The smaller Brutale is designed more for the street than the track, but its torquey 998cc
Not that I had seriously doubted that even this smaller-engined of the two new Brutales would live up to its name. That claimed 139 horsepower is plenty for a naked bike, and these models are both 6.5 pounds lighter than their predecessors. The 990R not only sent its tach needle ripping round the dial at the slightest provocation, it also pulled from low revs with satisfying enthusiasm.
Predictably, the 1090RR has even more low-rev grunt. The bigger engine had just a touch more vibration than the 990R, but is still very smooth thanks to the added balancer shaft. It responds from well below 3000 rpm exiting steep hairpin turns, making effortless progress with little need to shift.
That was just as well, because if the Brutales have a flaw, it's their rather snatchy midrange response. In other respects, both bikes are impressively rider-friendly. More relaxed geometry and that longer wheelbase gave calmer steering feel along with the naked four's flickable nature.
The Brutales' new-found civility was welcome on the road, but doesn't come at the expense of racetrack performance. On the contrary, the motor's smoothness helps make the bike brilliantly rev-happy and entertaining on the straights. Slightly abrupt throttle response doesn't prevent either of the big fours from storming out of the bends with a controlled savagery that is hugely addictive.
The Brutales' new swingarm is 2.2 pounds lighter and has been extended 20mm for greater hi
Despite that lazier steering geometry, the Brutales navigated chicanes easily, thanks in no small part to the leverage afforded by their wide bars. But I wasn't totally happy after my first session on either model, as both were a bit soft and imprecise, despite having been set up slightly firmer than the standard settings we had used on the road. Both front ends moved around slightly going into bends, and the steering damper-less 990R, in particular, flapped its bars exiting the slow left-hander onto the back straight, as its shock compressed under my weight.
Fortunately, the solution in both bikes' cases was as simple as dialing in a bit more compression and rebound damping at each end, after which both models carved through the slower turns with infinitely more precision. The 1090RR felt so solid that I just about managed to get it through Misano's scary-fast (I saw 160 mph) kink without shutting off.
The firmed-up front end allowed full use of the front brakes, especially the RR's fierce blend of Monobloc calipers and 320mm discs (the 990R has conventional radial Brembo calipers and 310mm rotors). There was enough cornering clearance to maximize that bike's sticky Dunlop Qualifier RR rubber, as well as the Pirelli Diablo Rossos fitted to the 990R. I wasn't aware of the traction control, which MV says is effective yet less intrusive than other systems. The fact that nobody crashed in three days says they might be right.
Toward the end of the day, I pulled in after what I thought was my final session. Stepping off the 990R, I was informed that I was signed up for one more session aboard the 1090RR-right now. Er, yes please! I was hot, sweaty and aching from a day spent at speed on this high-barred hooligan of a motorcycle, but I wasn't going to miss a final blast. The Brutale is a little bit kinder to its rider than it used to be, and even more fun to ride. MV Agusta's American-led revival is off to a promising start.
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