while the engine is very smooth and linear I missed the power and torque of my Multistrada. [/FONT]
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It also felt twitchy, nervous on the freeway. I think a slightly longer wheelbase and maybe a tad more rake in the forks would make it less twitchy but might not make it turn in as easily.[/FONT]

Okay, after spending more time on it there are some things I appreciate about it. It is lighter than my bike, by maybe 50-60lbs, which is a lot on a motorcycle. The brakes are fantastic and the engine just loves to rev and rewards you with a ferocious howl at higher revs. It is intoxicating.

This bike is really really sport oriented and I found that on the freeway if you tuck in behind the windscreen it feels much more stable and I hit 115mph on my ride back to the dealership this afternoon and it was stable as long as you stayed tucked in behind the windscreen.

Unfortunately, the high bars kind of make that feel a little strange but it is nice to be able to dial it back and relax without the aggressive riding position of a sportbike. And make no mistake, this is a sportbike but it is a tall comfortable one.

This is it parked in my driveway.

 

[JulesMaximus]

BTW-It was in the high 70s here today and sunny.

 

[Dice144]

This makes me miss my motorcycle... thanks!

 

[DigDog]

and it makes me thing of the Serie Oro i had stolen off of me :tears:

 

[pcgeek11]

To each his own I guess.

To me it looks like it is trying too hard...

 

[Pulsar]

They need to add a couple more words to the name. It's like the motorcycle is compensating for not being a car.

 

[twinrider1]

I imagine it looks great from the saddle and is functions very well. But I've never warmed up to the Transformer look that is so popular these days. The Rivale is more my style.

 

[jdoggg12]

They need to add a couple more words to the name. It's like the motorcycle is compensating for not being a car.

MV Agusta is the brand. Turismo Veloce is the model. 800 is the size of the engine. What is too long about Turismo Veloce?

 

[DigDog]

and not a single f**k was given for DigDog's stolen bike.

 

[JulesMaximus]

and not a single f**k was given for DigDog's stolen bike.

Link to thread?

and it makes me thing of the Serie Oro i had stolen off of me :tears:

What the hell is a Serie Oro? This? Oooh, that is pretty.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

I love the riding position. That's about it. Your multi looks better.

Good review. Love me some light bikes, preferably nekkid.

Sounds rough having to ride that POS in the dead of winter. I feel for you.

 

[Phanuel]

MV's have style, I'll grant you that. Those triple exhausts just don't do anything for me though. And the dealer network / parts availability is definitely lacking.

If owning a Ducati is like owning a Ferrari, owning an MV is like owning a... Lancia I think.

How was the clutch release on that thing? This video makes me laugh https://youtu.be/Uxf-4exr8CA?t=317

 

[JulesMaximus]

MV's have style, I'll grant you that. Those triple exhausts just don't do anything for me though. And the dealer network / parts availability is definitely lacking.

If owning a Ducati is like owning a Ferrari, owning an MV is like owning a... Lancia I think.

How was the clutch release on that thing? This video makes me laugh https://youtu.be/Uxf-4exr8CA?t=317

Clutch action is very light and I didn't experience anything like what they did in that video... I wasn't really trying to launch it hard though. It's an easy bike to ride but the throttle is a bit touchy which makes it a bit challenging to be smooth. I'm used to big torquey L-twin motors so maybe that plays a bit into it. I can start moving away from a stop at idle on the Multistrada but the MV needs a bit of throttle to get away smoothly.

I don't get the Ducati/Ferrari analogy. Ducati competes directly with other motorcycle manufacturers, it's a bit of a luxury brand in some respects, but it's not out of reach for buyers of other brands like BMW, Victory, Harley or Triumph especially not when you consider the used market or the bread and butter bikes like the Monster and Scrambler. The bike I rode is one of the dealer demo models and I've ridden other MV Agusta motorcycles (like the Brutale 1090 R).

At $250k and up a Ferrari is way out of reach for most car buyers. A Kawasaki ZX10R costs roughly $15k new. A new Ducati Panigale 1299 can be had for just under $20k. Unlike a Ferrari, a Ducati is not 4 or 5 times more expensive than other motorcycles, it is more like 1.3 times more expensive. Maintenance and parts will cost more but again, it's not 4 or 5 times more.

The Turismo Veloce 800 is less expensive than the Multistrada 1200 S I own. The Multistrada is a $20k motorcycle new but I bought mine right after they announced the 2015 DVT Multi (mine is a 2014 model) so I was able to get it for about $3k less than that which IMO is a bargain.

 

[Phanuel]

Ducati insist on using their Desmo valves. It's pretty ridiculous to insist on using technology that was rendered pretty obsolete well over a decade and a half ago.

Under Audi's ownership their reliability has gone up, but they still have consumer fears of electronics and expensive time in the shop due to "Just Ducati things." The analogy is perfectly fine.

But yes, most motorcycle manufacturers are pricing themselves nearly 50% higher than what they were 10 years ago and are catching / have caught up to Ducati pricing. Extra lulz if you're in the market for a new 600 i4 for whatever reason. Just 2 grand more gets you a full liter full of tech that could actually save your life.

I wanted to get a 600 to step up to but only 2 of them come with ABS, and only 1 comes with basic traction control. Meanwhile the 5 and 6 axis IMUs on all of the new-ish liter+ bikes give the rider a bunch of safety net on the road when something unexpected happens. Lean pro ABS? Why wouldn't I want that on the street?

I also just can't do a Ducati until they do a V4 like their GP bikes. Twins just have really ugly exhaust notes to me. Having to have a 300 cc displacement advantage to equal the competition, meh. There's also no low down torque advantage anymore either.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Ducati insist on using their Desmo valves. It's pretty ridiculous to insist on using technology that was rendered pretty obsolete well over a decade and a half ago.

Under Audi's ownership their reliability has gone up, but they still have consumer fears of electronics and expensive time in the shop due to "Just Ducati things." The analogy is perfectly fine.

But yes, most motorcycle manufacturers are pricing themselves nearly 50% higher than what they were 10 years ago and are catching / have caught up to Ducati pricing. Extra lulz if you're in the market for a new 600 i4 for whatever reason. Just 2 grand more gets you a full liter full of tech that could actually save your life.

I wanted to get a 600 to step up to but only 2 of them come with ABS, and only 1 comes with basic traction control. Meanwhile the 5 and 6 axis IMUs on all of the new-ish liter+ bikes give the rider a bunch of safety net on the road when something unexpected happens. Lean pro ABS? Why wouldn't I want that on the street?

I also just can't do a Ducati until they do a V4 like their GP bikes. Twins just have really ugly exhaust notes to me. Having to have a 300 cc displacement advantage to equal the competition, meh. There's also no low down torque advantage anymore either.

:thumbsup: I don't know why anyone wouldn't want ABS on the street. I'm a big fan of these electronics packages.

BTW-I haven't had any trouble with my Multistrada other than a faulty fuel gauge sending unit which was replaced under warranty. I've purchased 2 Ducatis, both new, and have found dealer support to be excellent as is online owner support on the many Ducati forums.

To anyone buying a new Ducati I would simply say ride the shit out of it and enjoy it. That way, if something fails it happens while the bike is under warranty. My first valve adjustment isn't until 15,000 miles and it is 18,000 miles on the new Multi.

Desmo valves is just a Ducati thing. You can't change it because then you'd just have another run of the mill Japanese bike with red paint and Italian styling. It is part of what makes Ducati the brand it is. That would be like asking Harley to start making their bikes lighter or using i4 engines instead of big V-twin engines.

 

[marincounty]

Sorry, I find that thing pretty ugly, looks like a collection of parts, not a stylish motorcycle.
I do like the riding position, though.
I much prefer the look of the F4 , that's a good lookin' bike.

 

[Phanuel]

Desmo valves is just a Ducati thing. You can't change it because then you'd just have another run of the mill Japanese bike with red paint and Italian styling. It is part of what makes Ducati the brand it is. That would be like asking Harley to start making their bikes lighter or using i4 engines instead of big V-twin engines.

I get it. And it makes a fun mechanical noise to boot. They're just so bloody expensive to get serviced is all.

The 899 and 959 Panigales are gorgeous. As a piece of art to look at every day, they've got me. Just to me, the engine heat and twins do nothing for me.

As for Harley, I.. uh, I've got nothing positive to say so I'll just shut up.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I get it. And it makes a fun mechanical noise to boot. They're just so bloody expensive to get serviced is all.

The 899 and 959 Panigales are gorgeous. As a piece of art to look at every day, they've got me. Just to me, the engine heat and twins do nothing for me.

As for Harley, I.. uh, I've got nothing positive to say so I'll just shut up.

:thumbsup:

 

[DigDog]

the serie oro was the prototype run, 300 only, all magnesium wheels, all carbon fiber body, and they were only sold to VIP owners. i had to bribe the owner of the store to get my hands on one.

this dates back to 2000 and i never posted it here.

 

[JulesMaximus]

the serie oro was the prototype run, 300 only, all magnesium wheels, all carbon fiber body, and they were only sold to VIP owners. i had to bribe the owner of the store to get my hands on one.

this dates back to 2000 and i never posted it here.

Where was it stolen from?

That sucks ass bro. If I had a bike like that I'd probably keep it in my livingroom.

 

[DigDog]

it's science fiction; i had the bike 3 feet away from me, i practically always lock it with disk lock, this one time i didn't because i had just gotten off for less than a minute. the guy must have had a copy of the key, there is no other explanation.
the serie oro was mad expensive, around $50k (no typo, i had cash back then). i had maniacal care for that bike; i suspect mainly the owner of the garage i kept it at. whomever it was, they had to be following me.

this happened in rome. in italy, you gotta nail stuff to the ground if you want to keep it.

mind you, they were numbered and only the official MV dealers would work on them, and yet the bike never resurfaced.

that's what i mean when i say, italy is nice to visit, shit to live in.