MV Agusta adds semi-auto option to Brutale and Dragster 800

MV Agusta lets you shift without a clutch on Dragster and Brutale 800

The Brutale 1000 and Rush 1000 may have stolen the limelight in the MV Agusta lineup recently, yet a new update shifts it back to the Brutale 800 and Dragster 800.

That is the addition of its new Smart Clutch System (SCS) for these two models. The SCS is a centrifugal clutch that uses small wedges slide in the expansion disk to engage or disengage the clutch depending on the speed. It’s based on a Rekluse clutch design, which is a common aftermarket add-on for off-road motorcycles.

It works with the existing up and down quickshifter to allow the rider to change gears without having to pull the clutch lever. Of course, the ability to shift the conventional way if so desired is still there as the clutch lever has been kept.

With the SCS, the bike feels more like a semi-auto underbone, rather than Honda’s Africa Twin DCT manual mode that requires you to use buttons to shift. The ensures that the shifting feeling is still natural. Another added benefit is the use of many conventional gearbox parts, making this new system easy to repair and service, without too much of an increase in the price tag.

The models fitted with this system simply bear the SCS letters after the name, e.g. the Brutale 800 SCS or Dragster 800 SCS. They produce 140 hp at 12,300 rpm and 86.3 Nm of torque at 10,100 rpm. MV Agusta says it can reach a top speed of 244 km/h and tips the scales at 175 kg (dry weight).

Besides the smart clutch, these are the same Brutale and Dragster 800 models. They’re powered by a 798cc three-cylinder DOHC engine with a counter-rotating crankshaft, and six-speed gearbox. They ride on Marzocchi forks and Sachs shocks, built around a steel trellis frame, and aluminum swingarm.