For a while now, MV Agusta has been teasing a new 950-class three-cylinder adventure bike. At the 2023 EICMA show, the company officially revealed the machine under its new name. For 2024, the bike will enter showroom floors as the MV Agusta LXP Orioli, named after desert racing legend Edi Orioli.
Re-engineered powerplant
The heart of the bike is a 931 cc triple, descended from MV Agusta’s 850 engine, but much-changed. The crankcase and lubrication and liquid cooling systems are re-designs; the gearbox, ignition and many other internals are updates from the previous 850. MV gave this bike a counter-rotating crank, something no other bike in this category has, which is supposed to improve the bike’s handling for quick changes in direction.
The clutch is a hydraulic design. The company claims a max output of 124 hp at 10,000 rpm and 75 lb-ft of torque at 7,000 rpm, with 85 percent of that muscle available at 3,000 rpm.
The zappy bits
Along with that new engine, the LXP Orioli is packed with advanced electronics. The wizardry starts with a six-axis IMU, including a high-frequency processor that works in tandem with ride-by-wire throttle to quickly adjust the bike’s engine output and braking to match riding conditions. The machine comes with Urban, Touring, Off-Road and Custom All-Terrain riding modes, so the rider can easily choose a mode with settings matched to their circumstances.
Or they can take things into their own hands, as the traction control can be switched off or set to one of five levels of road-friendly intervention, or two off-road settings, or a rain mode. The engine braking is adjustable as well, but less so, with only two levels. The cornering-sensitive ABS includes an anti-stoppie function, that is intended to keep your rear wheel planted under heavy braking. The ABS system can also be fully disabled, or shut off only for the rear wheel, and has been designed to work with either knobbies or road tires.
The cruise control system can be set to micro-click adjust in either 1 km/h or 5 km/h increments and the bike comes with keyless ignition. The 7-inch TFT has Bluetooth and wi-fi connectability, and comes with choice of two displays and the ability to interface with your phone via the MV Ride app. There’s a Mobisat anti-theft device on-board as standard, too.
Chassis design
The LXP Orioli’s perimeter frame is made of steel with a double-cradle design, with a removable aluminum sub-frame, so you can replace it if you bang it up while off-roading. This is supposed to be a good balance between stiffness and flex, with frame thickness varying depending which section it is, to meet the needs of that part of the chassis. The fork is from Sachs, with compression, rebound and spring preload adjustability and 210 mm of travel. The Sachs shock gets the same travel distance, and is also adjustable. It connects via a progressive linkage.
The seat can be adjusted to either 850 or 870 mm; the bike itself has 230 mm of ground clearance, with 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear. Those wheels are homologated for Bridgestone street tires or knobbies, and are made for tubeless tire installation.
MV Agusta spec’d Brembo brakes, with Stylema calipers up front, mated to beefy 320 mm discs.
Finally, MV Agusta says it also put a lot of work into making the bodywork and controls offer comfort over the long haul, but also maneuverability off-road:
“Aerodynamic research has allowed for the creation of a ‘calm zone’ around the rider and passenger that protects against any bothersome turbulence, for an even more comfortable journey. Ergonomics were prioritized right from the start with the LXP project, the contact points (footpegs, handlebar and seat) studied to ensure all the comfort the rider and passenger require for long-range travel, even with luggage, and provide the off-road efficiency needed to control the bike in more critical situations, when the rider’s knees help to control the vehicle for example.”
Claimed dry weight is 220 kg.
Pre-farkled!
The LXP Orioli comes with a pretty decent selection of accessories pre-installed, including crash bars, skid plate, fog lamps, aluminum cases (32L capacity on the right, 39 L capacity on the left), and machined-from solid hubs. The LXP Orioli also comes with a titanium exhaust from Termignoni that’s homologated for road use, which cuts more than 4 kg off the bike’s weight.
Limited edition
Only 500 of these bikes will be made, with deliveries starting in 2024. Each bike will be signed by Edi Orioli himself. No word yet on how many of those bikes are coming to Canada, or at what price.
