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Official Photos of the MV Agusta Dragster 800

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It’s been a long tease with the MV Agusta Dragster, with Giovanni Castiglioni hinting at the machine’s debut as far back as the 2013 EICMA show. We still expect the machine to debut any day now, but MV Agusta has dropped some more details by adding scenes to its “Metallica” promotional video.

A few official studio photos have also leaked out of Varese, which if nothing else confirm the lines we have been seeing these past few weeks.

Borrowing heavily from the Brutale 800 platform, the Dragster 800 defines itself really with a lower seat height, a chopped tail section, and it 200 width rear tire. Will those differences be enough to distinguish the Dragster from the Brutale? We don’t think so.

As fanciful as the turbo rumor was, it at least created a reason for the Dragster to exist alongside the Brutale. It’s an attractive motorcycle, like all MV Agustas, but we suspect that it will serve only to cannibalize sales from the Brutale line.

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Bikes

MV Agusta Dragster 800 Spotted in the Wild

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Although MV Agusta has already teased us with a video of the upcoming MV Agusta Dragster 800, the company’s Ducati Diavel rival has still been hard to glimpse.

We have seen a render of the completed bike, which was attached to the lurid rumor of a turbocharged engine (we are doubtful of that possibility), and a couple frames of video confirmed that design as being the final one.

Today though we get a proper look at the new Dragster, as it was caught at a gas station outside of Varese, Italy. Part Brutale, and part Rivale, it is hard to see how the Dragster will land in MV Agusta’s model lineup.

The seat height looks quite low, and there are interesting design cues, but does the Dragster distinguish itself enough from its brethren? Only time will tell.

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Bikes

Video: MV Agusta Dragster 800 Teaser

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With all the details and rumors surrounding the new MV Agusta Dragster, it doesn’t surprise us to see MV Agusta drop us a hint about its newest motorcycle model. Accordingly, we have a teaser video of the Dragster, MV Agusta’s answer to the Ducati Diavel, to show you today.

Based around the company’s three-cylinder 800cc engine, we don’t expect the Dragster 800 to be a turbo, but we do expect it to be muscly and fun bike to ride. With burnouts and wheelies galore, along with a Metallica soundtrack, the Italian brand is certainly making us some promises of that nature, and as usual the bike is a looker to boot.

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Rumors

Rumor: MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster a Turbo?

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Italy’s venerable Motociclismo magazine is starting an interesting rumor that MV Agusta is experimenting with a turbocharged version of its 800cc three-cylinder engine, and that the forced-induction lump could find its way onto the soon-to-be-released MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster model for 2014.

The Italian publication is also running the above render of the machine, which matches up with the photos found earlier this week. Filings with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), list the 2014 model motorcycle as the MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster, and as the name and photos suggest, the “Ducati Diavel rival” is based heavily upon the MV Agusta’s Brutale platform.

Though a highly respected publication, Motociclismo‘s speculation sounds a bit far off the mark this time around to our ears, so as always, time will tell on this one.

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Bikes

First Photo of MV Agusta Dragster 800

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When the brand from Varese debuted the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 at last year’s EICMA show, the folks at MV Agusta told us to expect two more machines in early 2014. One of those machines we have known about for sometime, the MV Agusta Dragster 800.

Taking a cue from the Ducati Diavel, the Dragster is supposed to be a more laid back version of the Brutale; however the only thing we have known for sure is the machine’s name, which showed up in trademark and patent filings. Today however we get our first glimpse at the new MV Agusta Dragster 800, though not too much is given away by the photo.

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News

MV Agusta Will Debut Two More Motorcycles in 2014

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MV Agusta had only a single new model to show at the 2013 EICMA show, its new sport-touring machine, the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800. An important brand extension for the Italian company, CEO Giovanni Castiglioni admitted that MV Agusta scrapped its original design for the Turismo Veloce, simply stating that the produce design didn’t have the same “wow effect” that the MV Agusta motorcycle should evoke. Developing the current iteration of the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce in just eight-months time, time will tell on whether the Turismo Veloce has been rushed to market or not.

MV Agusta has cleverly spun its recent history of releasing half-baked motorcycles to market (the press debut of the MV Agusta F3 675 and its horrible fuel-mapping are still fresh in our memory), by saying the company has adopted a strategy where its machines are in “constant upgrade” from the MV Agusta’s legion of engineers. There is an interesting story there about the sophistication of electronics now, though we would just prefer the bikes work properly in version 1.0, not 1.1.

Now raising its own bar on sophistication, the Castiglioni says that the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 is the most advanced model ever to come from Varese. Time will soon tell how the sport-tourer rides (we hear it was a non-runner in the company’s promotional video), but as for the future of the Italian company, it is still full-speed ahead on other projects, which brings us to where we are today.

Some news that seemingly got lost with all the other announcements at EICMA, Giovanni Castiglioni shared at the Milan show that his road map for the future of MV Agusta includes two more yet unannounced new models, in two new market segments, which will debut in the first-part of 2014.

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