First look: MV Rivale 800, in the metal

FOLLOWING on from last week's official sketches, here are the first pictures of MV's new Rivale 800.

A big, brawny streetfighter-style bike, it reminds us of Bane after a good swig of Venom. Looking heavier than its claimed 170kg dry weight, the Rivale is a squat mass of shapes that have somehow coalesced into an eye-catcher. The bulky tank and side panels are complemented by a clean rear end sporting parallel LED tail-lights. 

The Rivale proudly exposes its 798cc, 125bhp three-cylinder engine, shared with the Brutale 800, and features its sibling's MVICS 'integrated control system' with traction control, customisable engine maps and ride-by-wire throttle. The chassis is MV's signature mixed trellis-and-plate job; suspension is fully adjustable front and rear, while braking duties are taken care of by twin four-piston Bremobo callipers grabbing 320mm-diameter rotors up front, with a two-piston calliper with a single 220mm disc at the back.

The Rivale will be available mid-2013 for £9,299, TBC.