The adventure bike market has seen explosive growth over the past few years, and it follows that budget-friendly alternatives get a lot of attention. The middleweight segment in particular has several of these budget-oriented models on offer. Naturally, to keep costs down, certain things need to be left off these bikes, and compromises need to be made.
In an effort to offset these compromises, owners often turn to the aftermarket. Most times, those costs add up to such an extent that the once budget-friendly bike ends up more expensive than some premium ADVs. One such premium bike from Italy is ready to go straight from the factory, equipped with pretty much every feature a modern adventure rider could possibly want.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from MV Agusta. Whereas, the opinions are our own.
Middleweight Adventure Bikes Can Cost Serious Money Nowadays
As midweight ADVs gain popularity, they’ve also gained new features and become more premium. All that means higher manufacturing costs, which in turn means higher MSRPs for the customers (aka us). As a result, this segment currently starts from just around $10,000 and goes all the way to almost $20,000. Premium examples of really pricey middleweights include the Ducati DesertX, Ducati Multistrada V2 S, Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro, and the BMW F 900 GS Adventure Ride Pro. One bike offers all of these premium bits for less money than these examples, though.
The MV Agusta Enduro Veloce Makes Budget ADVs Look Expensive
MSRP: $16,998
The Enduro Veloce is not a cheap motorcycle. But, it is a feature-laden motorcycle from MV Agusta, one of the most – if not the most – luxurious motorcycle brands, and offers incredible value, priced well below the European version. It also offers a level of fit and finish high volume sellers simply can’t compete with, but there is no hiding from the fact that there are some equally good alternatives.
Ducati offers the DesertX, but if you were to do a more like-for-like comparison, you need to consider the Discovery trim. It offers a similar level of luxury but will need to pay an extra $3k. Ducati will bring out a new 890-powered version later this year, and if the other models making use of this powertrain are anything to go by, it will be a little cheaper than the current desmo 937 version.
The Triumph Tiger 900 Desert Edition is another equally well-equipped alternative, but just like the Ducati, it lacks luggage, and is also more expensive. It is the only other triple-powered ADV on the market. The safest bet in this space has traditionally been the BMW F 900 GS Adventure. While down on power compared to the other bikes, it is a little more affordable.
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The Enduro Veloce Has A New Triple
Power: 124 Horsepower
Several manufacturers have now moved into this 900ish cc space. It is where most engine configurations seem to find a good balance between power delivery and efficiency, which is crucial in a modern world where emissions laws vary from one country to another. Although “new”, this is essentially a reworked 800cc triple, which was also, in turn, a reworked 675cc triple from several years ago. This powertrain has gone into all MV’s middle displacement models, and while it offers an impressive punch for its size, it is an engine that used to have an Achilles heel.
Old Italian Problems
Whenever an Italian manufacturer offers a longer-than-average warranty, we tend to react with suspicion. MV is currently selling these bikes with a 5-year unlimited miles warranty, and it is there to ease any lingering concerns potential buyers might have over long-term reliability. In the 800cc configuration, these engines were known for dropping valves at high revs. So far, in this 931cc configuration, there are no reports of the same thing occurring. It is still worth mentioning, though, because MV hasn’t ever publicly acknowledged the fact that there was an issue in the first place.
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The Enduro Veloce Offers Us A Comprehensive Travel Package
As one might expect from any $17k motorcycle, the electronics package is about as comprehensive as it can be. Cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control, a TFT dash with smartphone connectivity, cruise control, and a quickshifter are all standard features. Mercifully, there are no paywalls in sight here. In an effort to compete with the bigger brands, MV has also added crash protection and side cases as standard equipment for the 2026 model.
In Europe, this bike sells for the equivalent of around $22k, and it is easy to see why people would be willing to spend that much on the bike. It is essentially “ready to explore” straight from the factory. Although we are sure the stock tire choice won’t appeal to everyone, it will do just fine for most riders who will end up doing more highway miles than anything else.
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A Luxury Tourer Thinly Disguised As An ADV
MV Agusta is a premium manufacturer, so it follows that the bike is set up to be more effective on the road. Although it certainly looks the part of an off-road ADV, this is most certainly going to be a better tourer. With a wet weight of well over 500 pounds, it is actually a lot closer to the full-sized competition in terms of weight.
This is the reality of just about any adventure bike, though. No matter what all the marketing might suggest, with pro riders doing all sorts of crazy stuff off-road on these big, heavy bikes, that is not what they were designed for. These bikes are primarily designed for travel, and that means accepting the fact that they will always be somewhat compromised off-road. While it is certainly more than capable of taking on the odd off-road excursion, it will be far better at handling long stints on the highway.
For most riders looking for a bigger ADV, that won’t be an issue at all. The bang for buck you get here is downright impressive, but no matter which way you slice it, this is still a premium bike from a premium brand. Servicing it won’t be cheap, and when something goes wrong, parts won’t be cheap either. You might also find out the hard way that some parts will need to be shipped from Italy.
Chassis, Suspension, And Weight Specifications
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Chassis |
Double beam frame |
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Front Suspension |
48mm Sachs fully adjustable USD fork (8.27-in travel) |
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Rear Suspension |
Sachs fully adjustable monoshock (8.27-in travel) |
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Weight |
528 lbs (no fuel, no panniers) |