First pictures of full production MV Agusta Brutale S

Here’s the MV Agusta Brutale you CAN afford. This full production ” S ” version should come in at around half the price of the original £21,000 Brutale Serie Oro.

The main change between the Serie Oro, or Gold Series bike and the ” S ” version is the use of cheaper, black painted aluminium for the wheels, swingarm and bottom yoke where the original had exotic, gold painted magnesium.

Closer inspection reveals that the instrument cowl, front hugger and the tank-mounted air intakes – which were all carbon fibre on the Serie Oro – are made of black plastic on the new version.

Of course, the new bike will be a few kg heavier than the 178kg Serie Oro, and the increased unsprung weight of the aluminium wheels will slightly affect the suspension’s ability to cope with bumps as well as taking the edge off the acceleration.

With Italian giant Piaggio taking a significant share of MV Agusta, this year’s production delays are expected to be remedied soon, so the Brutale S should go on sale in Spring 2002.

See loads more new bikes in LATEST ON NEW BIKES, from the menu, top left. And we’re out in force at the Milan Show to catch all the launches from Monday evening.