Used Buyers Guide: 2002-2004 MV Brutale 750

Missing cubes but still a great looking bike, the MV Brutale 750’s style makes up for its slight lack of substance.

The early 2000s were a great time for fans of sporty naked bikes. Aside from the fairly mundane offerings from Japan (the Kawasaki Z1000 was the only ray of sunshine), you had the choice of the quirky Buell XB9 or XB12 models, the Triumph Speed Triple, the Aprilia Tuono and its hardcore brethren the Racing and a wide range of Ducati Monsters from the air-cooled café thumpers to the liquid-cooled beasts. And amongst all this was the MV Agusta Brutale 750, a swarthy Italian slice of exotica that was lacking a bit in the muscle stakes, but boasted film star looks and a diminutive sportsbike chassis.

Heavily based on the F4 750 sportsbike, the Brutale was initially teased way back in 2000 and appeared in ultra-exclusive Serie Oro (gold series) form later that year. But it wasn’t until 2002 that mere mortals were given the chance to buy one, provided they could stump up the fairly salty £10,500 price tag. Considering this steep price, not to mention the fact that the F4 was already proving more than a little disappointing in its performance, it is surprising that MV sold any Brutales at all. But they did and an even bigger shock is just how easy it is to find a used one for sale. Not to mention how cheap they are…

Search the UK’s bike adverts and you can quite easily locate a beauty of a Brutale 750 for under £5000 – even dipping to £4000 if you don’t mind one that has seen a bit of use. On paper that appears remarkable value, especially considering how exclusive the bike was back in 2002 as despite all its perceived failings, visually the Brutale stole the show. And continues to do so nowadays.

Even as it prepares to celebrate its 16^th birthday, the Brutale looks incredible. From its five-spoke wheels to its twin stacked pipes the MV refuses to age and still carries huge amounts of the ‘wow factor.’ People often criticise the Italian manufacturers, and especially MV, for their build quality, but the Brutale actually has a very high level of finish, something that is helped even more by the fact so few ever see a drop of rain – let alone winter salt. Nope, if you are in the market for a Brutale 750 you can consider mileages of over 15,000 (which averages out to less than 1000 miles a year) pretty high. And then there is that engine.

The F4 motor was part designed by Ferrari and once on the pipe the Brutale sounds like one of the firm’s blood red F1 cars accelerating. Which is a good thing because getting it to this point can be a frustrating experience, so you need a bit of reward for all your hard effort…

Frustratingly, like the F4 750, the Brutale is lacking in bottom end grunt. The inline four engine may have been re-tuned for more mid-range in the naked bike, but it doesn’t really show up and you need to get the rev counter above 8000rpm to discover any proper drive. On one hand this makes it quite frustrating, but on the other it does add a bit of Italian wild spirit and flair that is always welcome and makes for a far more engaging ride. And come the bends the Brutale doesn’t disappoint either.

In a tried and tested formula, MV took a sportsbike chassis and turned it into a naked bike to create the Brutale. But unlike its larger capacity rivals such as the Tuono, MV’s sportsbike started compact and that led to a small, but perfectly formed, naked where others were considerably larger. True, this resulted in the Brutale’s riding position being cramped and its practicality limited, but in return you got a machine that destroyed smooth bends and could run rings around its physically bigger competition. Think of the Brutale as a fore-runner to the Street Triple, just lacking the Triumph’s triple’s midrange, and you won’t be far off the mark. So are you tempted yet?

There are so many reasons to avoid owning a Brutale 750, as your mates will gleefully point out. It’s a bit gutless, parts can be tricky to locate, servicing costs are high and there will almost certainly be the odd electrical gremlin raising its ugly head every now and then. But this is a bike that looks so bloody stunning you will happily brush aside these issues. Do this and on the days the sun is out and you can let the Brutale 750 off its leash you will absolutely love your purchase. However let’s be honest, it does need to be a second bike because can you imagine cleaning winter’s crud off those gorgeous wheels?

Engine:

Type: 749cc, liquid-cooled, 16v, inline four

Bore x stroke: 74mm x 43mm

Compression: 12:1

Fuelling: Electronic Fuel Injection

Tested Power: 116bhp @ 12,500rpm

Tested Torque: 75Nm @ 10,500rpm

Chassis

Frame: Steel trellis

F Suspension: 43mm inverted Marzocchi forks, fully-adjustable

R suspension: Sachs monoshock, fully-adjustable

Front brakes: Six-piston calipers, 310mm discs

Rear brake: Two-piston caliper, 245mm disc

Dimensions:

Wheelbase: 1414mm

Seat Height: 810mm

Dry Weight: 184kg

Fuel Capacity: 19-litres

Speed:

0-60:  4.35 sec

0-100:  8.31 sec

0-140:  18.78 sec

Stg ¼ mile: 12.34sec @ 121.23mph

Standing mile: n/a

Top speed: 142.34mph