2014 MV Agusta Rivale 800 — First Photos and Specs

Revealed in concept form at the EICMA show last year, these are the first photos and details of the now production-spec 2014 MV Agusta Rivale 800. Tall, naked, light and powerful, this is going to make a great street bike, not to mention a beautiful one.

The Rivale is powered by a 798cc version of MV's new three-cylinder motor. It's complete with the signature counter-rotating crankshaft — which removes the effect the engines reciprocating mass has on handling — and ride-by-wire throttle. Here, that engine has been detuned from the 148 bhp it makes in the MV Agusta F3 800 to a more flexible 125 bhp at 12,000 rpm and 62 lb.-ft. of torque at 8,600 rpm.

Over the MV Agusta Brutale 675 and 800 and the F3 675 and 800, front suspension travel grows to 150 mm, which has the effect of slightly lengthening the wheelbase and backing off the rake by half a degree. The longer travel suspension should be a little better at keeping the tires in contact with the ground, while the slightly relaxed dimensions should make the bike more stable and less wheelie-prone — a common criticism of the Brutale. Thanks to the wider bars and very upright seating position, steering speed and effort shouldn't noticeably increase while both factors should also aid vision and low speed bike control.

The Rivale includes MV's MVICS electronics package, adding switchable engine maps and traction control to boost safety and control.

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In Italy, the Rivale 800 will retail for 12,690 Euro, around 2,000 Euro more than the Brutale 800. As always with MV, there's no word on American pricing or availability, but expect it to take longer and cost more than you'd expect. Just another case of enjoying beauty from afar?

More Photos on Page 2 >>

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