Goodbye Lucky Explorer Project, Hello MV Agusta Enduro Veloce

MV Agusta has taken us on quite a journey with its Lucky Explorer Project adventure bikes. First, we saw the Lucky Explorer 9.5 and 5.5 in prototype form at EICMA in 2021, and last year, Alan Cathcart had a chance to test the 9.5 prototype. We’re now well into the 2024 model launch season, and still waiting for the bikes to enter production, with word that the 5.5 model has been delayed indefinitely. And now, Motorcycle.com can confirm that the Lucky Explorer 9.5 is getting rebranded with the much more MV-esque name “Enduro Veloce”.

The rebranding accomplishes a few things. First, it clears up some of the confusion behind the branding, as the adventure bikes were being marketed as a new Lucky Explorers sub-brand and not MV Agusta models. The new Enduro Veloce name and red colors suggest the 9.5 model will be fully branded as an MV Agusta, with the nomenclature clarifying its place as the more off-road alternative to the more touring-focused Turismo Veloce.

Changing the name also helps to avoid the… elefant… in the room, as in the Enduro Veloce’s connection to the Cagiva Elefant. Both MV Agusta and Ducati claim a lineage with Cagiva, and Ducati was able to beat MV Agusta to market with its own Elefant-inspired ADV, the DesertX. MV Agusta owns the rights to Cagiva (MV was technically a subsidiary of Cagiva before eventually becoming the dominant brand), but it has generally skirted around mentioning the brand when promoting the Lucky Explorer.

The Enduro Veloce isn’t the only MV Agusta model getting rebranded, though the other changes aren’t quite as drastic, with MV submitting updated certification data in Australia for its other model ranges. For 2024, the Brutale 1000 RS will simply be called the Brutale 1000. MV Agusta quietly renamed the F3 Rosso to F3 R for 2023, but for 2024, the F3 RR will just be called the F3. The 2024 Turismo Veloce Rosso will be renamed the Turismo Veloce, and finally, the

798cc Brutale R will be simply known as the Brutale.

Essentially, MV Agusta is scaling back its somewhat liberal use of the letter R, which might not be a bad idea for other manufacturers to consider.

The unanswered question is how much of this rebranding is coming from Pierer Mobility, which now owns a stake in MV Agusta. In an interview with Alan Cathcart, Stefan Pierer responded to a question about the Lucky Explorer models, saying: “You’re right, nobody needs those, and especially not branded with that name.” The two later discuss the idea of MV Agusta branding the bikes as a high-luxury performance model, like a “two-wheeled Range Rover.” Dropping the Lucky Explorer branding for “Enduro Veloce” would fall along those lines.

We expect MV Agusta will officially announce the rebranded models, along with its entire 2024 lineup at EICMA in November.

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