MV Agusta highlights the extent of its 'Motorcycle Art' philosophy

MV Agusta has long been synonymous with its tagline "Motorcycle Art", two words that the Italian firm has used to describe its bikes since the mid-1990s and beyond. But what exactly does building motorcycle art mean? Well, wonder no more, because MV has just released a lengthy manifesto explaining what constitutes a genuine rolling masterpiece.

The short version? According to MV, every part deserves to be beautiful, even the bits you'll never clap eyes on.

The company says every component is finished to the same standard inside as it is outside, meaning if you decide to strip your Brutale or Superveloce down to its last bolt, you won't suddenly discover the accountants took over when nobody was looking. Naturally, it doesn't stop there.

MV says it offers one of the widest ranges of materials in the premium motorcycle segment, with everything from billet aluminium and sintered aluminium to titanium, carbon fibre, Alcantara and full-grain calf leather all deployed where the engineers believe they're most appropriate. Or, if we're being cynical, where they also happen to look rather lovely.

Its dashboard supports perfectly illustrate the philosophy. What starts life as billet aluminium on one model graduates to topology-optimised sintered aluminium on the limited-edition Rush Mamba before culminating in titanium on the Rush Titanio. The same stepped approach applies to headlight brackets and even the little Italian badge on the tank, because apparently no detail is too small to receive the full Renaissance treatment.

Then there's titanium, which MV is keen to point out isn't just there because it sounds expensive. The firm's four-cylinder engines already use titanium valves and forged connecting rods to reduce reciprocating mass and improve high-rpm performance, while its Arrow and Akrapovič exhaust systems make use of the lightweight metal too. The visual appeal, MV insists, is simply a happy by-product.

Carbon fibre gets similar billing, with hand-laid and autoclave-cured components appearing on halo models, including carbon wheels on the F3 Competizione. Even the weave pattern and lacquer finish are considered part of the design language, with gloss, matte and coloured transparent finishes all making an appearance.

The company's obsession extends to the seat, too, as rather than relying on clever embossing to fake premium finishes, MV uses multiple stitched coverings throughout its range before moving into Alcantara with its water-resistant EXO treatment and eventually full-grain calf leather on flagship models. The Rush Titanio even claims a world first with an all-Alcantara seat featuring both laser engraving and thermo-welding – whatever that is!

Finally, the paintwork. Every MV Agusta is painted in Italy using bespoke colours developed specifically for the brand, while decals are applied using water transfers before being buried beneath layers of clear coat. The idea is to give the finish genuine depth rather than leaving it looking like a sticker slapped onto a fairing.

If all of this sounds a little... theatrical... well, that's probably because it is. But then again, nobody buys an MV Agusta because it's the sensible option. The company's motorcycles have always traded as much on emotion as outright performance, and while this latest press release lays the artistic flair on with something resembling a trowel, it's difficult to argue with the end result.

Whether you call it motorcycle art or simply Italian overthinking, there's no denying that few manufacturers obsess over the finer details quite like MV Agusta. And if that means someone, somewhere, has painstakingly polished the inside of a bracket that will spend its entire life hidden behind a fairing panel... well, that's probably the most MV Agusta thing imaginable.

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