There is no denying it. The MV Agusta Brutale 750 is a wild machine. A wickedly steep steering angle, extreme upright riding position, super short wheelbase and an ultra peaky hi-revving four-cylinder engine see to that.
While the 910cc version of the Brutale has grunt from the word go – and go in any gear, there’s no relaxing on the 750 Brutale. Oh no. The baby MV is all hype and adrenaline.
“The 910 wasn’t around when I bought my ’04 Brutale,” says Richard Clapham, “So the 750 was my only option. Not that I’m concerned. In fact, I’m stoked with my 750 now that it’s all lightened up. The peaky engine makes for a wild ride and the bike accelerates hard now that the pork has been shaved off…
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Richard bought the bike new in 2004 after spotting it in a local MV dealer showroom.
“I just had to have it,” admits Richard, “The black just looks awesome and as soon as I laid eyes on it I wanted it.”
The Brutale was soon parked in Richards’s comprehensive home workshop. But the self-confessed performance nut soon got bored.
“I just hated the way it cornered when it was stock. And the riding position was getting to me. So I decided to go for something completely different – a tough café racer/streetfighter look. So a set of Cyclecat clip-ons went on and it transformed the steering. The rest just seemed to happen!”
Engine work has been kept to the basics – the exhaust system is cut and shut, with the cat removed, and the system is jet-hot (ceramic) coated. A BMC filter has been slotted in to the stock airbox and a Power Commander PCIII is installed. The fuelling is mapped to suit and to take advantage of the crisp engine Richard fitted a billet quick-release rear sprocket that is three teeth up on standard.
“The exhaust note is like an F1 car and I just love keeping the neighbours on their toes of a morning! And the gearing means that the bike is snappy and loves to wheelstand.”
With such light wheels, it’s no wonder…
The all-carbon-fibre BST wheels weigh in at an astonishing 2.7 kilograms (f) and 4.8 kilograms (r) respectively, and, as Richard adds, “Offer the biggest performance gain by far – bar the hefty $4500 price tag!”
The front BST wheel wears a pair of BrakeTech cast-iron full-floating rotors – as per our very own Project K5. The brake pads are sintered and the standard-fitment braided stainless steel lines have been retained. Squeezing the six-piston Nissin calipers is done via a very hi-end Magura radial master-cylinder. The clutch master-cylinder is also a radial Magura item. Both the front and rear reservoirs are CNC machined billet alloy. Trick indeed…
“As you can see, I’ve used lots of billet,” says Richard, “The frame protectors, frame plugs, fuel cap, oil filler plug, bar-end mirrors, mini-indicators and pillion ‘pegs are all billet.”
The rearsets are by Sato and are fully adjustable jobbies, and the top triple-clamp has been modified to accommodate the ‘bars. Polished components include the radiator shields, sprocket carrier and triple-clamps. Fasteners are anodised and either stainless steel, alloy or titanium.
To give his Brutale a more naked look, Richard got the hacksaw out and chopped off the rear guard. He also fitted a carbon-fibre front guard, carbon-fibre ignition cover, air scoops, engine air scoops, sidecovers, tail unit, instrument surround, frame guards, exhaust shields, rear reservoir shield, rear hugger, chain guard and ‘bar ends. Phew…
“The end result is a lighter bike with more punch and outstanding looks. It is an awesome ride now, and is a one-off, which is very appealing to me. The only problem is, as soon as I finished it I saw the Macchia Nera on the cover of Rapid [Rapid Bikes Oct/Nov 2004 – Ed] and now I’m building one of my own…" |
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WHAT’S IT LIKE?
Richard’s Brutale is super light. The moment I hopped on for a quick spin around the Gold Coast, I felt the difference to the stock Brutale. I’d just finished pencilling our big naked bike comparo [Rapid Bikes Oct/Nov 2005] and had fresh notes on the MV sitting in the back of my mind. The short wheelbase and upright riding position made cornering fast a bit awkward but Richard’s bike is pin sharp. With a bit more weight over the front thanks to the clip-ons, and those ultra-light BST carbon-fibre wheels, this thing is absolutely on rails!
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The brakes are phenomenal – one-finger and your eyeballs are popping out. And the in-line four is a screamer, making a mockery of the law and launching the front wheel in the first few gears… And the fun factor? Perfect for the Gold Coast – loud, curvy, and full of beans. In fact, Richard’s MV kind of reminds me of a schoolies week story… But I’ll leave that one for another time! – Ed.
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SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE Liquid-cooled DOHC radial 16-valve four-cylinder four-stroke, bore & stroke 73.8 x 43.8mm, 749cc, 12:1 compression, Weber Marelli EFI, BMC airfilter, carbon-fibre air scoops, Weber Marelli CDI ignition, four-into-one-into-two ceramic-coated exhaust with cat removed, six-speed cassette-type gearbox, wet multi-plate hydraulic actuation clutch. CHASSIS & BODYWORK TIG welded chromolly steel tubular trellis frame, fully-adjustable Sachs shock, 50mm fully-adjustable Marzocchi inverted forks, six-piston Nissin calipers (f) with BrakeTech cast-iron full floating rotors, four-piston Nissin caliper (r) with 210mm rotor, sintered brake pads, braided brake lines, Magura radial master-cylinder (f), Magura radial clutch master-cylinder, billet alloy clutch and brake fluid reservoirs, carbon-fibre BST wheels, Sato adjustable billet rearsets, alloy quickchange rear sprocket, billet oil filler plug, billet fuel cap, billet crash knobs and frame plugs, modified polished triple-clamp, Cyclecat clip-on ‘bars, billet mini indicators, café racer ‘bar end mirror, carbon-fibre front guard, air scoops, ignition cover, rear hugger, engine scoops, side covers, tail, instrument surround, frame guards, exhaust shields, chain guard
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