2021–2024 · Retro Classic · Buyer's Guide
Italian Art That Actually Moves
Strip the bodywork away and this is a 798 cc inline-three making 147 hp at 13,000 rpm and 65 lb-ft at 10,600, hung in a steel trellis frame at 437 lb wet. Wrap it back up and you have one of the few retro shapes that owes nothing to nostalgia for its hardware. Ride-by-wire mapping, ABS, traction and wheelie control, launch control, ride modes, a quickshifter that works in both directions, cruise control and a TFT screen all live behind a 1970s silhouette. The old feeling, none of the old compromises.
On the road it behaves like a sportbike wearing a period suit: 54.3 in (1,380 mm) of wheelbase, 17-inch rubber front and rear, adjustable suspension at both ends, and enough lean clearance that you run out of nerve before the chassis runs out of angle. It suits the rider who wants the ride itself to be the event, not the errand. The caveat is real. Valve springs have failed on this engine and taken pistons, camshafts and bearings with them as early as 3,000 mi (4,800 km), and MV Agusta denied the claims. Buy with a documented service history and budget for care, not just fuel.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 147 hp (108 kW) @ 13,000 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 65 lb-ft (88 Nm) @ 10,600 rpm |
| Displacement | 798 cc |
| Engine | Inline-three |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 180/55-17 |
| Wheelbase | 54.3 in (1380 mm) |
| Seat height | 32.7 in (830 mm) |
| Wet weight | 437 lb (198 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.4 gal (16.5 L) |
| Top speed | 149 mph (240 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 39 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
Swing a leg over and the 32.7 in (830 mm) seat and low bars put weight on your wrists straight away. Thumb the starter and the triple clears its throat with a hard metallic edge that fills out as the revs climb. The vibration underneath it is fine-grained rather than lumpy, alive in the pegs and the tank without ever going numb or blurring the mirrors. At road pace the 437 lb (198 kg) sits low and close to you, and the bike changes line off small inputs from your hips more than your arms. Your hands report a lot of what the front tire is doing. Wind pressure builds on your chest once you're out on the interstate, and an hour in your neck knows it. You keep going anyway, because of the noise behind you.
None of this comes from my own test notes. It's years of listening: paddock talk, club evenings, and the mail owners send me directly. On the Superveloce 800 S the same picture keeps coming back. Agreement is broad on how it looks and sounds, and just as broad on what it asks of your wallet and your back.
Design dominates. The 1970s fairing, the lighting and the paint come up again and again as what makes this the bike people gather around. Close behind sits the triple: an intake and exhaust note riders call addictive, with smooth, linear power they use on the road. Those riding quickly report precise cornering and a chassis that holds its line through fast, sweeping roads. Braking draws consistent praise for power, though ABS steps in early at the limit.
Money is the first thing raised when talk turns critical. Owners describe a price well clear of rivals running similar pace, with servicing and insurance to match. Comfort comes up almost as often: a thin, firm seat and a forward lean that end a long day early. A smaller group says the rear shock bounces over broken surfaces until they fit something else.
Valve spring failure causing catastrophic engine damage
Multiple reports of broken valve springs leading to piston-valve contact, resulting in extensive engine damage (camshaft, pistons, bearings). Occurred as early as 3,000 mi (4,800 km). MV Agusta denied warranty claims citing high-speed use.
Long-term engine reliability concerns
Online forums and owner discussions express worries about potential catastrophic engine failures, though many bikes run without issues. The triple has a history of valve train problems in earlier models.
Where this MV Agusta Superveloce 800 S 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 Superveloce 800 S is actually built for.
Your kind of route rewards a bike you want to look at over coffee, and this one delivers that from Vermont to Maggie Valley. Pack light: there is no luggage system and the tank keeps the legs short.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
Hill Country pace suits it well. There is real drive low in the rev range for the run out of Austin, chassis enough for the Twisted Sisters, and a sound that makes the BBQ stop half the point.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
Light, agile and untroubled by lean angle, so it takes repeat runs at the Dragon and Cherohala in stride. Just remember you are carrying a very expensive piece of bodywork into every corner.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2020
Beauty That Screams At 148 Horses
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
