Anniversary Special Brute

MV Agusta celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, it is introducing the limited-edition Ottantesimo range. The Italian manufacturer has produced six models: the Brutale 1000 Ottantesimo, Brutale 1000 RR Ottantesimo, Superveloce Ottantesimo, F3 RR Ottantesimo, the Dragster RR Ottantesimo, and the bike that we have on test here, the Brutale RR Ottantesimo. Each one is produced in a limited number with a unique, identifiable laser-engraved plate

- Story: Adam Child ‘Chad’ Photography: Marco Campelli

FOR THOSE OF US WHO MIGHT not be MV aficionados, back in 1945, the Agusta family was a key player in the Italian aviation industry, but after World War II, it was not permitted to produce aeroplanes and instead turned its passion for speed towards manufacturing motorcycles. The first MV98 was officially launched at the end of 1945. Hence, the 80th anniversary.

During the 1950s and '60s, the family focused on producing highly desirable bikes rather than just basic transport. Boosted by racing success, the “MV” name became synonymous with exotica and speed, with the likes of Franco Bertoni, Cecil Sandford, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Gianfranco Bonera, Phil Reed, and, obviously, Giacomo Agostini among the factory's star-studded cast of riders. The Agostini-MV partnership was particularly epic, resulting in no fewer than 13 world titles, 18 Italian championships, and 10 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy wins. From Mugello to Douglas, it is a rider-bike partnership still regarded by many race fans as the greatest of them all.

Today, MV Agusta continues to produce high-end bikes in northern Italy. Despite multiple changes of ownership and having to navigate some choppy financial waters, the factory has not only survived but, at times, truly thrived. Now, fully independent again after a two-year association with the troubled KTM group, MV is throwing a party in the shape of the Ottantesimo range, which celebrates eight decades of arguably the most Italian of all the Italian manufacturers. We travelled to the factory in Verese, Lombardy, to throw a leg over the very special MV Brutale 800 RR Ottantesimo.