MV-AGUSTA TURISMO VELOCE 800 (2015 - on) Review

The original MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 was an interesting new departure for the MV Agusta company. For some it was destined be another MV parked alongside the superbike in the garage, for others a Yamaha MT-09 Tracer was a more affordable option. Initially available as a standard model and a more premium Lusso, it has since spawned multiple versions, including: the Lusso SCS, Rosso and RC SCS.

For a small company like MV this was a tough decision to make, but the resulting bike - at least from MCN’s first ride in the South of France - showed the new direction was a right one. After nearly 150 miles of demanding switchback mountain roads the Turismo Veloce 800 proved to be fast, agile, comfortable, practical and above all much lighter and more manageable than some of the larger, more powerful bikes in the sports-touring/adventure bike sector.

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MCN’s previous experience of MV launches has shown there can sometimes be significant differences between launch bikes hand-prepared at the factory and those that make it out of UK dealers, so these impressions were somewhat tempered by that knowledge. We’ve ridden perfectly set-up bikes on launches which have been excellent but when the full production bike has been sent out on UK roads they have borne little relation. 

The Turismo Veloce’s good points certainly outweighed the bad, but there were negatives nonetheless. The biggest issue was the fitment of the Pirelli Scorpion Trail tyres. This isn’t an off-road bike in any way, shape or form, so why these light off-road tyres were fitted remains a mystery. Try a road-focussed rubber on your own machine.

The most annoying aspect of the original bike was actually nothing to do with the machine itself but the fitment of the accessory satnav. Not only was the metal bar running between the screen supports ugly and out of keeping with the rest of the stylish bike, but it also stopped you from accessing the manually adjustable screen because it’s not wide enough to allow access for your gloved hand. Another minor grumble was the indicator switch, which doesn’t have enough positivity when pushed, making it hard to know if you’ve turned your indicators off.

But that’s all we could find wrong in over 165 miles of hardcore mountain roads, including the famous Col de Vence and Route Napoleon. The three-cylinder motor had some vibration at times, but mostly it’s smooth and more than powerful enough. The braking performance from the front Brembo set-up was strong, too. The electronics are a help not a hindrance and the seat is comfortable. The screen kept the worst of the windblast down, and navigating the full-colour dash and the Veloce’s many settings couldn’t have been simpler.

The auto-blipping quickshifter work excellently both up and down the gearbox, and the clutch is only needed for setting off, too.

The Veloce 800 deliberately stayed away from tackling the massive offerings in the touring motorcycle market, which has become dominated by adventure bikes. The MV is leaning more towards the road offerings, with 17in wheels and a lack of underside rock protection. It was also significantly lighter than a full-on adventure tourer at 212kg fully-fuelled, and narrower too, even with its two 30-litre hard panniers that can each stow a full-face helmet. 

The launch location of Nice leads out onto some of Europe’s best roads and the Turismo Veloce (Italian for Fast Touring) suited them well. Of the four available throttle maps I started off in ‘Turismo’ which is the middle setting, with a softer ‘Rain’ option and also a sharpened ‘Sport’ option for later. There is a fourth customisable map too.

For some people the Turismo Veloce will appear under-powered especially when you look at potential rivals of the time, like the Ducati Multistrada 1200 (now a 1260), KTM 1290 Adventure and the Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200. Yet the MV is much lighter than them all, so the 110bhp and 63ftlb of torque from the three-cylinder motor gives performance that is more than fast enough.

The performance is much more usable than either the KTM or the Ducati, which are depleted uranium sledgehammers in comparison to the MV’s cut-glass nutcracker.

The Turismo Veloce features the three-cylinder 798cc motor first seen in the screaming F3 800 supersport bike. However, it was retuned for 110bhp of peak power and 61.2ftlb of torque.

The three-cylinder motor has some vibration at times, but mostly it’s smooth and more than powerful enough. The retuning work done on the motor that’s derived from a supersport bike works very well in this version. At no point does the bike feel like it’s lacking power and the engine is still potent enough to give excellent and fun performance. 

Clutchless riding: (2018-on) MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 Lusso SCS

First published on June 13, 2018 by Michael Neeves

MV Agusta's Turismo Veloce Lusso SCS has everything. Launched in 2018 at £17,590, there were sultry looks, electronic suspension, sharp handling, barking Brembos, comfort and the most evocative exhaust note in motorcycling. It also had a clutch lever...but you don't need to use it. Welcome to MV’s new Smart Clutch System.

Still on sale, the system is also now available on the RC SCS. This isn’t a Honda-style DCT though, or a scooter-type CVT set-up - the MV has a normal manual gearbox with an automatic Rekluse clutch. Back in 2018, a £15,990 non-SCS version was also announced. It was identical except for the automatic clutch and its associated electronic settings. Not only did it save £1600, it offered a more involving, purer ride.

How does it work?

Think of it as a reverse slipper clutch. Its default position is always neutral and it only engages with the increase in engine revs. You can select first without touching the clutch lever and even if you come to a stop in sixth, the MV won’t stall, because it’s back in neutral. Clever electronics automatically balances revs with clutch slip as you pull away, no matter how quickly and a clear clutch cover lets you see its dark secret. 

Cleaner and quieter than previous Veloces, it was - and remains - Euro4 compliant.  Like the Panigale V4 it has a MotoGP style counter-rotating crank, so the harder you spin the engine, the more it cancels out the gyroscopic force of the forward-spinning wheels and the sweeter it turns. It still feels every inch a frantic, hard-edged race engine when you work it, but making 90% of its torque between 3500-10,300rpm, it’s flexible for cruising and town work.

How's the fuelling?

Even MV admits there are drawbacks to being innovators and maybe it’s better in the future to let others refine new technology first. Their ride-by-wire, first seen on the 2012 F3 675, wasn’t even as good as the worst fuel-injection systems of the time, but things have changed thanks to constant refinement (using the lessons learnt in racing) and a new electronic twistgrip. The 2018 Turismo Veloce fuels consistently and has a smooth throttle pick-up. It still has a slightly ‘thin’ synthetic feel, compared to the best systems (and holding a wheelie is still unpredictable), but it doesn’t spoil the everyday riding experience.

Not only does the SCS have new starter clutch system, it has new transmission, primary and oil pump gears, too. A smoother, pleasant, more accurate shift is evident on the non-SCS version, together with a lighter clutch action. With the auto clutch it’s not quite as sweet and the gear lever needs a slightly bigger tap to slot the cogs home. The clutch lever is heavier and although you never actually have to use it, sometimes you need to give it a nudge to smooth things out around town in the lower gears.

Away from the cogs, MV’s MVICS (Motor and Vehicle Integrated Control System) colour dash graphics cleverly detail everything you need to know about your ride and lets you adjust everything from customisable riding modes to traction control, electronic suspension set-up, power delivery, cruise control and everything in between. It’ll take time to instinctively find your way around the functions without taking your eyes off the road for too long and packed with so much information it’s not easy to read at a glance. It also has Bluetooth connectively and an app with a full datalogging function.

The build quality of the bikes we tested on the launch was first rate. The paintwork was excellent, the fit and finish really very, very good. There’s no doubting MV manages to build great bikes that are desirable and great-looking but there are niggles over reliability and the patchy dealer network in the UK doesn’t help get these sorted.

At the time of launch, MV was working hard to sort this out. Some owners tell of having no dramas with their bikes and others say the opposite so it really is a case of needing to go into MV ownership with your eyes open.

At its launch, there was a rather large, rather unavoidable hurdle the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce had to overcome, though, and that was the Yamaha MT-09 Tracer. A similar package, with riding modes, traction control and ABS, it was £8200 - not the £12,000 you paid for the base model MV, and nearer £15,000 for the Lusso. 

The Turismo Veloce 800 is, according to MV, a touring bike that has been "re-thought to make it fast, lightweight and dynamic." It came in two versions at its launch; the standard Veloce, and the Veloce Lusso which got full LED lighting, a larger full-colour TFT dashboard, and electronically controlled suspension.

Both had a stack of electronics as standard, including Motor and Vehicle Integrated Control System (MVICS 2.0) electronic control, four riding modes with an automated gearshift blipper system that works going up and down the gears. The bike had ABS as standard, combined with anti-rear wheel lift, and MV also claimed it benefitted from a 20% reduction in fuel consumption when compared to the other 800cc triples in the range. It also has a larger 22-litre fuel tank.

Fancy an affordable MV Agusta? Step forward the (2020-on) Turismo Veloce 800 Rosso

First published on September 3, 2020 by Martin Fitz-Gibbons

The words 'MV' and 'less pricey' might look awkward near one another in the sentence above, but the firm’s new Rosso range for 2020 aims to put that right. Less expensive and lower-spec, the trio of Rossos (Brutale, Dragster and Turismo Veloce) are pitched as the dream machines you’d assumed you couldn’t afford... until now.

MV’s new Rosso range keeps the paintscheme simple: blacked-out frame, engine, wheels and forks, with a red tank and, in the case of the Turismo, upper fairing. This one-choice option simplifies production, which is crucial for a firm making fewer than 5000 bikes a year. It certainly doesn’t look budget.

Officially the Turismo Veloce Rosso costs £12,680 in 2020. However, very few will be bought in that spec. Dealers say most customers want MV’s 'EAS' two-way quickshifter, which raises the real starting price to £13,480. That puts it in the ballpark of Triumph’s Tiger 900 GT Pro and Ducati’s Multistrada 950S – though they both come with semi-active suspension.

It's comfortable, has a big fuel tank and great wind protection. There are multiple USB and DIN power sockets, cruise control and Bluetooth connectivity. Alright, the colour dash is cluttered, the throttle’s occasionally hiccupy in Sport mode and the forks are soft, but this is still a truly capable all-rounder.

Panniers add a heart- stopping £1150. If they were a bit useless it’d be easy to reject them, but they’re actually pretty decent kit. Capacity is a sensible 30 litres per side (each big enough to hold a full-face lid) and they slide seamlessly onto mounts on the MV’s subframe. It’s clear they’ve been designed with the bike from the very start – but that’s still an awful lot of money.

MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Rosso on UK roads

Few bikes gel with every mile of our MCN250 test route as well as the Turismo Veloce 800 Rosso. It’s nimbler, easier to manage and more engaging than a big-capacity sports adventurer around the twisty B-road section and every bit as specious, comfortable and long-legged on dual carriageways and motorways. It’s also quieter at speed, better handling and a whole lot more special than its go-to rival: Yamaha’s Tracer 900.

Despite being pitched as an affordable option, it still isn’t cheap, but the Rosso costs a whole heap less than its Turismo Veloce 800 sisters. And the things it doesn’t come with, like electronic suspension and smart clutches you don’t ever miss, apart from heated grips and a centrestand.

You still get the red-blooded three-cylinder engine, banging soundtrack, electronics, race-bred chassis and brakes, suspension and smattering of other goodies. You also get luxury finishes, beautiful styling and fastidious attention to detail. A long warranty, roadside assistance and improved spares back-up will take much of the uncertainty of owning an MV, too.