2011 Brutale 920

I just returned from the MV Agusta factory in Varese, Italy, where I have tested MV Agusta's first serious attempt at something you could be stretched to call a "budget" motorcycle, the all black 2011 Brutale 920.

The very team that runs MV Agusta today were the very same team that brought Ducati its first successes since the 70s.

Mr. Desmodromic, Massimo Bordi, told me that it was his idea back in the early 90s to launch the first Monster Dark. The idea being to justify a lower price you remove some exclusive components, replace them with slightly cheaper ones and then paint it all black.

This basically is what MV Agusta have done with the 2011 Brutale 920. Saying that though, the 920 doesn't share its 921cc engine with any other Brutale so it's definitely a stand alone model and not a budget version of the 990 R.

The MV Agusta Brutale engine is still a growling in-line four but with a 129 horsepower version of the in-line four. The 990 R features a 139 horsepower engine of 998cc.

Giovanni Castiglioni told me in our exclusive interview that the MV Agusta in-line four model range now is complete. It comprises of the three Brutale models (920, 990 R and 1090 RR) and the F4 and F4 RR.

The Brutale 920 albeit having softer but still quality suspension still feels very much like an exclusive MV Agusta but now at less than £10K.

With full traction control and riding modes and a beautiful engine the Brutale 920 comes across as something of a bargain.

A full review of the 2011 MV Agusta Brutale 920 will follow in UltimateMotorCycling.com.