ROAD NEWS
MV AGUSTA GETS ITS EXPLORER ON
MV Agusta has launched its Cagiva Elefant revival – the Lucky Explorer Project – at EICMA with not one , but two new adventure bikes that lean heavily on the mythos of the original Dakar racing Cagiva Elefants and finally give MV a foothold in the red hot adventure bike market . Both bikes feature styling that harks back to the iconic Cagiva Elefant ( MV Agusta owns the Cagiva brand ) with the entry-level 5.5 model running a 554cc parallel-twin engine which should be LAMS approved if it heads to NZ , while the 9.5 model takes aim at the big boys with a 930cc triple-cylinder engine and all the tech a modern adv rider could want . MV AGUSTA LUCKY EXPLORER 5.5 The 5.5 model appears to be based heavily around the Benelli TRK502 platform with a number of upgrades to bring it up to MV Agusta ’ s specifications . That means it ’ s running a Qianjiang ( QJ ) sourced parallel-twin which has been beefed up to
554cc in capacity which is housed in a frame that is reminiscent of QJ ’ s Italian sister company Benelli ’ s TRK502 model . Power is a claimed 47hp at 7500rpm with 51Nm of torque at 5500rpm while dry weight is on the porky side at 220kg . That will mean that if the 5.5 makes its way to our shores it will be MV ’ s first LAMS approved offering . Like the Benelli TRK , the Lucky Explorer 5.5 from MV is a physically large middleweight that gives an impression of a much larger capacity machine than it actually is . The fuel tank holds 20 litres , while seat height is listed as an approachable 860mm . Unlike the Benelli , MV has specced KYB suspension for their bike with a 43mm USD fork with rebound and spring preload adjustment up in front , with a single shock out the back offering rebound and compression damping and spring preload adjustment . Ground clearance is also pretty good at 210mm . Braking is supplied by Brembo with a pair of 320mm discs clamped by four-piston calipers up front and a 260mm disc with a two-piston Brembo caliper at the rear . In a nice nod to the past , the front discs come with covers like the Elefant Dakar racers .
The bodywork features an
Elefant-inspired front cowling with dual LED headlights with the 5.5 running a DRL in a semi-circle . There ’ s also a large plastic skid plate to complete the Elefant look and give the 5.5 a little more ADV cred than its Benelli competition .
14 KIWI RIDER