MV Agusta Brutale Problems – Expensive Issues You Won’t Like Having

The MV Agusta Brutale is a beastly naked superbike series released by MV Agusta back in 2001. The company got some backlash in its early days as customers complained about its unreliability and numerous faults. Over the years, however, it has been modified with significant improvements.

Just like any other motorcycle, maintenance for the MV Agusta Brutale is extremely essential for its vitality, but it can be very expensive. For a motorcycle that costs over $30,000 for recent models, you can expect that the cost of repair and replacement of parts will be no small feat.

Hence, you want to be conscious of proper maintenance so you'll only have to deal with the necessary minimal issues during usage over a long period.

In this article, we will be letting you in on all the expensive problems of an MV Agusta Brutale that you definitely won't like and should avoid at all costs.

There are several issues to avoid while using an MV Agusta Brutale superbike:

• Loose chain
• Rear and front-end brake performance
• Bad stator
• Bad fuel pump
• Strange engine noises

Loose Chain

This is a very common issue with bikes and causes a symptom called "chain lash". When the chain of the bike slacks, it often tends to make contact with the chain guard, hence the lashing.

This constant slapping of the chain guard produces a lot of uncomfortable noise that can be alarming. It is very noticeable and worrisome, especially when accelerating or decelerating. Apart from the slapping of the swing arm or the chainguard, the loose chain causes a substantial amount of jerking during acceleration.

What causes the chain to loosen?

• Installing a new chain that is not the correct size for your bike will cause slack in it. You must ensure that you have the correct chain size installed on your bike.
• The chain links have bearings that normally undergo wear and tear from constant usage. This causes the chain to loosen up and even snap while on a ride. This is actually something that will eventually happen, especially if the bike is constantly used, but can be stalled with proper lubrication.
• Also, if the tension bolt is not tightened properly, it can lead to the chain getting loose over time. So, make sure that the bolt is always tightened properly.

The price range for the chain of an MV Agusta Brutale is between $250 and $300.

Rear And Front Brake Performance

The brakes of a bike are not to be joked with. As a matter of fact, your life depends on those brakes functioning at all times. Having issues with them because of poor maintenance will definitely lead to some expensive repairs to get them changed sooner than they need to be. 

What Leads to Brake Failure?

Most of the things that can lead to brake failure include:

• Overheating and binding
• Brake Fade
• Low brake fluid
• Inappropriate bleeding

Overheating and binding

Most of the time, brake pads overheat due to binding. "Binding" is when the pads become permanently stuck to the discs because they are not released properly. Other causes of overheating include things like prolonged use of the pads; extremely high fluid levels, which also cause binding; jammed brake shoes; and seizure of the piston in the caliper.

To prevent overheating and binding, go for proper and regular servicing and avoid excessive use of the brake for excessive periods.

Brake Fade

The word "fade" in the name doesn't really imply the wear and tear of the brake. Brake fade is something most people don't really know about. This is when the brake lining loses its frictional ability or the brake drum expands due to regular, heavy application of the brake.

So, if you use the brake more frequently than usual, you should make sure that the bike is serviced and maintained on a regular basis. 

Low Brake Fluid

Nothing can be as expensive as your own life. Having low brake fluid can lead to total brake failure, which can cost you your life.

Allowing the brake fluid tank to get empty can lead to air suction into the brake system, which will cause more problems. So, make sure your brake fluid is never low.

Inappropriate Bleeding

As previously mentioned in this article, air getting into the braking system will lead to brake failure. Bleeding the brake systems means removing air from the internal system, and it is a very important process when installing new brakes. So, whenever you have to install new brakes, ensure that they are bled properly.

It can cost over $400 to replace a damaged brake system, so be extremely alert and stick to regular maintenance.

Bad Stator

A stator is an alternator found in motorcycles. Like your normal alternator, it constantly charges the battery that powers all the electrical components of the bike. You definitely do not want this to get bad, as your motorcycle battery will run down. Once this happens, you won't be able to even start your bike.

One main cause of stator failure is power overload. When too many electrical components are running at the same time, like your headlamps, heated grips, GPS, etc., another cause is when the motorcycle battery is connected wrongly, damaging the stator.

As a result, always ensure that your battery is properly connected and that only necessary electrical accessories are used while riding.

A new stator for an MV Agusta Brutale can cost up to $100.

Bad Fuel Pump

A fuel pump is what transfers fuel from the tank to the engine. A bad fuel pump will not be able to adequately pump fuel from the tank to the engine. When this happens, your motorcycle won't move as smoothly as when the fuel pump is working well.

In some cases, the bike won't even start up. A fuel pump is an essential component of a motorcycle. Some factors that contribute to a fuel pump going bad include:

Regular use of contaminated fuel will lead to external particles getting into the tank and pumping through the fuel pump, which will damage it. So, only use clean fuel from authorized companies.

Blocked filters reduce the flow rate of the fuel to the engine, which causes the fuel pump to overwork and still not have enough fuel getting to the engine, leading to other problems. So get your filter changed regularly.

A new MV Agusta fuel pump can cost up to $500.

Strange Engine Noises

If you hear strange and sometimes annoying noises coming from your motorcycle engine, don't ignore them. Some of the most common sounds that can be heard include:

• Bump and grind
• Creepy krink
• Metallic ticking
• Hissing sound
• Pinging or dinging sound

Grind and Bump 

It is a known fact, especially among bikers, that a grinding sound, no matter how faint, coming from the engine must be checked instantly. A sporadic grinding noise, usually inconsistent and accompanied by some vibrations in the handlebars, commonly comes from your rear or front brake pads that need to be changed.

Creepy Krink

This is a sound that you should never ignore, and it is usually heard on bikes with metallic chain drives. This sometimes irregular sound may be from bikes with badly corroded chains or links that have kinks in them and are worn out.

This wear and tear can be a symptom of misaligned sprockets after chain tension adjustment. You can avoid this with proper and regular lubrication and by also making sure that the appropriately adjusted final drive chain is on a well-aligned sprocket. 

The price of a new sprocket for the MV Agusta Brutale is almost $300.

Metallic Ticking

The thing about sound troubleshooting for a motorcycle is that you most often never identify the source of the sound on your first troubleshooting attempt. Most of the time, this inconsistent noise is chassis noise.

It's good to quickly identify the noise as it might be a chassis component already loose and might fall off or get completely damaged. So, you should regularly check your bike for sounds like this at home.

Hissing Sound

It's not every time that the hissing from your bike is caused by a tire deflating. Sometimes it can be an overcharged battery caused by a flooded cell battery in a charging system. This leads to gas being forced out of a crack in the case, which will damage the battery if not checked and can also result in a battery explosion.

Some other sources may be a blown gasket or a leaking exhaust system. So, you should do well to properly check your bike if you ever hear a hissing sound from it.

An MVAgusta Brutale battery can cost up to $200 per unit.

Pinging And Dinging Sound

Most of the time, a dinging sound from your motorcycle engine may be a sign of detonation, which is a very destructive condition. This condition occurs when compression and high fuel temperature cause a small amount of fuel charge in the cylinder to ignite prematurely. This can lead to damage to cylinder walls, pistons, head components, etc. 

I would strongly advise you to pay attention to this particular sound as an MV Agusta Brutale piston price ranges from $400 to as much as $1,000.

Final words

In conclusion, there are a lot more expensive things that can go wrong, like a leaking gasket or faulty exhaust system, but these are just some of the issues that you wouldn't like to have as an MV Agusta Brutale owner.