Middleweight adventure bikes are where outright engine performance and ultimate handling converge for the most well-rounded performance in the class. There are a ton of larger-displacement ADV motorcycles that produce big horsepower figures, and there are a bunch of lightweight models that are focused on off-road handling, but the middle ground really is the sweet spot.

Therefore it’s no surprise that MV Agusta decided that its first foray into the ADV world would roughly fall into what is now considered “middleweight” territory. But is it really, with its 931cc triple? And is the brand-new Enduro Veloce a legit adventure machine, or just a pretty face capitalizing on the class’ popularity? We had the chance to throw a leg over the machine on the amazing Italian island of Sardinia, off of Italy’s west coast, and sampled some amazing asphalt roads and just enough off-road to get a sense of where it stacks up.2024 MV Agusta Enduro Veloce EngineThe brand-new engine in MV’s first normal production adventure machine (the 2024 LXP Orioli was only a limited-edition run of 500 units) is unique to the Enduro Veloce and the LXP, with no other models currently in the lineup sharing the 931cc displacement. Although we can’t imagine that will last for too much longer after sampling it. The inline-three has four valves per cylinder and double overhead cams with DLC-coated followers; bore and stroke measure 81 by 60.2mm with a 13.4:1 compression ratio. MV’s latest-gen triples feature a counterrotating crankshaft to cancel out the gyroscopic effects of the rotation of the wheels for improved handling, while a single counterbalancer is used to smooth out engine vibration.

MV makes it clear that this engine was designed with high-performance output in mind with components like lightweight forged-aluminum, bridge-box-style pistons inside, and a quick-revving nature. They are also proud of the fact that the engine only weighs 126 pounds. Claimed power output is 124 hp at 10,000 rpm with 75 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 7,000 rpm. MV also points out that 85 percent of the peak torque is available from as low as 3,000 rpm.

On the intake side are a trio of 47mm throttle bodies with a single fuel injector in each, all managed by the MVICS 2.1 system and Mikuni ride-by-wire throttle control. While on the exhaust side is a high-performance system that utilizes a pair of catalyzers and an electronically controlled exhaust valve that opens up completely at 4,500 rpm. If the awesome sound coming out of the silencer isn’t enough for you, an optional Termignoni slip-on is available as an accessory.After activating the bike via its keyless ignition system, we tapped the starter button and brought that glorious three-cylinder soundtrack to life. At idle, the engine just purrs and gives little indication of the anger waiting to be unleashed. Hitting the highway with a quick blast up through the gears—with the slick Electronically Assisted Shift 4.0 quickshifter allowing clutchless up and downshifts—the wail from the engine is accompanied by impressive acceleration.

As the cliche goes: There is no replacement for displacement. The MV’s supersized middleweight is seriously flirting with the open class, but hovering just enough below it to almost get credit in that lower class. If this was a twin of some sort, there would be no argument, but as a triple we have to raise an eyebrow and pretty much throw it in the big-boy class. But this isn’t racing we’re talking about, so only your insurance company cares what category it falls into.If you’ve never ridden an MV, Triumph, or Yamaha triple, they are such satisfying engines. What makes them stand out is the flexibility they offer, with good low-down torque that mimics a V-twin, and a top-end rush that nearly replicates that of an inline-four. Triples offer a spread of performance that is ideal in the real world of street riding.

During the day we clicked off around 150 miles of testing on a variety of roads. The highlights were the tight and twisty seaside roads along Sardinia’s southern coast. The triple in the Enduro Veloce is, in one word, awesome. It allows so many options in terms of gear selection. If you don’t feel like rowing the gearbox, you can pick third gear and find a happy pace that you could ride all day. But if you want a bit more engagement and really want to test the traction-control system, clicking back and forth between second, third, and fourth makes for an entertaining day behind the bars.

The MV’s fueling is excellent, while its electronics, which we’ll cover shortly, give you a ton of options to fine-tune the bike to your liking. Compared to the middleweight parallel twins on the market and the Triumph 900s, the Enduro Veloce is a real on-road ripper. When a long straightaway opens up or you need to pass a line of cars, this MV is more akin to an open-class bike. If raw performance was the goal, then put a big check mark in that column as a success.

Although we didn’t get a ton of time in the dirt, we did cover a few miles off-road with the standard Bridgestone Battlax A41 tires mounted up, and then did a handful of laps around a makeshift “riding area” with the optional AX41 knobbies. We’ll touch more on this in the electronics and chassis sections, but the engine off-road is spicy! With TC turned off or on setting 1 of eight in the Off-Road mode, the Enduro Veloce feels every bit an open-classer, more reminiscent of a 1290 KTM or 1200 Triumph. You need some good electronics to keep this beast composed, and MV Agusta has supplied them.2024 MV Agusta Enduro Veloce ElectronicsLike almost every modern adventure bike, with just a handful of exceptions, the Enduro Veloce has a complete suite of electronic rider aids. In the case of the MV, it has ride-by-wire throttle control and a six-axis IMU, giving the bike all of the advanced features that are becoming the norm in the ADV class. The Enduro Veloce has four riding modes including Urban, Touring, Off-Road, and a Custom All-Terrain (that can be set up with any parameters that you want).

There are eight levels of traction control, with five for road use, two for off-road, and one for rain, while the system can also be turned off completely. Another interesting feature is that MV Agusta has developed algorithms for both the more road-oriented Bridgestone Battlax A41 or knobby AX41 tires that tailors the settings to the grip afforded by those totally different types of tire. The rider can go in the menus and select which is being used. We assume these would work in a very similar manner no matter which brand of rubber you’re running.Depending on how detailed the rider wants to fine-tune the electronics, the MV has options for everyone. Just want to select a mode and go ride? The bike works great, offering well-thought-out sub settings for all parameters. Want to get deep into the woods? The level of customization is seemingly endless. Dive into the menus and there are options for two levels of Engine Brake Control, there is a Launch Control that allows full-throttle (managed) starts, Front Lift Control, Rear Wheel Lift-Up Mitigation, Gas Sensitivity (throttle), Max Engine Torque, and Engine Response. As you can see, you can really get into the weeds, which we didn’t have time to play with extensively in just one day.

As for the braking system, the ABS system has a pair of settings: For off-road, Level 1 has less intervention at the front wheel, no cornering functionality, and the rear is disengaged. While for street riding, Level 2 offers the most intervention with ABS active both front and rear, and utilizing the cornering functionality. ABS can only be deactivated in the Off-Road and Custom All-Terrain modes. Also included is cruise control which can be adjusted via the left control pod in 1 or 5 kph increments and is canceled by counterrotating the throttle, so the rider doesn’t have to dab the brakes.From a functionality standpoint, the organization of the MV’s menus and the navigation from the left bar-mounted control pod is quite good. The menu logic is easy to understand, the settings are simple to change, and there are very few, if any, little annoyances. The settings you choose are sticky and won’t revert back to a default every time you cycle the ignition or kill switch. Speaking of the kill switch, it also acts as the starter and the mode button that allows on-the-fly mode changes.

The dash itself is a large 7-inch HD TFT display that also offers both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity to utilize the MV Ride app or other devices like your phone for calls and music control. A pair of USB ports (standard and C) sit on the side of the tower to power devices. The screen is bright and easy to read and allows different layout options depending on what you want to see while riding. Both control pods have LED backlighting for good visibility in all lighting conditions.For street riding, the Touring mode (the most aggressive option) is our preferred choice. Power, response, and throttle sensitivity are bang on the money. There are significant performance differences between Touring and Urban, the latter of which would be an ideal mode for wet roads. On the road, the traction control is quite good too. As our day progressed we slowly dialed it back to lower and lower settings and found that it was totally trustworthy on a variety of asphalt surfaces. But even with the TC dialed up a bit more conservatively, it never holds the bike back when accelerating hard out of hairpins. The bike just snaps out of corners with little noticeable intervention and strong acceleration.

We did get a chance to play with the Launch Control which is a real blast. When you select it, the system takes you through the steps, telling you what to do on screen, and then you just hold the throttle wide open and let it rip. Practical on an ADV? Not really. Fun? Hell yes!

The real test of the modes came with two short off-highway sessions. Once on dirt you can quickly toggle the mode to Off-Road without having to come to a stop. The traction control’s standard setting (3) is a bit too conservative (but very effective), so we dialed it back to the lowest setting for a bit of fun. Like the modes, the TC can be changed on the fly. When we had the opportunity to ride the knobby-shod bike off-road we did one lap of the course in the suggested Off-Road mode, and then switched the TC off completely for the next two laps. Dang is that fun! But as mentioned above it’s a handful. The engine is tractable and predictable to a point, but once it gets past the midrange power and into the upper rpm range, it gets exciting quickly with the rear end snapping out of shape in a hurry.2024 MV Agusta Enduro Veloce Chassis and ErgonomicsHere is where we really find out if the Enduro Veloce is a capable ADV machine or just a dolled-up road bike. Perusing at the bike’s numbers, it’s obvious that MV took a close look at its Italian competition from Bologna, the Ducati DesertX. The MV uses a double cradle steel frame, removable steel subframe, and aluminum swingarm. The wheelbase measures 63.4 inches, while front end geometry measures 27 degrees of rake and 4.6 inches of trail, all of which are very close to the Ducati. Claimed dry weight is 494 pounds, which is heavy compared to middleweights but on par for the open class. The stock seat is adjustable to two heights with the lower setting measuring 33.5 inches and the higher position set at 34.3 inches, while ground clearance measures just a tick over 9 inches.

In terms of suspension, we have to say we’re a bit disappointed that the Enduro Veloce doesn’t come with electronic units considering the bike’s premium price. However, the 48mm Sachs fork and monoshock are fully adjustable with preload, rebound, and compression damping. Travel measures 8.3 inches at each end. MV’s wheel choice aims at the more off-road-oriented side of adventure riding. The Takasago Excel tubeless wheels measure 21 x 2.2-inch rim up front (mounted with a 90/90-21 tire) and 18 x 4-inch rim (with a 150/70-18 tire) at the rear.

Another place that MV didn’t skimp was in the braking department. A pair of Brembo Stylema radial-mount, four-piston calipers and 320mm discs reside on the front and a twin-piston Brembo caliper and 265mm disc at the rear. Cornering ABS is managed by a Continental MK 100 system and fed info by the six-axis IMU.

On the road, the Enduro Veloce is very agile. The tight twisting coastal roads are reminiscent of the type you find in the mountains, littered with second-gear hairpins flip-flopping back and forth on themselves. One of the traits that stands out is how easily the MV can be flicked into the corner. There are a couple of things surely going on here. First, the narrow 21-inch front tire really lends itself to quick handling, but second, we have to believe that there really is something to the counterrotating crankshaft. The Enduro Veloce is far lighter on its feet than anticipated.

But the bike has another ace up its sleeve: The Enduro Veloce is amazingly composed and planted midcorner. As much as we’d like to see electronic suspension on this bike, the package that MV has used, and the base settings it dialed in, are really good on the road. Flick the bike into a big sweeper and the Enduro Veloce is on rails. There is none of that seesawing that a lot of ADV machines with long travel exhibit as they settle into the corner. The MV is instantly composed and is locked into your selected line. Need to make a midcorner adjustment? No problem, the bike lets you do it without fanfare. Another nice trait is how well the bike reacts to trail-braking. Drag the ultrapowerful front Brembos to the apex and then release pressure on the lever and the bike stays planted and doesn’t allow the fork to suddenly extend while rebounding.

It really should come as no surprise that an MV Agusta is a great-handling road bike. So our short sojourn off-road is what would really answer the question as to if the bike is a legit ADV machine. As mentioned, our time off-road was very limited, with a bit of running on the road-oriented tires and another stint on the knobbies. Despite this, we at least got a taste of the MV’s chops. On the standard tire and on gravel roads the bike felt predictable and was never a handful, with the electronics doing their job to keep the bike under control. Once we got to throw a leg over a bike set up with knobbies and softer damping settings we got a better impression.The coastal riding area was just a series of linked dirt roads strewn with gravel, a ton of erosion ruts, some beach sand, and rocks to dodge. After a warmup loop, we turned the TC off completely and let it rip. Thankfully the AX41 knobbies give the bike ample braking traction and allow the bike to corner with confidence, because the Enduro Veloce can generate uncomfortably high speeds quickly. Getting the bike stopped on the dirt is where the bike’s weight suddenly becomes apparent, forcing you to do some planning ahead.

The suspension’s ability to deal with some of the washouts and little rocky drops is up to par with larger ADVs. It’s not light on its feet in these situations, but is quite similar to a few of the other full-size ADV machines on the market like KTM’s 1290 Super Adventure S or a Honda Africa Twin. The fork in particular has good holdup and doesn’t bottom out even when plowing into some ditches.The Enduro Veloce’s ergonomics are well rounded. Seated while riding on the asphalt there is plenty of room to move around in the wide comfortable saddle, and the windscreen provides good protection from the wind and appears like it will do the same in the rain. The reach to the bars is relaxed and comfortable, while the rider triangle is roomy. Off-road, the standing position is really good with the bars at a comfortable height that doesn’t make you bend down overly far to be in control, the tank is comfortable between the legs, and the view over the tall windscreen unobstructed.ConclusionDespite the fact that we’d have loved to spend more time on the Enduro Veloce off the highway, we got a decent impression of the bike and its capabilities. Positioning the bike against the competition, we think its target rivals are the Triumph Tiger range (either 900 or 1200), Honda Africa Twin, KTM 1290 Super Adventure S, or Harley-Davidson’s Pan America 1250. Interestingly, MV Agusta has priced the Enduro Veloce just $3 more than the DesertX Rally at $22,998, but that bike is far more off-road oriented than the MV. Although having ridden the standard DesertX and this bike, we’d give the MV the edge on the road.

But is the Enduro Veloce capable of tackling the type of terrain that you might find on a BDR? With the knobby tires mounted up, we’re confident that the MV EV can manage the fire roads, sand, and erosion ruts typical of some of those routes. But this isn’t a rock bashing, single-track-trail machine, it’s much more of an 80/20 (road/dirt) adventure-tourer.In that role, the Enduro Veloce finds its stride. Its on-road performance and handling are great, with a fun and potent engine and excellent chassis. The suspension and brakes are top quality, while the electronics and rider aids are well thought out, logical, and effective. And although this is the first time we’re mentioning it, the styling (especially in person) and beautiful Ago Red/Ago Silver paint have to be seen to be fully appreciated.

There is no question that MV Agusta did its homework and produced a legitimate adventure bike in its first try. And since MV has recently come under control of Pierer Mobility AG (owners of KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas), we are told that the dealer network and parts accessibility are all being improved in the US market. If you love the bike and are worried about reliability, the Enduro Veloce comes with an unlimited-mileage, four-year warranty, which is virtually unmatched in the industry. It’s an interesting and beautiful new addition to the adventure segment—which class is a bit of a head scratcher. Either way, it ticks the boxes to be a real ADV, but it does it in a way only MV Agusta can.

2024 MV Agusta Enduro Veloce Specs