2006–2009 · Hyper Naked · Buyer's Guide
Italian Fire, Sculptured Raw
The 910 R sits at the top of the Brutale 910 range, and it earns that spot with its engine. The 909 cc inline-four descends from the F4 superbike, makes 136 hp at 11,000 rpm and 71 lb-ft at 7,900 rpm, and it wants revs the way the best Italian fours always have. Around it sits properly expensive hardware: an upside-down fork, adjustable suspension at both ends, a steering damper, carbon trim and titanium detailing. In a class that sells raw force, this one also sells sculpture. People walk across a parking lot to look at it.
On the road it's a bike with a mood. It stays civil enough in the low and middle revs, then stretches out toward 157 mph and you understand where the money went. It rewards a rider who commits, and it doesn't cover for a lazy one, because there is no traction control or ABS standing behind you. That's the honest caveat, together with fueling manners that get temperamental once the motor is hot and 33 mpg from a 5.0 gal (19 L) tank. Bought as a weekend machine for good roads, it makes complete sense. Bought as a commuter, the charm wears thin fast.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 136 hp (100 kW) @ 11,000 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 71 lb-ft (96 Nm) @ 7,900 rpm |
| Displacement | 909 cc |
| Engine | Inline-four |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 190/55-17 |
| Seat height | 31.9 in (810 mm) |
| Wet weight | 464 lb (210 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.0 gal (19 L) |
| Top speed | 157 mph (253 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 33 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Over the years riders have told me plenty about this bike, in paddock corners, at club nights, over coffee at a gas stop, and in the messages that land in my inbox after somebody buys one. Put all of it side by side and the pattern for the Brutale 910 R is remarkably consistent: people fall for how it looks and how it turns, then spend the rest of ownership working around what it asks of them.
The design is the thing riders bring up first, and they bring it up the most. Owners talk about the sculpted bodywork, the single-sided swingarm, the underseat exhaust, and about the quality of the welds and materials when you get close. It still pulls people over in parking lots. Right behind that comes the handling. Riders describe a compact, stiff-feeling machine that changes direction with almost no effort and stays planted once it's leaned over, with the fully adjustable Marzocchi fork, the Sachs shock and the six-piston Nissin front brakes giving them clear feedback. The engine gets the same enthusiasm: hard drive out of the mid-range and a race-bred wail all the way to the redline.
The most common complaint is the ride quality. Adjustable or not, the suspension is firm, and riders say bumps and broken pavement come straight through, which shortens the useful length of a ride. Ergonomics draw similar remarks. The seat is small and hard, the pegs are set back, and taller riders in particular describe it as a bike for short, spirited runs rather than distance. Owners also report fueling that turns snatchy at low rpm, awkward in traffic and slow corners, with some bikes stalling once hot. Then there are the bills: valve service is expensive, intervals are short, parts cost noticeably more than the Japanese equivalents, and insurance runs higher too.
Rear brake failure
At least one owner reported complete failure of the rear brake within the first 4,000 miles, though this appears isolated.
Throttle hesitation and lean stumble
Hesitation or a stumble when opening the throttle from closed, particularly at low rpm. Can be caused by dirty throttle bodies, degraded injectors, or sensor issues.
Engine stalling at idle when hot
Some owners report that once engine temperature exceeds ~194°F (90°C), the bike can cut out when the throttle is closed or when coming to a stop. Likely related to fueling or idle control mapping.
Where this MV Agusta Brutale 910 R pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Brutale 910 R is actually built for.
On Angeles Crest this bike is exactly where it belongs: clear feedback, deep lean available, and drive that keeps coming. There is no traction control, so your right wrist does that job.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
Hill Country pace suits it well and the 5.0 gal (19 L) tank covers a proper loop between stops. Keep it for Saturdays, though; it has no patience for traffic or heat.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Texas Hill Country BDR-X · Twisted Sisters
It leans hard and pulls hard, but with no rider aids and fueling built for the street, this is a fast-road machine you'd be borrowing for track use, not a purpose-built one.
Made for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca · Barber Motorsports Park · Circuit of the Americas
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2005–2006
Italian Fire, Featherweight Chassis
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Successor · 2008–2009
Italian Fury, Inline-Four Soul
Successor · 2008–2009
Italian Thunder With a Voice
Competitor · 2005–2010
Triple Punch, No Drama
Competitor · 2005–2013
Orange Aggression On A Trellis
Similar Character · 2009–2010
Italian Soul, Air-Cooled Loud
Similar Character · 2008
Italian Fury, Collector's Edition