The new 2021 MV Agusta Dragster Rosso is here, designed to be more rideable and affordable than its three RR brothers. While a bit down-market for MV Agusta, the Dragster Rosso is still a high-performance motorcycle with sophisticated electronics in line with its urban focus—the Brutale is for the canyon fighters. Let’s see what you get for £14,900—we don’t have a US price yet.
- The 2021 Dragster Rosso’s inline-3 puts out a manageable 112 horsepower. That is a friendly number for a 798cc triple. You get the thrill of running it up to 11,000 rpm to hit that peak, with the sounds pouring out of the three exhaust pipes (redesigned this year). Torque peaks a 63 ft-lbs at 8500 rpm, so you know this short-stroke, counterrotating motor loves to sing. In comparison, the new Dragster RR SCS RC puts out as much as 150 horsepower at 12,800 rpm and 64 ft-lbs of torque at 10,250 rpm.
- The new Rosso has a motor updated from the engine in last year’s Dragsters. Attention was given to making the engine slipperier. Bearing changes have come to the crankshaft, connecting rod, and countershaft. The top-end gets DLC-coated tappets and sintered valve guides. The headers have been redesigned with torque in mind.
- Shifting should be improved on the 2021 MV Agusta Dragster Rosso. The quickshifter get as a new EAS 3.0 electronic gear sensor, and the clutch basket has been redesigned for enhanced engagement.
- The fully adjustable Marzocchi fork and Sachs shock have new settings to go with an updated chassis. Frame rigidity has been increased, and the shock linkage redesigned.
- Cornering-aware ABS from Continental is teamed with a six-axis e-Novia IMU and Brembo brake components. These are features you don’t expect to see in a “budget” model.
- There’s a full electronics suite on the 2021 MV Agusta Dragster Rosso. In addition to the premium braking, there are four power modes and eight levels of traction control. Mikuni provides the throttle body, and it is controlled by an Eldor Nemo 2.1 ECU with updated software. Cruise control is standard, as is a GPS sensor.
- A 5.5-inch TFT display makes it easy for a rider to monitor the motorcycle. It includes the MV Ride App, which allows your smartphone to make nice with the Dragster via Bluetooth. New pods on the clip-ons reflect the increased software sophistication.
- To keep the Dragster Rosso comfortable around town, it gets new seat foam.
- With a 200mm rear Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tire, the 2021 MV Agusta Dragster Rosso is unabashedly about tearing up and down city streets. If you’re interested in canyon domination, get the Brutale. This Italian urban guerilla is a special-purpose motorcycle that also comes at a new, approachable price point. It comes in one color, and we will let you guess what color that is.
2021 MV Agusta Dragster Rosso Specs
ENGINE
- Type: Inline-3
- Displacement: 798cc
- Bore x stroke: 79 x 54.3mm
- Compression ratio: 12.3:1
- Maximum power: 112 horsepower @ 11,000 rpm
- Maximum torque: 63 ft-lbs @ 8500 rpm
- Redline: 12,000 rpm
- Maximum speed: 147 mph
- Fueling: Mikuni throttle bodies w/ Eldor Nemo 2.1 ECU
- Valvetrain: DOHC; 4vpc
- Cooling: Liquid and oil
- Transmission: Cassette-style 6-speed w/ quickshifter
- Clutch: Wet multi-disc w/ slipper function and hydraulic actuation
- Final drive: Chain
CHASSIS
- Frame: Tubular steel trellis w/ aluminum swingarm
- Front suspension; travel: Fully adjustable Marzocchi inverted 43mm aluminum fork; 4.9 inches
- Rear suspension; travel: Linkage-assisted fully adjustable Sachs shock; 5.1 inches
- Wheels: Aluminum
- Front wheel: 17 x 3.50
- Rear wheel: 17 x 6.00
- Tires: Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
- Front tire: 120/70 x 17
- Rear tire: 200/55 x 17
- Front brakes: 320mm floating discs w/ radially mounted 4-piston Brembo calipers and radial-pump Brembo master cylinder
- Rear brake: 220mm disc w/ 2-piston Brembo caliper
- ABS: Cornering-aware Continental MK100 w/ rear wheel lift mitigation
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
- Wheelbase: 55.1 inches
- Trail: 4.1 inches
- Seat height: 33.3 inches
- Fuel tank capacity: 4.4 gallons
- Estimated fuel consumption: 46 mpg
- Curb weight: N/A
- Color: Matt Ago Red
2021 MV Agusta Dragster Rosso Price: £14,900 (US MSRP $TBA)
2021 MV Agusta Dragster Rosso Photo Gallery
