First Ride: MV Agusta Enduro Veloce

Words: Olivier de Vaulx.   Photos: Kevin Wing, Olivier de Vaulx

When MotoGP Meets ADV / A New Symphony

KTM taking over MV Agusta in early 2024 didn’t make a lot of waves in the ADV world. To be fair, those among us who know the brand would remember the hardcore street bikes, maybe the Grand Prix victory records of the past century, but wouldn’t link the Italian company with anything ADV-related. In this context, the arrival of the Enduro Veloce came as a surprise, especially since nobody anticipated the confidential manufacturer to push in this direction.

To get a feel for this new bike and judge if there’s room for the newcomer in an already saturated ADV market, our best option was to tour southern California for three days, a suggestion quickly validated by the crew at MV Agusta USA.

Well Equipped
Our Enduro Veloce loaners are standard models mounted with street tires, as sold at the dealership. An Eddy Oriolli Special Edition, which comes with crash bars, luggage, special livery, and knobby tire wasn’t available for this longer-than-usual test ride. The red and silver tones on the standard model evoke the 500cc road racers of the 1950s, but everything else is super modern, starting with the dashboard’s screen. A push on the start/stop button wakes up a crisp color display authorizing a multitude of adjustments on the bike: riding modes, ABS, Traction Control, Quick Shifter, ECU maps—including specific mapping for different types of tires—Cruise Control, Data Logger; there are enough options to let you customize the bike while making you feel like a race engineer. Leaving the Pierer Mobility Headquarters in the morning, it’s easy to get comfortable on the bike. The riding position is very neutral and the windshield protects efficiently from the morning cold. There’s only a minimum amount of buffeting for the tallest riders, which proves that the time spent in the wind tunnel by the Italian engineers was well spent. It makes for an easy warm-up, giving time for the breakfast coffee to kick in.

Pavement Frenzy
Leaving the main avenues’ traffic for less traveled canyon and mountain roads, the Enduro Veloce’s true personality suddenly reveals uncompromisingly. The 931cc three-cylinder lacks low RPM torque compared to the twin engines that most of us are used to, and exiting tight corners under 4,000 RPM gives a smooth but quite muted acceleration. Twist the throttle a little more, however, and the engine suddenly wakes up, screaming like a MotoGP factory bike or a Formula 1 car at Circuit of the Americas. This Ferrari-like sound differs from anything offered in the ADV market but becomes quickly addictive. As such, the MV Agusta requires a total change of riding style: unlike the usual big twin cylinders, this Italian motorization really begs you to rev it. The street tires, authorizing sharp handling despite the 21” front wheel, add to the feel that this Enduro was named Veloce for a reason. After a few miles of “racing” at unreasonable speed, a dilemma appears: should we slow down to soak up a bit more of the scenery, or should we keep rushing to enjoy more of this addictive symphony? After various attempts at slowing down proved unsuccessful, we accept the fact that our love for this opera in 4 valves is stronger than our common sense. Stopping at the top of Palomar to enjoy a stunning view of the Anza Borrego desert a few thousand feet underneath us, we can’t help but check the side of our tires: they are not track-day worn out yet, but the rubber is black up to the edges. The road-racing vibes don’t stop here. Back in the desert, on a side road visibly abandoned, we test a highly unique feature: set the anti-wheelie on the dash, start the launch control process, and then follow the instructions on the color display: clutch, first gear, full throttle, enjoy the sound of the rev limiter while standing still, count to 3…2…1, and release front brake and clutch progressively. The bike hurls with a scream that evokes a supercharged dragster or a jet fighter. Wow! It’s obviously useless from the perspective of an adventure bike, but it’s also what makes it incredibly fun!

Off-Road Confidence
While we enjoy smores underneath the starry night next to our motel in Pioneer town, the MV Agusta crew works in the dark and swaps our tires for ADV compounds. Within one mile in the morning, we know that this hard work hadn’t been in vain. All the trails here are made of hard-packed dirt covered with a not-so-thin layer of sand. Using the Custom mode on the dash to turn ABS and TC off, the Enduro Veloce is put to the test. Will this screaming engine handle the requirements of an off-road expedition? The three-cylinder takes the dare and it doesn’t take long to see that the Enduro can morph into a perfect trail eater. The power delivery is incredibly smooth at low RPM, with never a clack of the chain on the swing arm nor the smallest vibration. It’s easy to modulate the power to find traction in technical hills, while the reserve of power makes it easy to take speed in a sandy wash or a rare straight. Over bumps, ruts, and rocks, the suspensions are surprisingly capable, absorbing big impacts without bottoming out. There’s no shaking on the front end in the small whoops we encounter at 60mph, and it’s a good thing since there’s little room to install a steering damper. Back in the desert, a few high-speed jumps with flat landings confirm this good behavior. It’s hard to believe that it’s the first attempt by MV Agusta to produce an off-road capable machine!

Tourism Ready
For the third day, we decide to keep the bike with its more versatile knobby tires. The goal is to ride it in a more civilized manner, like normal tourists enjoying a new region—and less like test riders looking for the limits of their equipment. Heading toward Big Bear Lake, a local ski destination just 2 hours from Los Angeles, the goal is to enjoy fall colors, find a few trails to get dusty, and basically chill. On the twisty roads going up in the mountain, we take advantage of our race-like engines to pass every single car and enjoy the incredible sound of the three-cylinder. In the few sections with no traffic, we lean low and brake hard, using the confidence-inspiring chassis to the limits of our comfort level. A few miles before the city, slowing the pace gives us more time to spot open trails. Slaloming between the trees in single tracks designed primarily for dual-sport bikes, we harbor a great smile, stopping only for the occasional vista point. Finally reaching the lake, we realize that we’re starving. Riding this bike is a hell of a lot fun but also energy-intensive! We get a burger at Get-a-Burger restaurant—a name we couldn’t resist. Unlike us, the Italian bike is frugal. With 55mpg on average, the 931cc engine lets us save on the over-priced gasoline sold in these remote regions. There is more traffic on the way down, so we shy away from pavement to cut directly toward our destination using dirt roads. The sun is already setting, and we ride in the dust with our headlights on. It’s harder to see bumps, but the suspensions once again do their job to perfection, avoiding us reckless riders any close calls. A few miles before Murrieta, we’re back on those large avenues. Enjoying the last moments on this playful bike, we play with the quick-shifter, every red light offering the opportunity to practice a GP start and to get a few more measures of this Italian symphony. Who said that music soothes the mind? Go to www.mvagusta.com for more information.

Special Thanks To: Olivia, Emma, Giacomo, Luca, and Chris at MV Agusta USA. You guys rock! Big round of applause as well for Todd B. and Uwe S. who coped with my requests for more photo stops.

MV Agusta Enduro Veloce Specifications