MV AGUSTA: Top-drawer tourer

MV Agusta’s getting into the adventure bike game in a big way, releasing its trick £20,000 Enduro Veloce to the masses

The Italian factory’s been teasing us with bits and bobs about its production adventure bike for a few years, but now it’s finally here.

Following on from the well-received but now cancelled pair of Lucky Explorers which did the rounds back in 2021, the Enduro Veloce builds on the solid foundations set by its super limited edition and super pricey £26,700 LXP Orioli which was revealed last year.

The good news is that the mass-production adventurer is pretty much identical to its more expensive and more exclusive sibling – and even better is the fact that the newest MV’s benefited from KTM’s parent company Pierer Mobility snagging a larger chunk of the company.

That means that the Enduro Veloce has been able to take advantage of the brains and brawn at KTM, which has a wealth of experience when it comes to creating bikes built for adventure. The KTM team has done the job right, covering over 10,000km in the process of development to ensure that the Enduro Veloce’s capable both on and off the Tarmac, with an emphasis on maintaining top road handling in spite of its big 21-inch front wheel.

Getting into the facts and figures, there’s plenty to get excited about. The Italian-built adventurer gets a punchy 931cc triple cylinder motor that kicks out a respectable 122bhp and 75lb-ft of torque. There’s 210mm travel both at the front and rear from its Sachs springs, which are adjustable for rebound and damping (and preload at the rear). It also gets that all-important 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel combination, with seriously trick Takasago Excel rims.

For stopping it’s kitted out with top-notch Brembo Stylema calipers, and as you’d expect, there’s a raft of electronic goodies to play with, too. There’re eight levels of traction control, two levels of cornering ABS and rear lift control, wheelie control and launch control. Oh, and it’s got an up/down quickshifter, too.

The technology sounds pretty sweet. MV claims you won’t have to mess around when transitioning from Tarmac to trails, and reckons it’s capable of recognising the difference and adjusting the level of Traction Control intervention automatically.

There’s also the increasingly common array of smartphone-compatible technology, too, with the MV Ride app allowing phone connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation, route sharing and ride recording through the 7-inch TFT dash. It takes things further though, as the app will also allow you to tweak the bike’s settings remotely. It’ll then make the changes when you connect your phone up using the bike’s in-built Wi-Fi. Clever stuff. 

Its name might be a little misleading, and it’s much more likely to be at home on the twisties than the trails, but there’s still an awful lot to like about the new Enduro Veloce. It’s an expensive bit of kit, but with MV’s attention to detail and focus on the finer things, there’s little doubt that it’s going to be well-put-together, fun to ride, and a seriously stylish new option in the increasingly crowded adventure bike market. We’ve managed to snag a ride on one ahead of its expected arrival on British shores this June, so keep your eyes peeled if you want the full lowdown.