Review: 2010 MV Agusta Brutale 990R proves naked is beautiful

2010 MV Agusta Brutale 990R – Click above for high-res image gallery

When Italian motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta first announced the 2010 Brutale, there were some who questioned whether it was rational for MV to attempt an update that made the bike less, ahem… brutal. We decided it would be best to wait and see the bike in person and live with it for a while before making any such judgments – particularly since judging a vehicle solely by its spec sheet almost never has any real merit. And we’re certainly glad that we did.

Upon our first few minutes with the new Brutale 990R, we had developed an initial gut reaction: From the instantly recognizable styling to the raspy exhaust note of its heavily revised inline four-cylinder engine, the 2010 Brutale is every bit the sense-tingling naked bike that its predecessor was.

This revelation, though, raises a couple of questions. Is the new Brutale too much like the old Brutale? If so, is that really such a bad thing? And finally, would the new influx of cash and the corresponding watchful eye of current (though probably not much longer) owner Harley-Davidson equal a watered-down Italian experience? To borrow a phrase from the marketing types from The Shack, You’ve got questions… We’ve got answers. Read on for enlightenment.

Gallery: Review: 2010 MV Agusta Brutale 990R