2022 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RS Review

The MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RS packs one brutal punch but in a package far more applicable than the no-holds-barred 1000 RR.

Photography by Ryan Nitzen and Rennie Scaysbrook

The upper echelons of an MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RS’s rev range is not a place to hang out if you don’t like things happening real fast.

From 8000 rpm onwards, the $26,600 RS develops such a brutal kick in performance it reminds me of a time many years ago I rode a heavily worked Yamaha RZ500 V4 two-stroke motor in an R6 chassis, when the best part of 100 horsepower was dumped onto the rear tire in what felt like about 1500 rpm.

This kick in the RS’s power comes after another kick, which happens about 2000 rpm earlier. Like the more expensive Brutale 1000 RR (although not quite as bad), the RS has a bastard of a flat spot at about 5000 rpm, making traffic light getaways an exercise in fast launches rather than sedate clutch releases.

Once that 5000-rpm dead spot is cleared, the MV wakes up and punches through the next 2000 rpm, at which point you’re bracing yourself for the real frat party at 8000 rpm. The surge in drive is immense, and proof of my internal feeling that this motor is simply not a great example of a flexible street engine.

This is a racetrack motor, far more useful for chasing curbed apexes and long straights than it is riding to Whole Foods to get some sourdough.

Titanium conrods and radial titanium valves are pure WorldSBK-fare, and when you ride the RS fast, things happen smoother, happier. Again, just like a good racebike. The gearshift is more direct, the throttle gives you what you ask for and the motor doesn’t have to worry about the issue of providing the rider with consistent low-rpm fueling.

Four individual ride modes, including a custom map, help that last part somewhat, but MV’s annoying trait of light throttle ‘hunting,’ whereby the motor can’t hold a consistent rpm when the throttle is only slightly cracked and you’re cruising down the street, is still present.

There’s a claimed 208 hp at the crank on tap here—with a real-world number of around 170 at the wheel—and that’s an enormous number to deal with. Running in Sport mode is, at least for my money, the right mode for 95 percent of riding you will do on the street. Race mode hits hard and fast, and while it’s nice to say you only ride in Race mode, the truth is, everyone knows you’re compensating for something.

The MV is graced with a six-axis IMU, traction, wheelie control, cruise control, cornering ABS, all of which are adjustable, but you don’t get electronic suspension aside from the Öhlins speed-adjustable steering damper. The suspension comes in the form of MV’s long-time partner Marzocchi, with massive, fully adjustable 50mm forks clamped in place by an even bigger middle triple clamp that helps the MV retain a level of front-braking stability and cornering prowess many bikes would dream of.

At the rear is a fully adjustable Sachs monoshock, which again offers excellent stability for fast corner exits. The ride is undoubtedly firm, but it’s not going to have you calling a chiro too early in ownership.

Continental MK 100 Cornering ABS is mated to Brembo Stylema four-piston calipers and a Brembo radial master-cylinder. The ABS is one of the less intrusive ones on the market, allowing the rider to give the lever a proper handful without the pulsing effect of the dreaded ABS kicking in too soon.

The combination of great brakes and a front end that loves to be buried hard into medium-to-fast speed corners makes the MV a joy to ride up mountain roads. Trail braking right to the apex is never an issue, the MV retaining its line while at the same time welcoming any direction changes the rider wishes.

Part of this has to do with the reduced weight of the engine internals, with the less-reciprocating mass ensuring that the RS isn’t too reluctant to change line. Another factor is the tubular steel chassis’ skinny, light character, while another, more important factor, is the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tires offer stupendous edge grip and fast, stable direction changes.

Dial in the copious amounts of power while on the side of the tire, the traction-control light flickering on the dash, and you’re met with oodles of grip. Lovely.

Here’s one of the conundrums with the RS. It handles beautifully, but the engine is the weak spot. That’s strange to say given the amount of horsepower on tap, but a 1000cc super-naked such as this needs to have a broader range of performance from low to high rpm, and the RS’s prime performance is concentrated north of 8000 rpm, at which point you can kiss your license goodbye if you get busted.

But, damn, is it fun or what!

It feels a God-given right to ride the RS as fast as possible everywhere you go. The ride is an amalgamation of mixed martial arts and an oil painting, a beautifully brutal experience that’s only for a very select group of people.

I have no qualms of saying the three-cylinder MV Agusta Dragster 800 is a far better street bike than either the 1000 RR or RS could ever be. The Dragster is a more rounded proposition with an engine character more suited to everyday riding, but it doesn’t have half the allure a 1000cc Brutale has.

Ergonomically, the RS is a far more pleasing ride than the RR with its low-set clip-on handlebars but it’s not perfect. Your feet are still set quite high, and I would often foul my heel against the admittedly very pretty exhausts exiting under the sides of the passenger seats.

Speaking of the passenger, their footrests and associated brackets are not foldable, as they are on the much cheaper Dragster. This means the exhaust is half covered by these bulky aluminum brackets and look decidedly second rate for a bike of this price, which is surprising, given the level of attention to detail the rest of the machine enjoys.

I also feel the price warrants either carbon-fiber or at least forged alloy wheels, rather than the cast units the RS comes with. Perhaps this is something MV management could look at for 2023.

Given the price, the RS is only going to appeal to a very select customer, but then, I guess you could say that about the entire MV range anyway. There’s many quirky characteristics that come with owning an MV, but when used in the “right” way, i.e., with the throttle wound right back, there’s no denying the joys to be had. However, MV needs to fix the motor’s fueling if it’s to be taken seriously as an alternative to something like a Ducati Streetfighter V4 S.CN

2022 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RS Specifications

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