Technical Review: Ben Purvis
Riding Review: Adam ‘Chad’ Child
Price: £20,000 | Power: 124bhp | Weight: 224kg (dry) | Overall BikeSocial Rating: 4/5
Last November saw the release of the first adventure bike to wear the MV Agusta badge but the limited production LXP Orioli’s £26,700 price tag and limited run of just 500 examples meant it was never going to send chills down the spines of mass-market rivals. That might change now with the launch of the MV Agusta Enduro Veloce – a bike that’s essentially identical to the Orioli but will come at a much more achievable price point.
It's always been MV’s modus operandi, at least since the brand’s relaunch in the late 90s, to introduce new models with an exotic, limited-edition variant before bringing a mass-made version to market, and that’s precisely what’s going on here. But with the new Enduro Veloce the technical changes from the limited-edition LXP Orioli few and far between.
The Enduro Veloce’s saga is a long one. It began with the unveiling of the Lucky Explorer 9.5 back in 2021, alongside the now-cancelled Lucky Explorer 5.5 which was intended to be a Chinese-manufactured, entry-level model based on the same mechanicals as the Benelli TRK502 and QJMotor SRT550. Since then, MV’s been through some substantial changes, with KTM parent company Pierer Mobility taking initially a 25.1% stake in November 2022 and then upping its holding to a controlling 51% this year. Hubert Trunkenpolz (KTM board member and nephew of KTM founder Hans Trunkenpolz – the ‘T’ in KTM) has replaced Timur Sardarov as CEO, too, so the shakeup is still underway. The smaller Lucky Explorer 5.5 is a casualty of the KTM tie-in, as Pierer sees MV as a luxury, high-end brand that shouldn’t be messing around with smaller-capacity bikes.
It's a tie-in that should help the Enduro Veloce, though, as it means MV Agusta has been able to draw upon KTM expertise during the bike’s final testing phase, helping to ensure its first adventure model has what it takes to compete in arguably the most hotly-contested segment of the market.
We got the opportunity to ride the prototype to the Enduro Veloce, then called the Lucky Explorer, back in July of 2022. The bike was in a basic state of development, with no rider aids (not even ABS) and crude engine mapping. But it did allow us to try the chassis, feel the power and torque of the inline triple engine, and get an idea of what to expect. We were impressed and predicted MV was onto something special, especially considering this was the Italian's first attempt at producing a road-going adventure bike.
However, that was nearly two years ago during the early stages of development, meaning that the arrival of the full-production Enduro Veloce brought with it a hatful of questions. Had, for example, Euro5 regulations restricted the prototype's spine-tingling induction and exhaust sounds? And how would the rider aids and MV's electronic package perform in the adventure arena? We couldn’t wait to throw a leg over the MV again and find out. BikeSocial were invited to conduct a full day of testing the Enduro Veloce both on and off-road around the stunning Island of Sardinia, Italy.
Pros and Cons
- Strong electronics package includes cornering ABS, traction control, launch control and more
- New 931cc triple with reverse-rotating crankshaft has no direct rivals in the category offers an intoxicating sound
- Excellent road handling
- Neat clocks are easy-to-use and navigate
- Would you risk scratching that paintwork by taking it off road?
- It’s up against some of the most highly-developed motorcycles rivals have to offer
- Feels heavy off-road at slow speeds
- The Lucky Strike replica colours on the prototype should have been replicated on the production model
Review – In Detail
Price & PCP
For and against
Engine & Performance
Handling & Suspension (inc. weight & brakes)
Comfort & Economy
Equipment
Rivals
Verdict
Specification
When we rode the prototype, we estimated the price point would land between £14,000 and £15,000 – similar to the £14,999 Ducati DesertX. However, MV has pitched the Enduro Veloce significantly higher, at £20,000 OTR, making it £5000 more expensive than the Ducati DesertX, nearly £7000 more than the Honda Africa Twin, and it becomes the most expensive middleweight in class. It is also competing on price against much more formidable and powerful competition like Ducati’s Multistrada V4 S (£20,495) and the all-new-BMW R1300 GS, which starts at £16,000. Even with some key optional extras onboard the new GS has a lower price point than a standard MV.
But are we comparing like-with-like? Is a 101bhp Africa Twin directly comparable to the exotic 124bhp MV? Does peak power matter? After all, the MV is highly refined and has a quality of build and level of detailing unmatched by the (excellent) Honda. Its specification and on-paper performance are also significantly higher than its middleweight rivals. MV has always positioned its bikes at the top end of any class it enters, and it seems that if you want to be part of the MV adventure bike story then you need to dig deep. But is £20,000 asking too much?
While the Enduro Veloce’s three-cylinder engine is based in the design used on MV Agusta’s Brutale 800, Superveloce 800, F3, Dragster and Turismo Veloce, it’s been substantially reworked for the adventure bike. After all, the original triple started life with a capacity of 675cc before being hiked to 798cc, so upping it again to 931cc wasn’t easy. The new capacity comes not only from an increased bore, up from 79mm to 81mm, but also a large increase in stroke from 54.3mm to 60.2mm.
Like the smaller triple, it features a counter-rotating crankshaft that promises to have a significant impact on the Enduro Veloce’s handling. Most transverse-engine bikes have a crankshaft that turns in the same direction as the wheels, but a counter-rotating crank spins the other way to help counteract the gyroscopic effect of the wheels and make it easier to flick the bike into corners. It’s a trick that’s long been used in MotoGP, and since adopted by machines like Ducati’s Panigale V4, but currently only Ducati’s Multistrada V4 uses the idea in an adventure bike chassis.
MV Agusta says that because the Enduro Veloce has a 21-inch front wheel, counteracting its gyroscopic effect is all the more important in giving the bike the sort of rapid-turning character associated with the brand.
The 931cc triple isn’t as outright powerful as some of the more highly-tuned 789cc three-cylinder MV Agusta engines, with its focus more biased towards torque and power delivery. Peak power is 124hp at 10,000rpm, alongside 75 lb-ft of torque at 7000rpm. More importantly, 85% of that peak torque has arrived by 3000rpm.
There’s a six-speed gearbox, as you’d expect, and it’s harnessed to MV’s ‘EAS 4.0’ up-and-down quickshifter, although there’s no plan to add the company automated SCS clutch to the Enduro Veloce.
When we rode that aforementioned prototype, we were impressed by the inline-triple motor, complete with counter rotating crankshaft, and that is still the case today. First, though, the sound. I know it’s unusual to start a road test with comments about the noises a bike makes, but the Enduro Veloce delivers acoustic magic by the bucket load. I’m unsure how MV has managed to sneak it through the Euro5 noise tests because it sounds not only fantastic but also notably louder than similar road legal machines. Blip the throttle and the hairs on the back of your neck spring to life. The gargle on the overrun and the cheeky pop of backfire between clutchless race-style shifts are music to the ears. If you hear the bike before you see it, you’d swear a snarling supersport was approaching, not an adventure machine with long-travel suspension and a 21-inch front wheel. It is legal and Euro5+ compliant, of course, but it is on the edge. So much so that one foreign journalist I spoke to thought it was irritating – but I disagree. I love its sound and character.
Beyond that intoxicating exhaust, the triple delivers on two levels. On the first, there is a wide and fulsome spread of torque from low down. MV claims that 85% of the engine's 75 ft-lb is available from as little as 3000rpm and I’d agree that the lower and mid-range drive is impressively strong for the class. Even in the full power Touring mode the throttle response is relatively soft, and nowhere near as abrupt as some of the sporty MVs of the recent past, making the Enduro Veloce reasonably smooth and a pleasure to ride in traffic – not something you could say about many machines to come out of Varese.
But, on a second level, when you rev the triple and start to work the up-and-down quickshifter (fitted as standard), the engine comes alive. The revs flow so freely from 7000rpm to 10,000rpm that you could be on race bike. On paper, the performance figures of the MV aren't too different to those of the Africa Twin and KTM 890 Adventure, but the Italian would show both a clean pair of heels on top-end performance on the road. The triple spins seemingly without friction, builds power instantly, and feels far stronger than the quoted 124bhp. And did I mention how wild it sounds in the process?
So MV's racy DNA is present and correct. Chasing bigger bikes will be enormous fun. But with so much usable torque, there is, in reality, no need to rev the MV; no need to let the revs rise above 7000rpm, unless you want to ditch your mates or drench the countryside in Italian music. The upper reaches of the rev range are an option, not a necessity, although I for one was constantly up and down the butter-smooth gearbox, just so I could make that triple sing.
We only had a brief taste of what to expect off-road and, in a slow and low-grip environment, the throttle was a little too responsive, even in the dedicated off-road mode. It’s all too easy to dial in too much drive on a whiff of throttle, which gets the rear tyre spinning or the TC working overtime as it desperately cuts the torque and sounds (while sounding like a machine gun). Even short shifting didn’t much ease the strain on the dedicated off-road Bridgestone rubber (MV used two specialist bikes with AX41 tyre fitted, more off road biased rubber for the sandy photoshoot). Ultimately, the TC does control the sliding and spinning but the feeling on test was that the Enduro Veloce wants to be let loose on faster open trails. Riding it on slow, technical trails is like walking an angry dog on a short lead.
That new engine is slotted into a purpose-designed chassis made of high-tensile steel with a bolt-on tubular steel trellis subframe and cradle section. It’s fitted with Sachs suspension at either end, using 48mm, fully-adjustable, upside-down forks at the front and a similarly adjustable monoshock at the back acting on an aluminium swingarm.
Wheel travel at each end is 210mm, which positions it between the BMW R1300GS (170mm front, 200mm rear) and the Honda Africa Twin (230mm travel). The 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear are angled towards the more off-road end of the spectrum but have relatively street-biased Bridgestone Battlax A41 tyres as standard. As an option, you can specify Battlax AX41 rubber with a much more aggressive tread.
The bike’s riding modes reflect the choice of tyre, too. There are eight traction control levels developed around the A41 tyre and another eight for the AX41, selectable via the on-screen menu.
As you’d expect from an MV Agusta, the brakes are high-end Brembos with Stylema four-pot calipers on 320mm discs at the front and a two-piston caliper and a 265mm disc at the rear.
Dry, the bike comes in at 224kg, but complete with fluids and a full tank of fuel that figure rises to 251kg according to published type-approval documents.
During its press launch, MV made the claim that the Enduro Veloce would be just at home on a racetrack as would climbing a gravel-strewn mountain pass, which raised an eyebrow or two. However, it's true: the MV wouldn’t feel out of place on a trackday. For a bike with long-travel suspension, a 21-inch front wheel, and the chassis geometry and riding position of a committed adventure bike, the handling is sharp, controlled and brilliant fun – and complements the sporty sounding triple. I’ve ridden a few adventure bikes recently that hide their off-road potential behind excellent road handling, but the MV does this better than them all, to the point that it feels more like a rather oversized supermoto than a machine on which to load up and escape.
At 224kg dry and around 250kg with a full tank of fuel, the MV is no lightweight, but it carries its kilos exceptionally well, to the point where I had to double- and triple-check the official figures with the factory engineers. It turns crisply, flicks directly from left-to-right easily – you can throw it around without any meaningful effort. MV says the triple's counter-rotating crank largely offsets the gyroscopic inertia of the large-diameter front wheel. I not only agree but also reckon it plays a major role in making the whole bike feel lighter on the move.
With 210mm of travel front and rear, you’d expect the Sachs suspension to be on the limit when pushed hard on demanding B-roads, but both ends of the bike remain controlled and full of feedback. You have lean-sensitive rider aids, ABS and TC, should you need them, but with so much feel and grip I don’t believe they once became active during the on-road part of our tests. The Enduro Veloce handles without any of the vagueness associated with some adventure bikes; so much so at times I had to remind myself I was riding an off-road capable mile eater running on all-round rubber. Ground clearance, meanwhile, is excellent for this type of bike.
Braking power is provided by Brembo Stylema monobloc calipers and finessed by changeable electronic engine brake strategies, both of which you’d normally associate with a high-end superbike. The on-paper weight of the Enduro Veloce suggests the stoppers are in for a tough challenge, but in reality offer copious power and feel, along with cornering ABS just in case. The faster I rode the Enduro Veloce, the better it got, leaving me in no doubt that MV are not joking: the new Enduro Veloce adventure bike would be fun and fast on a trackday. Its taut, direct handling, flexible engine and state-of-the-art rider aids combine to make one of the most enjoyable and arguably the best handling bikes we've yet seen in this class. But there is a but.
I have no doubt it would run rings around bikes like the KTM 890 Adventure R and Honda Africa Twin on the road, but off-road it would be the opposite. At slow speeds the weight that is so well disguised on asphalt is suddenly all-too noticeable on dirt. The centre of mass feels too far forward and higher in the chassis than you might expect, making the MV imprecise and unwieldy at slow speeds. Stir in that throttle response – again, so blended and sorted for the road but a tad aggressive for the slippery trail – and the traction control works full time to keep everything moving forwards and pointed in the right direction.
As mentioned, we only got a flavour of what to expect off road and, with a few tweaks to the suspension and some faster, open tracks than those on our test route, the MV might be more fluid. Yes, you can ride it off-road but it feels a bit like you are forcing it to do so. It doesn’t even like to wheelie over obstacles or puddles. But perhaps none of this really matters; after all, who, in the real world, is going to ride this stunningly beautiful £20,000 Italian motorcycle through a river or over tough rocky terrain?
Adventure bikes are usually a comfortable option provided you’ve got enough in the leg department to reach the ground with ease, and there’s no reason to believe the Enduro Veloce will be any exception. At 870mm the seat is high-ish, but not as towering as some rivals, and it can be lowered to 850mm. Those numbers put it in the same ballpark as the BMW R1300GS (840-870mm) and Africa Twin (850-875mm), its two main rivals.
MV says it’s put work into the aerodynamics to protect the rider from the worst of the wind blast, while using a fully plexiglass upper fairing to ensure unimpeded visibility. The aero tests are also said to ensure stability, including with a passenger and when the bike is fitted with side and top cases.
During standard tests for emissions and fuel consumption the Enduro Veloce managed just north of 50mpg, giving a theoretical range of 220 miles on a full, 20-litre tank of fuel. We’ll have to wait until we ride the bike to see whether real-world numbers back up those laboratory figures.
BikeSocial's test ride in Sardinia was on superb roads that invited sporty riding, so our economy figures were always unlikely to be representative. Add that ridiculously seductive exhaust note, which compelled me to continually go up and down the gearbox for no other reason than I wanted to hear the bike sing, and an average 49.3mpg is not too bad at all. After a 146-mile ride, the fuel light hadn’t illuminated but must have been close. Other riders on the same route experienced poorer figures and even less tank range. MV claims just over 50mpg, which in theory extracts 220 miles from the 20-litre fuel tank, but it’s hard to ride the MV slowly, and I’d estimate 170 to 80 miles would be the norm before looking for fuel.
We didn’t get the opportunity to churn out any long motorway miles, but the non-adjustable screen offers ample wind protection while cruise control, which is easy to activate, is standard. The well-balanced motor is barely breaking sweat at motorway speeds and, in theory, the MV should be just as good on the Autobahn as it is carving up a mountain pass. I found the seat reasonably comfortable and the riding position roomy, but taller riders said the pegs were too close to the seat, while some heavier riders would opt for the optional comfort seat if given the option.
As a short rider, the 870mm seat height wasn’t an issue for me. The seat is relatively narrow, which means I was secure enough coming to a standstill – just. However again at low speeds, the weight was evident, not overpowering, but noticeable.
As on its other bikes, MV has gone hard on the electronic equipment of the Enduro Veloce. There’s a total of 16 levels of traction control – eight for street tyres and eight for knobblies, with five of each dedicated to road use, two for off-road and one for wet, slippery surfaces. A six-axis IMU and ride-by-wire means the traction control and ABS work in corners as well as straight lines.
Launch control and front lift control which together help the bike to reach 62mph from a standstill in 3.72 seconds. During deceleration there are two levels of engine braking intervention, plus a rear wheel lift mitigation system. The ABS has two settings to alter its aggressiveness, and in the less invasive setting the rear wheel’s antilock is turned off. In off-road mode the ABS can also be turned off entirely.
Cruise control is standard, too, as well as a large, 7-inch TFT screen that includes the usual smartphone connectivity for turn-by-turn navigation, phone and media. The ignition is keyless and the bar controls are backlit, while all the lighting is LED. You can opt for a sporty display that illustrates live data such as lean angle, brake pressure and acceleration from the six-axis IMU. You can connect to the MV app and share data – including your lean heroics and TC intervention history – and routes. In the past MV haven’t had the best instruments or most intuitive switchgear but this set up is excellent.
However, you can’t ignore the fact that the Sachs suspension on this 20-grand bike is conventional, not semi-active. It is excellent on the road but when you change riding modes it does not automatically adjust to suit. Switching from Touring mode to Off-road mode will alter the mapping and rider aids for dirt use but the suspension will make no such concessions unless you get off and do it yourself. Ducati, BMW, Triumph or KTM offer their similarly priced adventure bikes with semi-active suspension. You could argue they are not competing with the MV as they are larger more powerful adventure bikes with 19-in front wheels, but the fact remains that for £20,495 you could opt for the Ducati Multistrada V4 S with semi-active suspension.
Optional extras include aluminium side cases with a total capacity of 71 litres between them, as well as protective bars, a skid plate, auxiliary lights and a Termignoni titanium exhaust. For the first year, owners also get the use of the Mobisat geolocation system for anti-theft.
Owners new to MV Agusta might be surprised to find the Enduro Veloce also comes with a four-year warranty, double that of some of its rivals, which should help ease any lingering jitters over quality control or reliability.
The fact this is MV’s first mass-market adventure bike means it’s not easy to pick out the machines it will be stealing sales from, but the company will certainly be hoping to pick up customers who might normally default to bikes like the BMW R1300GS, Honda Africa Twin or Ducati Multistrada.
BMW R 1300 GS | Price: £15,990
Power/Torque: 145bhp/110lb-ft | Weight: 237kg
Honda Africa Twin | Price: £13,199
Power/Torque: 101bhp/82.6lb-ft | Weight: 231kg
Ducati Multistrada V2 S | Price: £15,795
Power/Torque: 113bhp/70.8lb-ft | Weight: 220kg
This is MV’s first mass-market, road-going adventure bike and the folk at the Varese factory must be applauded for this hugely impressive motorbike. For me, it’s the most charismatic, best-sounding adventure bike, and possibly the best handling adventure bike with a 21-inch front wheel, too. Its racy but flexible engine also makes the Enduro Veloce one of the most enjoyable to ride.
It’s not just MV's racy interpretation of the adventure genre either. Cruise control comes as standard, while the 7-inch dash and simple to use backlit switchgear are superb. The rider aids are excellent, especially the TC, which is calibrated for both on and off-road tyres, and you even get launch control – just in case. Comfort is reasonable, the list of accessories is long, and the overall level of finish is very high. Some would say this is the most desirable bike in this segment.
Other adventure bikes are better off-road, and at slow speeds you notice the triple's weight. But how many adventure bikes in this price bracket are ridden seriously on the dirt? Would an owner really risk trying to jump it?
The large, grey and trunky mammal in the room, however, is the price. For £20,000 you could have a new BMW R1300 GS, which starts at £16,000, or, if you want an Italian, Ducati’s £14,999 DesertX, which is lighter and better off-road and nearly as fun on road. If you want the fun, excellent handling MV then you are going to have to dig a little deeper into the kids' university funds.
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New price
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From £20,000
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Capacity
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931cc
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Bore x Stroke
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81mm x 60.2mm
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Engine layout
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Three cylinders inline
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Engine details
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DOHC, twin cam, liquid cooled, 12 valve
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Power
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124bhp (91kW) @ 10,000rpm
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Torque
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75.2lb-ft (102Nm) @ 7000rpm
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Transmission
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6 speed, chain final drive, quickshifter
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Average fuel consumption
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50.4mpg claimed
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Tank size
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20 litres
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Max range to empty
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220 miles
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Rider aids
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Cornering ABS, cornering traction control, cruise control, rear wheel lift mitigation, launch control, engine brake control
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Frame
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Double beam frame structure, composed by high-tensile steel pipes and forged components.
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Front suspension
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Sachs USD 48mm forks
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Front suspension adjustment
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Compression, rebound and preload
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Rear suspension
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Sachs monoshock
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Rear suspension adjustment
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Compression, rebound and preload
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Front brake
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2 x 320mm discs, four-piston Brembo Stylema calipers, ABS
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Rear brake
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265mm disc, two-piston Brembo caliper
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Front wheel / tyre
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Spoked, tubeless, with aluminium hub and rim, 2.15” x 21”, 90/90-21 Bridgestone Battlax A41 (AX41 optional)
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Rear wheel / tyre
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Spoked, tubeless, with aluminium hub and rim, 4” x 18”, 150/70-18 Bridgestone Battlax A41 (AX41 optional)
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Dimensions (LxW)
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2360mm x 990mm
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Wheelbase
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1610mm
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Seat height
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870mm/850mm
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Weight
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224kg (dry)
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Warranty
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4 years
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Servicing
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TBC
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MCIA Secured Rating
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Not yet rated
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Website
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www.mvagusta.com
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What is MCIA Secured?
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As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.
MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:
- A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard
- An ignition immobiliser system
- A vehicle marking system
- An alarm system
- A vehicle tracking system with subscription
The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.
