MV Agusta ADV bikes point to MV's future
By Ben Purvis
Jumping on the adventure bike bandwagon might be the least surprising thing a manufacturer can do these days, but MV Agusta's first dip into the market is significant - marking two important developments that will impact the company's future far beyond the bikes they're introduced on.
MV has launched not one but two Lucky Explorer adventure models, both styled to call back to the Cagiva Elefant Lucky Explorer and the Paris-Dakar racers of the 1980s and early 90s. Since MV is the direct descendant of Cagiva, it's got a strong link to that heritage, although Ducati - which was part of the Cagiva group from 1985 to 1996 - stakes its own claim to the same history with its new DesertX model.
'Lucky Explorer' 9.5
The first Lucky Explorer, dubbed 9.5, is what we'd expect from MV, with a derivative of the F3's three-cylinder engine and high-end components throughout, while second - the 5.5 - is a 550 cc parallel twin that promises to be an affordable way to get into the MV brand.
Starting with the 9.5, it introduces a new generation of the three-cylinder engine, measuring 931 cc and tuned for torque rather than peak power. With 123 hp on tap, it's some way short of the more powerful 800 cc versions of the engine used elsewhere in MV's range, but it makes up for that with 75 lb-ft of torque at just 7,000 rpm. Most of the engine is new, including the cylinders, pistons, crankshaft, head and rods, with increases to both bore and stroke, and it's very likely that the 931 cc engine will later appear in more highly tuned form in other MV models.
At 220 kg dry, the 9.5 isn't as light as you might expect, but it is strong on technology, including all the rider aids you'd expect from a 2022 exotic, plus the option of a centrifugal Rekluse clutch and an electronically operated gearshift. That means the MV can be spec'd to compete against Honda's DCT Africa Twin, which has proved enormously popular over the last few years. Like the Africa Twin, the 9.5 has serious off-road credentials, with a 21" front and 18" rear wheel allowing proper off-road tyres to be fitted, plus around 220 mm of suspension travel.
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| 'Lucky Explorer' 5.5 |
Shifting focus to the smaller Lucky Explorer 5.5, this bike is the first offspring of a partnership between MV Agusta and Chinese company Qianjiang - owner of Benelli and the China-only QJMotor brand. Underneath its undeniably attractive bodywork, the 5.5 shares its chassis and basic engine design with the Benelli TRK502, a model that's currently Italy's best-selling motorcycle. In China, the QJMotor SRT500 also uses the same components, with another different set of bodywork.
MV's version, as well as gaining dedicated styling of its own, is the first to feature a new 554 cc version of the Qianjiang parallel twin engine, offering an A2-licence-legal 47 hp, but other than that, MV hasn't opted to significantly upgrade its components; suspension still comes from KYB, for instance, and both the Benelli and QJMotor derivatives can be had with Brembo brakes like the MV. At 220 kg, it's as heavy as the bigger 9.5. Both Lucky Explorer models are still under development with no definite on-sale date yet.
