First ride: 2015 MV Agusta Stradale 800

MV Agusta’s new Stradale 800 has recently been put through its paces in Spain in the hands of MCN Executive Editor Phil West. Here’s what he has to say:

“The new Stradale is a first on many levels – the first ‘touring’ MV (which should help fuel the Italian firm’s continuing and impressive ‘double digit’ growth); the first MV to come with panniers (and posh ones they are, too, with the tail lights integrated into them) and the first F3 with a ‘blipper’ downshifter along with the quick ‘up shifter (which means, in Sport mode, you can ride almost completely without the clutch).

“But despite these and multiple modifications, and despite MV’s claims to the contrary, it’s still, essentially, the supermotard Rivale with some bags and a screen fitted. In other words, think of it as MV’s 3-cylinder version of the Ducati Hyperstrada. Like that bike, the Stradale is short and stumpy, aggressive and huge fun, what’s more the MV is truly exotic, bristling with sophisticated electronics and cycle parts and impressively able.

“Whether that adds up to a ‘touring’ bike, in the conventional sense, is up for debate, more a ‘day-out’ bike in my book.”

Read Phil’s full test in the January 7 issue of MCN.