MV Agusta Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro - First Look

MV Agusta is nothing if not exotic, and the company introduced its new limited edition Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro to its assembled group of journalists exactly how you’d expect: by emphasizing its beauty. Sure it’s powered by a 200-plus horsepower four cylinder with titanium connecting rods and radial valves, but that’s not really the star of the show here. According to MV’s Stefano Campaci, the Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro had to appeal to both motorcyclists and even non-motorcyclists alike. There had to be an attraction. A romance. “We call this the shape of desire.” Like the Superveloce 800 before it, I think it’s safe to say MV’s delivered another looker of a motorcycle.

The Past Shapes the Future

We’ll get to the mechanicals in a minute, but let’s get back to the looks department. To capture “desire” in the physical form, the Centro Stile MV Agusta needed to start with familiarity, says Campaci, and MV’s designers looked to the past – specifically the 1972 GP500 – for that inspiration. The GP500 featured wings long before today’s MotoGP made it mainstream, which is why it serves as the perfect platform for the Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro. Imagine it as the GP500 reinterpreted for modern times. The central line from past to present is clearly the wings, and that’s no accident. With the Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro, the wings are integrated into the design of the carbon fiber bodywork and aren’t just bolted on afterthoughts seen in MotoGP and even other production bikes.

Beyond the wings, the philosophy behind the overall styling of the bike centers around horizontal lines that start at the round headlight (itself a throwback to MV’s past) and work back to the tail. You can see horizontal lines throughout the upper portion of the bike, from the fairings, to the fuel tank, and even to the four Akrapovic-produced exhaust pipes that pay homage to another famous MV four-cylinder – the F4. Look at the lower half of the bike and there’s one particular horizontal line to pay attention to. It’s the small winglet occupying space in the cut-out in the lower fairing. The original design concepts of the SV1000 didn’t have these cutouts or the wing. But as Campaci explained, after computer models are signed off on, MV still makes clay models to get that human touch on each motorcycle. Something didn’t seem right with the clay model, and MV looked to F1 when designing the winglets and incorporated tiny barge boards to further direct the air. Leaning more into the aero revealed these simple cutouts in the fairing would pull hot air away from the engine and into the atmosphere. It also left room for another winglet at the bottom.

The Mechanicals

I already told you what’s under the hood of the Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro, but you could have already guessed anyway. Like the Superveloce 800 before it, the 1000 version uses the 998cc Inline-Four MV’s been pumping out for years. It’s a potent engine, too, with a claimed 208 horsepower and 86 lb-ft of torque. A stout 13.4:1 compression ratio makes for a big boom when it’s time for the explosions to happen, and the titanium bits (con rods and radial valves) help the engine rev that high in the first place. Eight injectors feed the engine fuel, and a R-b-W 50mm throttle body shoves air down the windpipe.

Controlling the action is MV’s MVICS, or Motor & Vehicle Integrated Control System. With the inertial platform as the basis of the unit, traction control, wheelie control, and ABS can work to optimize going fast(er), or can step in to make the ride safer. Four ride modes, cruise control, and an autoblipper are also part of the deal.

The engine sits in its customary steel trellis frame with aluminum side plates. The single-sided swingarm features an adjustable pivot angle, too. As you’d expect, there are premium components throughout. Öhlins provides 43mm NIX electronic forks with push-button adjustment for compression and rebound damping (preload is still manual). The shock is an Öhlins electronic TTX piece with the same adjustment as the fork. Stopping the bike are 320mm discs paired with, what else, Brembo Stylema calipers. Brembo also supplies the master cylinder.

The Devil’s In the Details

The Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro comes with an integrated GPS module that communicates directly with the MV Ride app. You can enter destinations through this app and get corner-by-corner directions straight to the 5.5 inch TFT display. If you like keeping track of your ride details, activating Trip Record initiates data acquisition that then allows you to relive your trip, including the completed route, speed, gear used, lean angle, altitude, and travel times. You can even upload the route and accompanying info to the MV Ride App (in case you’re the bragging type).

Even if you don’t like sharing your ride with others, one of the more interesting features of the app is the ability to customize the bike's various settings through the Custom ride mode, which can be renamed and even exchanged with other users. That way, if you’ve found a sweet setting for your favorite road (or even track), you can not only save it for yourself but for others as well.

Dedicated Kit

As with every MV Agusta Limited Edition, the Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro customer receives a dedicated kit for their bike. This exclusive kit includes a certificate of authenticity and origin of the motorcycle, with the same numbering as the vehicle, and a dedicated motorcycle cover to protect the bike when parked. The dedicated kit also includes:

• Passenger seat in leather and Alcantara
• Passenger footpegs and supports
• Carbon passenger heel guards
• CNC-machined brake and clutch levers
• Height adjustment plates for the swingarm pin

Interested in one? You better act fast – pre-orders for the Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro were reserved exclusively to brand collectors, of which we’re told 60% of the 500 were already spoken for. The remaining 200 units will be available through your local MV Agusta dealer. The lucky buyers who will be able to secure one will automatically be granted access to the same privileges and experiences reserved for collectors. While US pricing hasn’t been released as of press time, the UK price is £61,400.