It’s not surprising that touring motorcycles are comfortable. They’re designed to be ridden for long hours – and those hours are generally at speed. That means preference needs to be given to ride and handling on the highway. This generally means that at low speeds, the suspension can be too stiff, or the bike too unwieldy.
With advances in technology and experience, most manufacturers have managed to engineer products that can do seemingly opposing things – be stable and enjoyable at speed, while staying comfortable. It can still be a task finding the right motorcycle, though. But here is the high-speed touring machine that stays comfortable all day. And it is from a most unexpected manufacturer!
The MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Is The High-Speed Touring Machine That Stays Comfortable All Day
Say ‘MV Agusta’ and you know you’re in for a fast motorcycle. The Italian manufacturer has stuck to the brief with the Turismo Veloce – this is a sports tourer, but an extremely quick one. It looks like a million bucks, but costs a little more than an equivalent Ducati, which is acceptable, given the brand’s positioning. You’ll have a motorcycle that not just turns heads everywhere you go, it will also cosset your derriere and have you get off it as fresh as a daisy at the end of a day’s ride.
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Price: $20,598
The Turismo Veloce is priced not just like a premium middleweight, but somewhere between the value-conscious and the premium full-size sports tourers. At the price, you can get premium sports tourers, adventure tourers, and even a crossover or two. However, none of them has the brand value, history, and premium association of an MV. There are downsides as well; you know that it is going to cost more to maintain than the average motorcycle in its price range, whether Japanese, American, or European. But that is a cost that owners will be willing to absorb.
The Turismo Veloce’s Engine Is Low On Displacement But High On Character
The Turismo Veloce’s engine is an inline three-cylinder that displaces 798 cc, unlike its midsize adventure bike sibling. It also runs a relatively high compression ratio of 12.3:1 that we’re more used to seeing in sport bikes. Elsewhere, you get a counterrotating crankshaft, a feature seen only in race bikes, race replicas, and a couple of Ducatis. The final output then lies at 110 horsepower at 11,000 RPM and 70 pound-feet at 8,500 RPM.
It utilizes titanium valves to help it rev to those high numbers, although the F3, with the same engine, produces over 145 ponies. Nevertheless, MV Agusta claims some seriously impressive performance figures for the Turismo Veloce: from a dead halt, 62 miles an hour comes up in 3.75 seconds, 124 miles an hour in 15 seconds, and on to a top speed of 143 miles per hour.
There is ample electronic assistance with the help of a by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU. Among the electronic features are torque control with four maps, eight-level cornering traction control, ride modes, and cruise control. An interesting feature is the ‘SCS’ smart clutch system, a component developed by clutch specialists Rekluse. This is similar to Honda’s E-Clutch system, so you need to shift gears manually, but you can leave the clutch lever alone even while stopping, and it can be switched off.
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A Trellis Frame And Electronic Suspension Are Both Present
The Turismo Veloce uses a trellis frame made from steel tubes and a single-sided swingarm made from aluminum. The Sachs suspension is electronically adjustable and semi-active, while the rear preload is hydraulically adjustable. It uses 17-inch alloy wheels with Brembo brakes. Twin 320 mm floating discs with radial 4 piston fixed calipers are present at the front, and a 220 mm disc with a two piston caliper is present at the back. Cornering ABS and rear wheel lift mitigation are standard, as is a parking brake because of the SCS.
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Dimensions
The Turismo Veloce is nearly 84 inches long, with a 56.9-inch wheelbase. It is fairly tall as well, with a 32.7-inch saddle height – but you do get 5.5 inches of ground clearance as well. Curb weight stands at 478 pounds, and the saddlebags add another 20 pounds to the weight. The fuel tank is large enough for a long time in the saddle, at 5.7 gallons – unless you really give it the stick!
Premium Feature Set
A 5.5-inch TFT display is present on the Turismo Veloce, which is quite a small display by today’s premium standards. It’s not a surprise when you realize it was launched in 2015, and it is due for a refresh now. The graphics are still good by today’s standards, and it is equipped with Bluetooth and navigation. Other standard features include a center stand, heated grips, an adjustable windshield, and an anti-theft system with geolocation.
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MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Competition
The Turismo Veloce exists in a strange space, because it is a mid-size sport tourer with a full-size price. Considering its displacement and power output, it matches up with the Yamaha Tracer 9 ($12,599), but the Japanese bike costs around 60 percent of the MV’s price, so we have to rule it out.
The KTM 1290 Super Duke GT ($20,499) costs a similar amount, makes a lot more power, has similar features, and also hasn’t been updated in a couple of years, but we’d like to get an updated option if we can. There is the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST ($19,999) as well, and it is a great value option.
However, we’d pick the BMW S 1000 XR as the competitor for the Turismo Veloce, because it has an inline four engine with a really high power output, so the delivery is similar to the MV’s. It is a premium brand, and you can load up on options to get it to the Italian’s level – up to and including the electronic suspension – and it is massively comfortable as well. The base price is great, too.
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Vs BMW S 1000 XR
|
Model |
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce |
BMW S 1000 XR |
|
Price |
$20,598 |
$18,825 |
|
Displacement |
798 cc |
999 cc |
|
Engine layout |
Counterrotating I3 |
I4 |
|
Power |
110 HP @ 11,000 RPM |
170 HP @ 11,000 RPM |
|
Torque |
70 LB-FT @ 8,500 RPM |
84 LB-FT @ 9,250 RPM |
|
Curb Weight |
478 LBs (wet) |
500 LBs (wet) |
Source: MV Agusta