Of all the latest MV Agustas, the Turismo Veloce 800 demanded the most research and development. It’s tough to build a real touring bike that’s also a real MV Agusta. Company boss Giovanni Castiglioni says the Turismo Veloce 800 is “the bravest bike ever made by MV Agusta.” In other words, he’s saying that it took a brave heart and a lot of determination and technical creativity to conceive a bike that diverted so dramatically from the racing and sporting tradition of the winningest make in the history of motorcycling. From the EICMA show in the fall of 2013 (when the model was annnounced) to the first production models coming off the assembly line, more than a year and a half has passed. But the Turismo Veloce was worth the wait. The technical R&D team at CRC in the San Marino republic and chief MV Agusta designer Adrian Morton have created a bike that looks elegant and svelte, a compact machine that offers comfortable seating for two and generous bag capacity. And compared with all its main competitors, it handles like a real sportbike. 
The MV Agusta Turismo Veloce bike comes in two versions: Standard and DeLuxe (Lusso). As Castiglioni demanded, even the Standard version comes richly equipped, sharing the same electronics suite of the DeLuxe edition. This includes a quickshifter (up and down), eight levels of traction control, three (plus one) power maps, three levels of throttle response, cruise control, and a 5-inch TFT multi-function instrumentation display that has a Bluetooth function for smartphone and helmet-to-helmet connectivity. The DeLuxe edition goes well beyond that, offering standard bags and GPS (Garmin Zumo 390) and, most important, the Sachs electronically managed active suspension. The Sachs parts are the primary components of the MV Agusta Stability Control System, which uses two ECUs. One is for the modulation of the suspension functions, the other for the collection of data coming from a vast number of sensors that include lean angle and ABS, which is a sophisticated unit from Sachs. Great attention was devoted to using components that were functional, but also looked right and saved weight, such as the light alloy subframe for the bags/seat that incorporates passenger hand grips in its neat design. The Turismo Veloce looks very compact, and it has a wheelbase of only 57.5 inches, while all its competitors have wheelbases in excess of 59. When I am seated on the bike, the generous 5.8-gallon fuel tank feels compact and does not interfere with a correct and comfortable seating position. 
All this compactness had to expand in some direction, and it did so in the Turismo Veloce’s height. The seat is 33.5 inches off the ground, and that’s only the rider portion of it; for the passenger, add another couple of inches. At 5-foot-10, I find it to be a bit of a challenge to throw my right leg over the tall and wide bike. The BMW R1200GS is equally tall, but I can step on the left side peg and smoothly install myself on the Admiral’s armchair. With the MV, the pegs are sportbike arrow and, most important, the bags are forward enough to prevent his techique. Parking next to a tall curb can be of help. The frame, a well triangulated structure, is derived from that of the MV Agusta Stradale 800, but with revised steering geometry. It has one extra degree of rake (26.5), and there’s 4.3 inches of trail in combination with triple clamps that have 30mm (1.2 in.) of offset. The front tire is a 120/70-17 radial. Compared to previous frames of MV Agusta three-cylinder models, the swingarm pivot has been lowered six millimeters to give the rear suspension a more neutral response to the chain pull. 
THE ENGINE The Turismo Veloce engine belongs to a new, updated generation of the MV Agusta 798cc three-cylinder unit that received lighter pistons and a hydraulic tensioner for the cam chain. There’s also specific cam profiles, a new inlet manifold and airbox, plus an exhaust with a catalytic converter. With a 79.0mm bore and a 54.3mm stroke, plus a compression ratio of 12.2:1, this triple (with single-injector throttle bodies) produces a claimed 110 horsepower at 10,000 rpm and 61.2 pound-feet of torque at 8,000 rpm. The slipper clutch is hydraulically actuated. When the engine is in the “Rain” or “Touring” modes, it is lowered to 90 peak horsepower. Sport mode brings it back to a full 110. Once aboard the bike, I found the Turismo Veloce extremely comfortable. The seat is well profiled, and even better padded. Ergonomics are well sorted, with the heated grips set at the perfect height and width. The fairing and its adjustable windscreen offer an appreciable level of wind protection, and the handguards, which include the turn signals, complete the job. Wind protection is effective at speeds well in excess of 100 mph. At that speed, the bike feels perfectly stable, even with my wife Mary on the pillion. In spite of its compact wheelbase, the Turismo Veloce feels correctly balanced, even with two aboard. This excellent stability doesn’t limit the bike’s agility on twisty backroads or even in town. The engine is smooth, very civilized in terms of exhaust note. The top speed potential was checked at 137 mph, with the windscreen in its low position. The real virtue is the torque curve, which is very thick from as low as 3,000 rpm. Though not blisteringly fast, the versatile and capable Turismo Veloce is fully enjoyable in a number of riding conditions thanks not only to its excellent chassis, its excellent weight distribution, and a fairly svelte claimed dry weight of 421 lb. 
ON THE TRACK Even though the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Standard model wasn’t fitted with Pirelli Diablo Rossos I had requested, I found the bike extremely capable at the track on Pirelli Scorpion Trails, a very good touring radial primarily intended to last a long time. In reality, during my session, I thought I was rolling on Diablo Rossos so I didn’t mind taking good lean angles around a certain fourth-gear corner. The chassis proved perfectly firm and neutral, without any tendency to climb while accelerating hard out of corners. It always stayed perfectly on the plotted line. The new MV Agusta Turismo Veloce, what I would call a “touring enduro,” exceeded my expectations when pushed to the limit. The Turismo Veloce proved to be pleasant and, most important, safe. In slower corners, I experienced some uneasiness going past a certain lean angle. But it was only at the end of the ride that I realized the bike handn’t been on Diablo Rossos! It was a great experience nevertheless, and I saved my leathers! 
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