~ Auto Buzz ~: MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 – FIRST LOOK This Italian sport-tourer is finally going into production. But the US will have to wait.

MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 studio 3/4 view

Revealed at EICMA in 2014, the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 is a very elegant bike that’s completely revised from the concept of 2013. Production starts soon, mostly for the European market. The richly executed model shown in our photos is called the Edition 1, and it’s available with 8.7-gallon side bags, heated grips, a center stand, and a Garmin navigator. Each unit will sport a plaque signed by Claudio Castiglioni, who issued the guidelines for the Turismo Veloce model in one of his last official acts as President of MV Agusta. There is no limit to the number of Edition 1s being built, only a date: All will be manufactured and offered until June of 2015. From then on, the Turismo Veloce 800 will be offered in two versions: a basic one with standard suspension, and a Deluxe model with Sachs semi-active suspension, MVCSC stability control, and more. The MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 is beautiful in its red and silver paint, with black bags highlighted by a touch of that same red. The bike looks lean, but most important it looks very much MV Agusta, though it treads on the unexplored, for them, Sport-Touring turf. It does it in great style, no fancy color schemes, just plain red and the lower half of the fairing in silver, and it looks lean and effective. The fairing is well profiled, sharp but adequately protective. The hand guards have directional signals, but no DRLs as on the 800 Stradale. Also, the Turismo Veloce’s full LED lighting system senses the intensity of the ambient light and switches the headlight on automatically.

MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 cockpit view

Electronics plays a big role in the bike. A 5-in. TFT display provides all the expected instrumentation, plus Bluetooth connectivity for the Smartphone or the helmet-to-helmet intercom. The TV800 also has cruise control and MV Agusta’s latest electronics suite. The chassis is based on the Stradale 800’s, but with modified steering geometry. Steering rake has been increased by 1 degree to 26.5, which has caused the wheelbase to grow to grow by 0.3 inches, to 57.8. The single-sided swingarm comes directly from the Stradale 800 with no modification. But the swingarm pivot has been lowered 6 millimeters for a more neutral response of the rear suspension to the chain pull. The MV Agusta Factory says the Tursismo Veloce 800 has a dry weight of 419 pounds. Despite of the forward re-positioning of the front wheel, the weight distribution remains correct because of the forward re-positioning of a larger battery and of the weight added by the fairing. Compared to the Stradale 800, the Turismo Veloce 800 features a 1.6-in.-lower seat (32.7 in.), which will be a big help in traffic. MV Agusta’s 798cc triple has been further detuned to 110 horsepower, but it has a flatter torque curve that’s 15 percent stronger at low to mid rpm. Also, the latest Eldor ECU, the Nemo EM20, allows the rider to select settings for the throttle response, traction control, the quickshifter (up and down), and the hydraulically actuated slipper clutch. The price in Italy for the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 Edition 1 has been established as 16,690 euros. At current exchange rates (March 18, 2015), that equates to nearly $18,000. Comparisons, however, don’t make much sense because US versions of the Turismo Veloce will be equipped differently.