SPIRIT OF THE 70s
MV’s stunning Superveloce ridden
Style, speed and Chainsaw Massacre soundtracks have always been MV trademarks. The new Superveloce 800 is all those things and more because underneath the 1970s-meets-21st century curves is a rather good road-going sportsbike. In basic terms it’s an F3 800 in fancy clothes – a machine designed to dissect backroads and glide around racetracks, but MV have also made the Superveloce roomier. Its wide clip-ons are slightly raised and the pegs are lower, which is good news for the road. Its short, thin and firm suede-covered old school racing seat isn’t the last word in comfort, but it’s padded enough to get you from one coffee shop to the next.
Spend a bit of time on the Superveloce 800 and you quickly realise it’s actually a sportsbike that’s halfway practical and one you can joyfully spend time with. Even the bar-end mirrors give a better view than stalks and wind protection isn’t too bad, but the screen could do with being taller. A big bubble to match its 70s snout would look great.
Best MV triple yet
MV haven’t dumbed down the F3 800 motor to create the Superveloce either. The 798cc inline triple (which has been around since 2013) is a ‘stroked’ 675 supersport unit with titanium valves and a counter rotating crank, making 146bhp. Best of all, it’s finally been given the throttle manners it’s always deserved. The Varese boffins have smoothed-off most of its rough edges and honed its ride-by-wire for more fluid power, especially at low revs. But it’s still an MV and still slightly raw, spikey and aggressive.
It’s also the perfect capacity for a sportsbike. It loves to rev like a supersport racer, so it never lacks excitement, but there’s a nice dollop of midrange grunt, so you don’t have to go around banging the engine up against the redline the whole time. Cut from the same cloth as the GSX-R750, Panigale V2 and Daytona 765, the Superveloce is powerful, manageable and never intimidating, especially with the added safety net of lean-tastic electronic rider aids. MVs have always sounded sensational and the 800 sails along the same sonic ear canal. Admittedly it sounds pretty rough low down, but as the revs soar it’s pure mechanical anger, punctuated by savage electronic shifter stabs.
Supersport handling genes
Chassis-wise it’s all-F3 800, from its tubular steel frame and aluminium single-sided swingarm, to the fully adjustable Marzocchi forks, Sachs shock, Brembo monoblocs and Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II rubber. Strangely there’s minimal rear shock damping out of the box, so it’s easy to get the Superveloce 800 out of shape, bouncing off bumps like a Zebedee on the sauce. Happily, a couple of turns of compression and a turn of rebound slows the damping down enough to give the MV back its poise, but it’s rare you need to go anywhere near a suspension adjuster on a new bike nowadays.
Those damping screws (they’re not even clickers) give the shock a cheap feel that’s at odds with the rest of the bike. You’d expect higher quality suspension, or even semi-active. Once set up with a more controlled back-end, the ride quality suffers slightly, but you’re rewarded with crisper handling. The MV isn’t a faststeerer, but it’s nimble enough in the slow stuff and what it really loves are fast sweepers, where the harder you push, the more it digs in and makes you smile. Tyres never lack feel or grip. Brembos are never short of power, but the ABS eventually intrudes under extreme braking and robs them of the feel you’d expect. That’s more to do with the way ABS has to act for Euro5 now than any failing on MV’s part.
Crowning glory
Paint finishes and attention to design and detail are textbook exotica, which go a long way to justifying the price. Faring screws are hidden, the satin-finished magnesium coloured wheels look fantastic and the Superveloce 800 is so posh it even wears a tiara! The single LED headlight and slim seat unit all tip a nod to the Ago years, the tail unit has a hint of Stoner Desmosedici to it. The colour dash is pure 21st century, as are its rider modes, launch, wheelie, cruise and traction control, ABS and up/down shifter. Even more usefully, the MV comes with a three-year warranty and two years’ roadside assistance.
There’s no question the new Superveloce 800 is all about style and sound and if that floats your boat and the price doesn’t faze you, it won’t disappoint. But for the first time in years an MV is more than just a shouty Italian in an expensive suit, it’s a very capable machine in its own right. They’ve really turned a corner (once you’ve adjusted the shock).
‘More than just a shouty Italian in an expensive suit’