All Tests – Trial of the Rivale: the new generation MV Agusta – Day 1: the Rivale takes the fleet …

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Trial of the Rivale: the new generation MV Agusta

All Tests - Trial of the Rivale: the new generation MV Agusta - Day 1: the Rivale takes the fleet ...

Voted the most beautiful motorcycle at the Milan show last year, the Rivale 800 landed this weekend in the MV Agusta dealerships where it is being tested. Site took a few hours in advance by participating in its press presentation near Nice. Test !

Day 1: the Rivale takes the fleet…

"What a difference a day makes ?"During a press presentation of a new motorcycle, these"24 small hours"can change everything … Halted by torrential rain and thick fog at the start of the ascent of the Route de Coursegoules (06), the French journalists almost came back empty-handed from Vence, where yesterday and before were held. yesterday the launch of the new Rivale 800…

MV Agusta Rivale: availability, colors and price

  • Availability: immediate in the

  • Colors: Red and Silver, Matte metallic gray, or Metallic black

  • Price: € 12,590 (leaving the factory …)

Fortunately, the course could be postponed by one day: "Grazie a tutto il team Mv Agusta"! It is well known: after the rain comes the good weather which makes it possible to better appreciate the potential of a motorcycle, especially when it comes off the assembly lines of Varese. !

"MV Agusta is an exclusive brand", reminded us the day before the first aborted test Giovanni Castiglionni, the young, handsome and great general manager of MV Agusta."All our products are exclusive and the Rivale had to be too".

However, the ten kilometers covered under the flood was not in vain. In addition to superb souvenir photos, Site took advantage of this first outing to gauge the progress made in terms of injection, progress that the Italians considered enormous….

Because apart from the exhaust manifold and the airbox adapted to the new tank – carefully designed to maintain the maximum power of 125 horsepower -, which differentiates the engine of the Rivale from that of the Brutale 800, it is electronics.

"We needed to improve our MVICS ("Motor and Vehicle Integrated Control System", NDLR), one of the first fully electronic systems to be launched on the motorcycle market", acknowledges Brian Gillen, head of 3 and 4-cylinder platforms at MV Agusta today..

According to the engineer – of American origin but Italian at heart – the Rivale introduces a deeply revised and improved version of the management system of the 798 cc "Tre Pistoni": "we have completely revised the algorithm, the way we use the data".

To allow us to grasp the depth of the work done, Mister Gillen does not hesitate to use a computer metaphor: "we did not just review the Office, World or Excel pack, but the DOS"…

Concretely, on the handlebars, it is clear that the throttle management of this brand new MV Agusta is better than on the previous 3-cylinder models. It’s very simple: the presence of the ride-by-wire is now transparent, the engine taking turns when and how desired..

This pleasant surprise, the future buyers of the Rivale will be able to share it with the owners of Brutale and F4: "these important changes are valid for our entire range, just log on to the official website to find out the date of the latest version", reminds us Mister Gillen.

Holders of Brutale 675, for example, who have not visited their dealership since this summer, are urged to do so for "download the latest version of MVICS for free and in 5 to 10 minutes, which will further improve the behavior of their machine".

"Ultimately, we would like these updates to be downloadable directly by the customer, from his home.", even predict the Italians. We cannot stop progress !

The Tre Pistoni version 2.0.14

Another good point observed on the "greasy-wet-sometimes-muddy" end of the road taken on the first day: the throttle is not as nervous as on the track (read our). Instead of being angry, the revving is reasoned on the first degrees of rotation of the handle.

As a result, the Rivale is perfectly manageable in difficult driving conditions. The bike is particularly docile when the "Rain" mode of the engine is selected: under 6000 rpm, the traction control automatically set to 8 – the most intrusive level – does not have much to regulate, because the rider manages…

The manipulation to switch to "Normal", "Sport" or "Custom" mode (the latter mode is fully customizable, read our) is extremely simple since it suffices to hold the button located under the starter for a small second, without having to s ” stop or even cut the gas.

The Traction Control setting – the "TC" is displayed at the bottom right on the new instrument panel – then returns to the value previously chosen by the pilot. To modify this setting, you must enter the parameters menu using the two red buttons on the left stalk. Fortunately, the fold is quickly taken and it does not take more than 10 seconds to select and then validate the traction control intervention level, or to disconnect it..

Also deactivatable, the shifter is sufficiently well calibrated so that it is left to work all the time, including when driving at cool speed: on condition of not "loading" the engine too much, the gear changes at low or mid-revs go smoothly, which is reassuring on slippery surfaces.

The crossing of the first hairpins is just as easy, even if in our case the rain is falling harder and harder and the visibility is less and less good … The thin tank makes it possible to firmly grip the motorcycle, the front axle is perfectly neutral and the handlebars, not excessively wide, allow you to steer very effectively.

The dry weight of the Rivale, announced by MV Agusta at 178 kg, is 11 kg higher than that of the Brutale 800. And while the Supermotard’s center of gravity is higher than on the roadster, the new MV proves to be extraordinary. agile. It must be said that the 12.9 liters (maximum!) Of gasoline do not lead to much damage to the motorcycle !

The hasty return to the hotel gives us the opportunity to test the progressiveness of the braking and without much surprise, the Rivale is perfectly up to the task: the Brembo calipers with radial mounting and four pistons (32 mm, as on the Brutale ) bite with conviction but not excessively the two 320 mm discs.

The rear brake, with its 220 mm disc and two-piston caliper (34 mm), is equally convincing and allows you to calmly balance the braking on both wheels. Only regret: the absence of ABS, even as an option … for the moment !

Because like the brand’s 4-cylinder (read), the "Tre Pistoni" models will also soon switch to standard ABS.

Another point noted by MNC during the short descent to the shower – hot, this one! – Concerns the vibrations: absent from the "rubber" footrests of the Rivale, they are sensitive to the handlebars past 6000 rpm, even at constant speed. Fortunately, the Rivale has no Grand Touring pretension … Veloce !

We will therefore not criticize the total lack of protection against wind and rain. Incidentally, bad tongues will note that no motorcycle has suffered from the Dantesque precipitation: the Italians who drown under two drops of water? It is obviously ancient history !

Like any self-respecting Supermotard, there is no free space under the saddle. The member of the MV Agusta team mimicking the storage of a helmet under the saddle of the Rivale has attracted the sympathy of the journalists … but will undoubtedly not make cringe of the future owners who, like us, want above all, have fun riding this new MV Agusta !

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