MV Agusta Rush updated

The 2021 MV Agusta Rush has just been unveiled, with the boutique Italian brand boldly claiming the model is “the most extreme naked of all time”. And with a claimed 208hp and 116.5Nm coaxed from its 998cc in-line four-cylinder engine, in a package weighing 186kg dry, it’s probably not too outlandish an argument!

Limited to just 300 units worldwide, the 2021 MV Agusta Rush has been updated with a Euro 5 engine and more sophisticated electronics, the latter bringing cutting-edge Cornering ABS and traction control, plus launch control, cruise control and wheelie control.

Apart from the lowered emissions, the new engine features new cam phasing to accentuate low to midrange torque while preserving the model’s famed top-end ‘rush’, along with a number of measures to reduce internal friction and improve reliability. These include the use of DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coatings on the surfaces of the valve buckets, a strengthened clutch, and new primary drive gearing.

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The third-generation EAS 3.0 electronic gearbox has a new sensor said to deliver more precise shifting, while the four-exit exhaust system boasts a new main collector that accentuates the bike’s distinctive note.

A new Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) has been paired with a Continental MK100 cornering ABS module for sophisticated lean-angle-sensitive rider safety systems, while the new 5.5-inch TFT display features Bluetooth connectivity, allowing owners to unlock a raft of further features via the MV Ride app.

The electronically adjustable Öhlins suspension features new settings front and rear, while there’s also a new leather and Alcantara seat.

Each of the 300 examples to be produced will be supplied with a racing kit comprising:
• Twin-exhaust exhaust with carbon exhaust cover
• Racing ECU
• Pillion seat cowl
• Instrumentation cover
• CNC fuel filler cap
• CNC brake and clutch lever
• Custom front brake discs
• Brake and clutch lever guard
• Auxiliary side lights
• Motorcycle cover
• Unique numbered plaque
• Certificate of origin

The race kit adds 4hp to peak output while reducing weight by 2kg.

A unique helmet will also be produced to match the bike’s Light Army Grey Matte/Dark Army Grey Matte colour scheme, along with clothing and accessories including a bomber jacket, a backpack, and a sleeping bag.

While those accessories might provoke some puzzled looks, it seems it’s all because the model is stylistically and thematically tied to military fighter jets, which MV Agusta tells us share the same traits of power, maneuverability, and extreme performance.

MV Agusta was in fact manufacturing aircraft, and especially military aircraft, long before it turned its attention to motorcycles.

Certainly the MV Agusta Rush packs some visual punch, with its high-end componentry and finish, full LED lighting, and the eye-catching carbon cover on that forged rear wheel.

As for the accompanying video, which shows (we think) a female fighter pilot dancing with joy at the prospect of the imminent arrival of the bike itself, bookended by references from the cult Vietnam war flick, Apocalypse Now, we’ll let you judge that on its own merits…

And the price? Should you be one of the lucky 300 to secure a 2021 MV Agusta Rush, you can expect to part with Euro 38,800 – approximately A$61,000.