MV Agusta has today unveiled the Lucky Explorer Project, which they say is “a multi-faceted initiative aiming at gathering the passionate lovers of rally raid and off-road racing around Schiranna’s unforgettable legacy of epic participation and victories in the great African rallies of the golden age.”
While the name MV Agusta never actually competed in rally racing, the Cagiva brand, which was owned by the Castiglioni brothers at the time, did. The Cagiva Elefant (sic) is one of the most memorable bikes from 1980s Dakar. Resplendent in Lucky Strike’s logo, the new Lucky Explorer project aims to bring back a few memories of the past while creating a new sub-sect of off-road riding.
“The project will be developed on the website www.luckyexplorerproject.com and through the Instagram channel @luckyexplorer.official already online,” MV Agusta said in a press release. “Riders, personalities, clips and anecdotes, historical factory tours, vintage advertising, videos, memorabilia, new content, and events will bring together a real community of enthusiasts. And Lucky Explorer ambassadors will turn up, with access to special content and exclusive previews.”
At the center of the project will be two new MV Agusta bikes, one dubbed the 5.5 and the other being the 9.5. Spec details are a little scarce but the 5.5 has been developed in tandem with Chinese concern QJ (Qian Jiang) and centers around a 550 cc twin-cylinder motor, with styling closely mimicking the Cagiva Elefant racer.
The 9.5 is a full-on MV Agusta and uses a bored and stroked version of the 800cc three-cylinder motor found in the Brutale for 930 cc, and offers 123 hp and 75 lb-ft of torque. The motor will also come with the option of having a Rekluse variant clutch or a standard clutch, and an optional electro-actuated (paddle shift) gearbox.
The 9.5 rolls on a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel for solid off-road performance, and the chassis is a steel double-cradle design.
The styling heavily reflects the aesthetic of the 1980s Dakar bikes, but very un-1980s is the seven-inch TFT display and LED light set-up. There’s plenty of front-end protection, too, with massive front engine and sump guards, disc guard, and handguards as standard.
No word yet on price and availability for either of the 5.5 or the 9.5 from MV Agusta USA.
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