Planned MV Agusta Models Revealed in VIN Filings

From what we’ve learned in Alan Cathcart’s interviews with Sardarov and KTM’s Stefan Pierer, it sounds like the ownership shuffling may be done, and the company is ready to move forward into a new era.

That seemed to be the theme for MV Agusta at EICMA last November: “Future Unveiled.” In Milan, MV Agusta showcased its Lucky Explorer 9.5 and 5.5 adventure bikes, a new Superveloce 1000, the 921S retro roadster, and the Ampelio electric scooter. The two adventure bikes were actually shown at EICMA a year earlier and should be close to full production. The Superveloce 1000 was presented as a Serie Oro model to be produced in small numbers, and the 921S and Ampelio were concepts (or “special projects,” as MV calls them), with a suggestion that they may become production models.

We now have a clearer idea of what MV Agusta has planned, thanks to vehicle identification number (VIN) filings recently published by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The document was an update to MV Agusta’s previous filing for vehicle data for model year 2022 and beyond. The update added an appendix outlining current and future models, essentially giving us a roadmap to MV Agusta’s plans for the next few years.

This doesn’t come as a complete surprise, as Pierer hinted at the change, telling Cathcart “All MV Agustas must be made in Italy, and the smallest capacity will be the 900 three-cylinder.” The 798cc models may stick around for a little longer, but Pierer’s words suggest the larger engine will eventually replace it as MV Agusta’s middleweight engine.

The 1B and 2B Lines are a bit of a mystery, but the nomenclature suggests they are connected with each other in some way. It’s possible that they may be reserved for new small displacements MV Agusta had been developing with China’s Loncin Motor Company. The two companies announced their collaboration in 2019, with plans to produce at least four models in 350cc and 500cc displacements. That was before the pandemic, however, and also well before KTM came into the picture. The first models were expected to arrive in 2021, and that obviously didn’t happen. It’s unclear if that partnership is still in place.

If the deal with Loncin doesn’t work out, MV Agusta has a relationship in place with another Chinese company, QJ Motor. It was QJ that developed the 554cc engine for the Lucky Explorer 5.5, so it’s possible (despite Pierer statements) that a second model is in the works with that engine. QJ also recently debuted a sportbike called the 1000 RR which appears to be based on the Brutale 1000. Perhaps this may stir MV Agusta to re-enter the literbike class with a new F4. However, the VIN decoder suggests that neither 1B or 2B Lines are planned for the U.S., and it seems unlikely that MV Agusta would produce an F4 and not offer it in America.

The F1 Line includes some familiar names in the 798cc F3 and Superveloce models and their variants. One new name does stick out, in the Superveloce 98 Edizione Limitata. The 98 was MV Agusta’s very first motorcycle, introduced in 1946, so we assume we’ll be seeing a limited edition model honoring that important piece of the company’s history.

The E1 Line lists three Lucky Explorer Project (LXP) models, the LXP, the LXP Premium, and the LXP Orioli. The first two are fairly straightforward: a base model plus an upgraded premium model. The LXP Orioli is obviously named after Edi Orioli, who rode a Cagiva Elefant for three of his four Paris-Dakar Rally wins. The E2 Line is not being imported to the U.S., but the similarities in the two lines suggests they represent the Lucky Explorer 9.5 and 5.5. Considering the U.S. market, plus the 5.5’s Chinese origins, we surmise this means only the Lucky Explorer 9.5 will be brought to these shores.

The Turismo Veloce models listed under the T3 line match the different variants offered over the last few years, so the appendix doesn’t really tell us about any changes to these sport-touring models. That’s not to say they won’t get updates; we just don’t know from the names alone. A jump in displacement to the new 950 engine is possible, but it’s just as likely they will stay with the current 798cc Triple.

The B7 lineup consists mainly of models spun off of the Brutale 1000 family. This includes the Rush model, as well as the Superveloce 1000. We already know about the limited production Serie Oro, but the appendix adds R and S variants which should be made in higher volumes.

Finally, we come to the new J1 line, which confirms the 921 S is planned for production, and it will be joined by a 921 GT variant. The 921 S’ designers looked to the MV Agusta 750 S for inspiration. The S, or Sport, model debuted in 1970 and was joined in 1972 by a 750 GT that offered a dual seat, more relaxed riding ergonomics. We expect the 921 GT to fit a similar mold.

While the updated VIN decoder gives us a product roadmap, it doesn’t provide any indication about when we will see each of these models. The decoder technically covers from model years 2022 to 2035, but realistically, we expect all of these models to surface in the next few years.

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