Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory vs MV Agusta Brutale 1090: comparison review

Italy is where all the action is. The country has been churning out the best of everything men cherish – food, women and of course motorcycles. Let’s just focus on the motorcycles for now, shall we? The food and women can wait while we reel in some fast laps on two of the best motorcycles the country is offering to us Indians. The Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory is being pegged as the ultimate litre-class naked with its cutting edge technology and precision engineering like probably no other motorcycle today. 

On the other hand is the MV Agusta Brutale 1090. Anyone who’s into motorcycles needs no introduction to the brand and its achingly beautiful, uber-exotic motorcycles that boast refinement and quality like few others do. The brand is offering its Brutale 1090 in the litre-class naked space, a motorcycle that looks stunning and has the go to match its show. Aprilia is selling the V4 1100 RR here as well, but the Factory version retails at the exact same price point of Rs 19 lakh as the Brutale 1090 (the RR version of the Brutale is not on offer in India). And the price point is precisely what sparked my interest, apart from the fact that they’re both viciously fast, promise huge dollops of fun with their raw performance, are totally uncompromising and certainly not for the faint hearted. So get down to business, shall we?

Design 

Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory: 4/5

MV Agusta Brutale 1090 4/5

It wouldn’t be wrong to say Italian motorcycles mirror the country’s women in terms of beauty, would it? MV Agusta has been known to offer some of the most lustworthy motorcycles thanks to the great Massimo Tamburini. Lethal doses of beautification on a motorcycle engineered to perfection is a line that best defines the brand’s motorcycles. The Brutale 1090 on sale in India is actually the 2013 model, and a newer Brutale is expected to be unveiled globally soon, but the current one looks stunning even now. Credit that to its curvy design, uniquely shaped headlight and the trademark single-sided swingarm, all in a tightly packaged bodywork including a curvy fuel tank with nice looking extensions and bulging rear panels. It looks drop dead gorgeous, but the matte black colour on our test bike hid the curves. MV’s racing colours would sure make the bike’s beauty stand out a lot more.  

The Tuono meanwhile is an antithesis to the Italian concept of seducing designs. It is a lot more functional than alluring. The design is straight off Aprilia’s WSBK machine and superbike, the RSV4, complete with the racy silver-red paintjob. The design is more race spec and brutal than sexy looking. Twin headlights with a third one tucked in between, quarter fairing and beefy single exhaust all give the Tuono a far more muscular stance than the curvaceous Brutale. And Aprilia’s brand name writ on both sides of the tank in a large font accentuates its race bike-like credentials. And race inspired motorcycles are always special to look at, no? The two motorcycles have a very different approach to design, but are equally enticing. 

The clocks on both bikes demand attention as well, given the class of motorcycles in question. The Brutale offers a more conventional setup with a large, black-faced tachometer flanked by a rectangular display to its right that offers all the information including riding modes et al. The Aprilia gets a funkier dash with a white-faced, racier looking large tachometer on the left and a larger, square shaped display screen offering a plethora of information at all times including launch control, race mode with a large lap timer and a lot more.

Engine and performance

Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory 5/5

MV Agusta Brutale 1090 4.5/5

We’re talking some serious performance in this test, and both bikes are certainly not for newbies. The Tuono and Brutale both make way more power than you could ask for, and among the two the Aprilia clearly has the upper hand. It’s like asking Brad Pitt to flex muscles next to Vin Diesel. Obviously, Pitt’s biceps are no match for Diesel’s brawn and in a very similar fashion the Brutale’s 146PS suddenly appears insignificant compared to the Tuono’s 175 ponies lurking inside the Aprilia’s V4 motor. Both make peak power at nearly the same revs, the Brutale at 10,300rpm and the Tuono at 11,000rpm. The Aprilia is the torquier of the two, offering 121Nm as compared to the MV’s 112Nm. The Brutale 1090 RR offers a healthier 158PS, but sadly is not on sale here. 

Does that mean the Brutale is not as adept at wheelies – intentional or unintentional? Hell no! 146PS is a lot of power and power wheelies are cakewalk, especially if you dare to crack the throttle open instantaneously in lower gears. The Aprilia? Well, there’s occasions when the motorcycle will almost have you begging it to put the front wheel down, irrespective of the gear or speeds. It’s an absolute hoot if you are someone like me and enjoy long, unending wheelies. The electronics play a big role there, obviously, but more on that later. The way the Aprilia takes off will stun even seasoned riders, and the bike’s ability to get to serious speeds is quite incredible with oodles of torque on offer at all times. The Brutale with its inline four is closer to the conventional sportsbike as performance gains at ultra-low revs aren’t as quick, but cross about 6000rpm and you can nearly feel your eyeballs popping out. The Brutale’s delivery feels smoother in comparison to the Aprilia’s, which pretty much smacks you in the face.  

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The two bikes are apart by tenths of a second when it comes to the 0-100kmph dash. The Aprilia will scurry to 100kmph before you even realise it, taking a mere 3.2 seconds. The Brutale is a wee bit slower expectedly, achieving the feat in 3.5 seconds. I didn’t quite bother trying to figure out top speeds and would recommend you to refrain from the same, since either motorcycle is so fierce to accelerate and the engines so refined, you almost never get a sense of the speeds you are doing. The Aprilia though, clearly surges ahead, looking at the MV in the eye with a smirk and proclaiming mine’s bigger than yours. And since the Aprilia’s cutting edge, WSBK inspired electronics have a lion’s share in propelling the bike to silly speeds like a projectile, let’s talk about that next.  

The exhaust notes deserve a special mention here – both are worlds apart when it comes to theatrics – the MV has a smooth inline four roar (not a wail unlike Japanese bikes) while the Tuono’s V4 motor is probably the best sounding motor this side of a MotoGP machine. Both have a distinctive aura, though the Tuono sounds more exclusive. 

Rider aids

Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory 4.5/5

MV Agusta Brutale 1090 4/5

Modern motorcycles are not quite ridden by you or me, they’re controlled more by the little ‘chips’ on the machine itself, no? The Brutale 1090 is a 2013 model like I mentioned, as compared to the Tuono which is a 2016 model. Just three years apart in age, the two bikes are a generation apart in terms of electronics. The Tuono benefits from Aprilia’s immense prowess and achievements in racing, particularly WSBK of late. MV Agusta is equally legendary in terms of racing but was away from the action for a long while. And that shows in the way the Brutale is lacking in comparison to what the Aprilia offers. 

The MV Agusta offers two riding modes along with eight levels of traction control and Bosch’s advanced 9 Plus ABS with rear lift mitigation. The modes alter the power and torque curve well, though I chose to stick to sport to enjoy the performance. The ABS, needless to say is adept at its task of shedding speeds quickly and controllably. The Brutale thus gets the ‘usual’ set of rider aids. The Aprilia gets eight traction levels as well, and you can switch traction levels on the fly via handlebar mounted switches, even at say 200kmph, and doing that is a lot easier than the MV. Three riding modes are on offer, but a word of caution – they do not change the power output like other bikes. On the Tuono the riding modes merely alter the amount of engine braking, and every mode is a ‘full-power’ mode. Then there’s 3 levels of race ABS, 3 levels of wheelie control and three levels of launch control! Phew. 

For once, I could imagine myself trying to tame the Brutale’s 146 horses without electronics, but I cannot say the same about the Tuono. The Aprilia would be an absolute beast without electronics as it would be next to impossible to rein in the 175 ponies. But what’s more important than the aids themselves is the execution and programming done by the engineers at Aprilia, who’ve clearly poured in their years of racing experience into making the Tuono the delight that it is to ride thanks to the clever, cutting edge electronics.  

Ride, handling and braking

Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory 4.5/5

MV Agusta Brutale 1090 4/5

The hills is where I was able to let both beasts loose, and unsurprisingly, the MV Agusta was pretty much up there with the Aprilia. Almost. Top spec Ohlins suspension at both ends, an Ohlins damper and one of the best electronics package mean the Tuono V4 is a rocket out of corners. Also credit that to aggressive power delivery and electronics working overtime to optimise traction and maximise forward motion. There’s a sense of smoothness and urgency to corner exits, and you know that wouldn’t have been possible without the electronics. If you feel like entertaining yourself, simply drop traction levels, lower wheelie control to minimum intrusion and the Aprilia is game to enthral you with corner exit wheelies like you’d never imagine. Scary stuff, but always in control. This is perhaps the closest you’ll get to a race machine, and the Tuono V4 1100 Factory is immensely rewarding in the right hands. The softer, higher-spec tyres on the Aprilia are also one of the key factors behind the Tuono’s better handling. 

The MV is perpetually entertaining and is always ready to light up its rear tyre at corner exits. The handling department is where the Brutale despises being belittled by the Tuono and shows off its engineering prowess. The beautifully engineered trellis frame and well set suspension – 50mm Marzocchi forks up front and Sachs monoshock at the rear work excellently to offer a smooth flow through corners, letting you turn in real quick, flick it from side to side and soak in mid-corner bumps as well. Flickability is commendable but not as quick as the Aprilia. Ride quality on both is nearly the same though the Tuono feels slightly better as Aprilia has focused well on offering comfort rather than compromising it in the interest of sporty handling. The MV feels slightly stiffer, a trade-off that pays off well around corners.  

Verdict

Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory 4.5/5

MV Agusta Brutale 1090 4/5

By the end of it, I was really left scratching my head. Rs 19.3 lakh ex-showroom Pune for the Brutale 1090 and Rs 19.14 lakh ex-showroom Pune for the Tuono V4 1100 Factory. The Brutale 1090 is likeable in a lot of ways. And that’s despite something about it feeling amiss as compared to the Tuono V4 1100 Factory which is super focused, razor sharp and knows exactly what it wants to offer to you and what it expects of you. That’s a race-spec motorcycle offering performance flexible enough to let you ride it comfortably wherever you choose to. The MV Agusta feels slightly old school in comparison, which has its own charm. The way the Brutale lays down its power, the way it handles and rewards you makes the bike special, living up to the exclusive tag that comes pre-attached to an MV. Performance and handling are in perfect harmony, making the Brutale one of the most exotic litre-class nakeds as you would expect. It is also better suited for shorter riders, apart from having a more relaxed riding position as compared to the Tuono’s sportier, more aggressive ergonomics.  

The Tuono V4 1100 Factory is a machine that’s more clinical in its approach yet extremely engaging and enthralling. Its precision in attacking corners is perhaps the best this side of a race bike while power delivery is a lot more explosive thanks to the additional 30 horses and the cutting edge electronics. It is surprisingly more spacious, despite the more aggressive riding stance. Strangely, despite being so much more powerful and so much more focused the Aprilia also feels very friendly and easier to swing a leg over and start riding, backing you up with some of the best cycle parts and arguably the best electronics to cover you always. At the same price as the more exotic feeling MV Agusta Brutale 1090. The math is quite simple, isn’t it?