Ever since the MV Agusta Brutale B3 was outed by European dealers, we've been keen to see the new model. Thanks to Italian spy photographers, we now have a much better idea of how the bike will shape up.
Taken near Varese in Italy and published by Italian publication Motociclismo, the photo shows an official MV Agusta test rider looking a little concerned, which is understandable considering he was probably told "If you get photographed, you're fired!"
Powered by the same water-cooled 675cc inline three-cylinder engine as the MV Agusta F3, the B3 features a similar tri-shooter exhaust pipe setup to its sports bike sibling.
There's no belly pan to speak of (but this small extra piece of body work is likely to be a cost option) but the naked bike adheres to the tried-and-test formula, with the main design points the tank, side fairing covers, front headlight, exhaust pipes and duck tail.
Four-pot Brembo calipers appear to be in evidence up front and the rear swing arm is a single sided affair. From what we can tell it looks like a worthy rival to the Ducati Streetfighter 848 and Triumph Street Triple.
Power for the 675 B3 is expected to be a little lower than the racetrack-ready MV Agusta F3, around 120hp (88kW) which is down on the rumoured 140hp (104kW) for the F3 sports bike. However while power will be reduced, a flatter torque curve will deliver improved ridability, as will a more relaxed riding position thanks to the flatter 'bars.
The MV Agusta Brutale 675 B3 is expected to be officially launched at the 2011 EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, and as the company's most affordable model will be one of the Italian company's most important bikes.
Likely to arrive in Australia later in 2012, the B3 will be priced beneath the Brutale 1078 RR, which currently fetches $17,800. A sub $15,000 price tag is not out of the question.
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