International Dealer News 164 Dec2021/Jan2022 IDN 164 Dec2021/Jan2022 | Page 24

THE BRADLEY REPORT

THE BRADLEY REPORT

MV Agusta ADV bikes point to MV ' s future

By Ben Purvis
Jumping on the adventure bike bandwagon might be the least surprising thing a manufacturer can do these days , but MV Agusta ' s first dip into the market is significant - marking two important developments that will impact the company ' s future far beyond the bikes they ' re introduced on . MV has launched not one but two Lucky Explorer adventure models , both styled to call back to the Cagiva Elefant Lucky Explorer and the Paris-Dakar
' Lucky Explorer ' 9.5
racers of the 1980s and early 90s . Since MV is the direct descendant of Cagiva , it ' s got a strong link to that heritage , although Ducati - which was part of the Cagiva group from 1985 to 1996 - stakes its own claim to the same history with its new DesertX model . The first Lucky Explorer , dubbed 9.5 , is what we ' d expect from MV , with a derivative of the F3 ' s three-cylinder engine and high-end components throughout , while second - the 5.5 - is a 550 cc parallel twin that promises to be an affordable way to get into the MV brand . Starting with the 9.5 , it introduces a new generation of the three-cylinder engine , measuring 931 cc and tuned for torque rather than peak power . With 123 hp on tap , it ' s some way short of the more powerful 800 cc versions of the engine used elsewhere in MV ' s range , but it makes up for that with 75 lb-ft of torque at just 7,000 rpm . Most of the engine is new , including the cylinders , pistons , crankshaft , head and rods , with increases to both bore and stroke , and it ' s very likely that the 931 cc engine will later appear in more highly tuned form in other MV models . At 220 kg dry , the 9.5 isn ' t as light as you might expect , but it is strong on technology , including all the rider aids you ' d expect from a 2022 exotic , plus the option of a centrifugal Rekluse clutch and an electronically operated gearshift . That means the MV can be spec ' d to compete against Honda ' s DCT Africa Twin , which has proved enormously popular over the last few years . Like the Africa Twin , the 9.5 has serious off-road credentials , with a 21 " front and 18 " rear wheel allowing proper off-road tyres to be fitted , plus around 220 mm of suspension travel . Shifting focus to the smaller Lucky Explorer 5.5 , this bike is the first offspring of a partnership between MV Agusta and Chinese company Qianjiang - owner of Benelli and the China-only QJMotor brand . Underneath its undeniably attractive bodywork , the 5.5 shares its chassis and basic engine design with the Benelli TRK502 , a model that ' s currently Italy ' s best-selling motorcycle . In China , the QJMotor SRT500 also uses the same
' Lucky Explorer ' 5.5
components , with another different set of bodywork . MV ' s version , as well as gaining dedicated styling of its own , is the first to feature a new 554 cc version of the Qianjiang parallel twin engine , offering an A2-licence-legal 47 hp , but other than that , MV hasn ' t opted to significantly upgrade its components ; suspension still comes from KYB , for instance , and both the Benelli and QJMotor derivatives can be had with Brembo brakes like the MV . At 220 kg , it ' s as heavy as the bigger 9.5 . Both Lucky Explorer models are still under development with no definite on-sale date yet .

Brian Crighton ' s rotary revival

By Ben Purvis
There have been several efforts to bring rotary engines to bikes - the Suzuki RE5 and Hercules W2000 spring to mind - but Norton ' s 1980s and 90s efforts shine above the rest thanks to its loophole-exploiting race successes . Norton ' s rotaries scored British superbike titles and a memorable TT win , with Steve Spray , Trevor Nation , Ian Simpson and of course Steve Hislop all winning on board the machines . The 588 cc Wankel rotaries in the company ' s RCW588 and F1 racers offered huge straight-line performance advantages over 750 cc four-cylinder , four-stroke rivals thanks to the difficulty in establishing an effective equivalency formula in racing . Engineer Brian Crighton was the brain behind those rotaries and now his own name is appearing on a spiritual successor to the machines . The Crighton CR700W looks very much like the last rotary Norton - the NRV588 . Intended to race at the TT in 2009 , and itself a direct development of the 1990s machines , Crighton was behind that bike . Freed from the need to comply with racing rules , his CR700W is probably the most powerful rotary bike that the world will ever see . Its heart is a 690 cc twin-rotor engine , designed by Crighton for Rotron
Power , which makes a variety of Wankel engines for use in aircraft , drones and other applications . Incorporating all the knowledge Crighton has gained from previous efforts , in uses innovative cooling solutions and materials to help solve the problems of apex seal wear that dog traditional rotaries . Power is rated at 220 hp at 10,500 rpm , with 105 lbft of torque at 9,500 rpm , from a tiny engine with just three moving parts . It ' s just 34 cm long , 24 cm in diameter and weighs a mere 24 kg , or 43 kg when the bespoke six-speed transmission is fitted . With no need for road-going kit , the bike itself is incredibly light , too . The frame follows the same extruded alloy Spondon design of the 90s racers , while the bodywork - which mimics the NRV588 - is carbon fibre , so the whole bike is just 129.5 kg dry . Carbon
fibre Dymag wheels help keep the mass to a minimum , while customers will be offered a choice of Öhlins or Bitubo suspension . Crighton himself , now 73 , will handbuild the bikes at the Rotron factory , and just 25 are due to be made . Unsurprisingly , they ' re expensive , with a starting price of £ 85,000 (€ 100,000 ). Crighton said : " In so many ways the CR700W is the culmination of my career ' s achievements . Developed with my excellent lead engineer , Shamoon Quarashi , it encapsulates the absolute best of my engineering wisdom . And I believe the result is the ultimate track and racing motorcycle ." Alex Head , CEO of Rotron Power , adds : " The CR700W is a unique motorcycling masterpiece and a true
work of art , born out of Brian ' s passion and genius when it comes to creating extraordinary engines and race bikes . It is more powerful per cc than any other normally aspirated engine in the world , with a greater power-to-weight ratio than the Aprilia RSV4 , or even the supercharged Kawasaki H2R . " The performance speaks for itself , yet despite the numbers it is far from a highly-stressed racing engine that needs rebuilding after every race weekend , and instead , thanks to its low-revving design , ultra-low friction materials and unique internal geometry , it is resoundingly robust and reliable , and will run a full season before requiring internal inspection . There are few machines as exclusive , with performance and uniqueness to match ."
24 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 www . idnmag . com