MV Agusta introduces the new 2010 Brutale 990R and 1090RR

Freshly emerging from its well-publicized financial rescue by Harley-Davidson, high-end Italian boutique manufacturer MV Agusta has launched two new versions of its Brutale model naked bike for 2010, the Brutale 990R and the 1090RR. The latest evolution of the Brutale 750 that was first introduced back in 2001, the new Brutales not only have vastly upgraded engines and chassis, but also represent a departure for MV Agusta in that many of the component parts have been designed by the company, rather than just outsourcing them through a generic market supplier. In fact, 85 percent of the components are completely new, and cannot be interchanged with previous models.

Some of the parts that were designed exclusively for the Brutales include a new headlight design that incorporates a polyellipsoidal LED element similar to that found in luxury sports cars such as Audi; a new instrument cluster with two LCD displays accompanying the analog tachometer and a customizable cover; new rubber-mounted handlebar clamps; handlebar grips; rear view mirrors with integrated LED turn signals; ignition key block with immobilizer; and numerous other modifications.

The engine on the 990R was completely revamped, with a new less-oversquare 76.0 x 55mm bore/stroke configuration replacing the previous 79.0 x 50.1mm layout. The longer stroke format required the addition of a counterbalancer to cancel out vibration, plus all-new engine cases that are 1.32 pounds lighter, although the cassette transmission and radial-valve combustion chamber setup remain. A new, lighter Mikuni 46mm throttle body setup feeds the new engine, while internally a redesigned gearshift mechanism and a new Mitsubishi Neodymium-Iron-Boron generator—cooled by a high-pressure internal oil jet—plus a new damper that incorporates an elastomer vibration-canceling system contributes to saving an additional 3.52-pound weight savings. A new smaller double-rotor oil pump combines with a redesigned water pump to both lose weight and add efficiency. The 1090RR has basically the same 1078cc powerplant as the previous 1078RR model, with the exception of the new Mikuni throttle bodies; also like the old 1078RR, the engine not only gains displacement, it also has a slipper clutch. Both bikes will have newer Marelli 5SM ECU software that includes an eight-step adjustable traction control and two different engine power maps.

The chromoly steel trellis frame has been upgraded with a taller, lighter, and more rigid design, using a “more costly and more precise TIG welding process to make the frame stronger and more attractive”, according to MV Agusta. The steering geometry numbers are more relaxed and the wheelbase lengthened by over an inch to add stability; the extended wheelbase comes courtesy of a longer single-sided swingarm that is also 2.2 pounds lighter. New lighter gravity-die-cast aluminum wheels are another design exclusive to the Brutales, as well as the damping internals for the 50mm inverted Marzocchi fork.

The 1090RR chassis differs from the 990R by its adjustable footpeg brackets, forged instead of die-cast aluminum wheels, a piggyback-reservoir-equipped Sachs rear shock with high- and low-speed compression damping adjustment in addition to the usual rebound and spring preload, and a brake system consisting of a Brembo 320mm discs (instead of NHK discs) clamped by racing monobloc Brembo calipers.