Photography by Tuukka Koski
Good things begin in small batches. It’s true of machines especially, as the kinks are worked out, components tested, and processes improved before mass production. But what if you had the skill to apply advanced, prototype technology to a single machine…and make it look good, too?
That’s how this MV Agusta has been transformed in a collaboration between high-end jewelry designer David Yurman and expert motorcycle builder Walt Siegl. It may not seem like the two elements would blend well to create a backdated MV Agusta Brutale 800 that pays homage to the days of insanely light and powerful 500cc two-stroke Grand Prix machines.
Now about 80 lbs down from a stock Brutale 800 for a total of little more than 300lbs, it’s certainly now much closer to a classic GP bike in weight, but ultimately down on power to “just” 154 horses—which is pretty much all the craziness you’d want in a bike this beautiful. Its look is enhanced by forged carbon parts, which are being trialed. Calloway Golf and Lamborghini—remember the Sesto Elemento?—have been the pioneers in this space, where carbon nanotubes are crushed together using heat and pressure to form components that are able to take any shape.
Here, it’s used all over, from the fenders in a more decorative sense to actual parts like the triple tree up front and the rearset. There’s much more to come with forged carbon on both two wheels and four, but for now, be happy the material is being put to such fine use.
