MV Agusta Brutale 1090 review, test ride

Running on Pentium power
Yes, the Brutale 1090 comes with an electronics suite featuring eight-way traction control, two riding modes as well as ABS. However, setting the traction control level requires you to push buttons on the instrument cluster (which makes it next to impossible to do it on the move) and even to change the riding mode from normal to Sport required a lot of fidgeting with the ignition/mode button. And while there was no issue on good tarmac, the rear wheel spins up on loose surfaces whether the traction mode was set to 8 or to 1. Compare all this to some of its contemporaries and the Brutale’s electronics package distinctly feels last gen – a Pentium in the Core i7 age.

Setting the riding mode is a task.

Saddle Stories
The riding position on the Brutale 1090 is really a highlight. At 825mm, the seat is short enough for riders of average height to nearly flat foot the bike, the handlebars aren’t a stretch even for shorter riders and the pegs don’t feel extremely rear set. The end result is a perfectly comfortable, albeit compact, riding position thatshould appeal to a wide variety of riders. But this appealing riding position is somewhat hampered by how slippery the seat and tank are. Whether you’re wearing leathers, denims or textile, the merest tap of the brakes or even slight chop of the throttle sends you slamming painfully into the tank, unless you’re bracing against it with all your might. Never has a bike made such a strong case for aftermarket Stomp Grips in my opinion. Staying in the saddle also becomes a bit of a task because of choppy initial throttle.